Global DOOH Advertising: Engaging 21st Century Consumers On-Site

London billboard red bus

In this article, we will discuss Digital out of Home (DOOH) advertising, delving into the benefits, advances, and advantages of programmatic DOOH across the international landscape. This exploration will start by examining the criteria necessary when creating media plans- what is important. Finally, we’ll conclude listing go-to international DOOH platform providers, media formats, channels offered, countries and regions served, programmatic targeting and DIY placement for marketers. Choosing channels and formats to invest in is as essential as servicing the KPIs.

AIMCLEAR selects channels, formats, and creates media plans based on servicing short-, mid-, and long-term KPIs.

  • Branding: measured real time and by monthly panels. We lead with this point, because if your media placement company does not offer realtime feedback on branding campaigns – replace them. It’s that essential.
  • Direct response sales: Yep, we’re marketers and our job is to sell things. Even if the campaign is about branding, the goal is to parlay the investment into sales.
  • Attributable sales:  Today’s branding is tomorrow’s sales. If there are sales tomorrow, more than today, branding worked. If there are not more sales tomorrow, the branding was not worthwhile in the end.
  • Retention: It costs less money to keep an existing customer than to convert a new one. Far too many brands forget this basic tenet of business, myopically focusing on gaining new customers.

The concept of Out of Home (OOH) advertising isn’t new; it’s deeply embedded in the very fabric of our civilization. Imagine ancient vendors, attempting to captivate passersby with meticulous engravings, intricate symbols, or even rudimentary posters. Traditional forms of capturing attention have stood the test of time, evolving and adapting to the ever-changing world.

Given such challenges, one might wonder, “How can OOH media remain relevant?” Turns out, while the digital era poses challenges, digital also equips OOH advertising with innovative tools that amplify strength. The advent of programmatic OOH, the expansion of available inventory, and emergence of engaging digital formats have all played their part. Advancements in Digital Out of Home (DOOH) technology offer advertisers an unprecedented range of choices in deployment, execution, and evaluation of their campaigns – complementing OOH.

DOOH, Competing in the Digital Age

Today’s OOH has a formidable opponent – omnipresent digital media. Many individuals wander through urban hubs, their gaze fixed on gleaming smartphone screens. Only occasionally do eyes lift, perhaps to dodge an oncoming pedestrian or safely navigate a crosswalk. Our fast-paced lives, filled with back-to-back appointments, often render us oblivious to our immediate environment.

Common Digital Out of Home (DOOH) Media Formats:

  1. Digital Billboards
  2. Digital Bus Shelters
  3. Digital Taxi Tops
  4. In-taxi Video Screens
  5. Airport Digital Displays
  6. Digital Cinema Ads
  7. Digital Kiosks
  8. Restroom video screens
  9. Interactive Touchpoints
  10. Transit Digital Displays (e.g., subway, trains)
  11. Digital Posters (e.g., malls, elevators)
  12. Digital Menu Boards (restaurants/fast food)
  13. Digital Vehicle Wraps (on buses, trams)
  14. Digital Place-based Networks (like screens in gyms, gas stations, etc.)
  15. Stadium & Arena Digital Signage
  16. Digital Shopping Cart Displays
  17. Mobile Digital Signage (vans or trucks with screens)
  18. Any digital display that captures attention

Harnessing the Power of Programmatic DOOH Advertising

DOOH lives at the intersection of automation efficiency and expansive reach. For advertisers, programmatic targeting offers a uniquely potent mix of broad-spectrum and precision-targeted messaging, all powered by rich, actionable data. From billboards to buses, trains, and even the local mall, marketers now wield the power to pinpoint their ads to ideal audiences.

Broad Spectrum Messaging: In the realm of digital promotions, personalized messages have become the norm. Yet, when it comes to mediums boasting significant reach like OOH platforms, this strategy can pose challenges. Enter programmatic OOH platforms. Collaborating with mobile identity affiliates, these exchanges serve the dual needs of digital IDs and personalization. Consequently, advertisers using programmatic DOOH reap rewards of automation efficiency while retaining the extensive reach of one-to-many broadcasting.

Real-Time Relevance in Content: Programmatic’s inherent ability to utilize live data spells massive potential for enterprises. By harnessing dynamic elements such as current weather or traffic, sports scores, regional psychographics, conditions and other variables, brands can inject vivacity into visuals. Success is not just about enhancing content, though. Real-time, impression-driven purchasing mechanisms support maximum viewer engagement. Moreover, programmatic lets advertisers finely target audiences, taking into account factors such as behavioral interests, the day’s hour, prevailing weather, integrated pure digital campaigns, or precise geolocation. The end result? DOOH screens beaming captivating, personalized content.

Decisions Powered by Rich Data

The marriage between programmatic buyers and mobile data companies bear fruit in the form of in-depth audience comprehension. Consider this: Segments constructed from historical geo-behavioral patterns of smartphone users can inform real-time bid decision-making. This mirrors the audience data-driven approach prevalent in online browser or app inventory acquisitions, albeit with a broader messaging strategy.

Naturally, crafting data segments requires strong psychographic marketing expertise, oft lacking at major big-box media buying conglomerates who can’t pay street-level media buyers at the same level as boutique agencies.

Layering for Precision

It’s worth noting the trend among advanced programmatic DOOH buyers. They prefer adding custom targeting layers atop the standard parameters, all facilitated by data-intensive tools. The benefit? Enhanced contextual pertinence, both temporally and geographically. Additionally, such techniques permit buyers to incorporate first party audience data, refining targets.

The splintering of traditional TV and radio audiences due to the juggernaut of digitalization has created a conundrum for advertisers. Marketers have been on the hunt for an effective one-to-many communication channel. DOOH, with its broad reach, might just be a silver bullet they’ve been seeking.

As we stand at the crossroads of tradition and innovation, it’s exhilarating to witness the evolution of OOH to DOOH. While its essence remains unchanged, techniques and execution reflect dynamic times we live in. Here’s to the age-old art of attracting attention – may it continue to evolve and enchant!

Global DOOH Companies

Company Description Media Formats & Channels Offered Areas Served Programmatic Targeting DIY Platform
Daktronics Specializes in electronic displays. Digital Billboards, Stadium & Arena Digital Signage Global Yes No
Amobee A global marketing tech company. Digital Cinema Ads, In-taxi Video Screens North America, Europe, Asia Yes Yes
Lamar Advertising Company Major outdoor advertising firm. Digital Billboards, Transit Digital Displays, Digital Bus Shelters North America Yes Yes
Prismview Llc LED display solutions provider. Digital Billboards, Digital Kiosks, Digital Posters North America No No
Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. Global media company in outdoor advertising. Digital Billboards, Digital Bus Shelters, Airport Digital Displays Global Yes Yes
Outfront Media Inc. Out-of-home media firm. Digital Billboards, Transit Digital Displays, Digital Posters North America, South America Yes Yes
Aoto Electronics Co., Ltd. LED display product manufacturer. Digital Billboards, Digital Kiosks, Airport Digital Displays Asia, Europe Yes No
Ooh!Media Ltd. Australian out-of-home media company. Digital Billboards, Digital Bus Shelters, Digital Cinema Ads Australia, New Zealand Yes No
Ayuda Media Systems Software provider for out-of-home advertising. Digital Posters, Digital Menu Boards, Digital Place-based Networks North America, Europe Yes Yes
JCDecaux SingaporeNec Display Solutions Ltd Focuses on outdoor advertising in Singapore, and provides display solutions. Digital Billboards, Digital Kiosks, Airport Digital Displays Singapore, Global Yes Yes
Mvix, Inc. Digital signage solutions provider. Digital Menu Boards, Digital Place-based Networks, Digital Posters North America Yes Yes
Chrisitie Digital Systems Usa, Inc. Audio and visual technologies firm. Stadium & Arena Digital Signage, Digital Cinema Ads Global No No
Deepsky Corporation Ltd. Large-scale digital displays creator. Digital Billboards, Digital Kiosks, Digital Place-based Networks Asia Yes No
Ocean Outdoor UK Ltd Operator of digital out-of-home advertising in the UK. Digital Billboards, Digital Cinema Ads UK Yes No
Broadsign International Llc Cloud-based digital signage software platform. Digital Menu Boards, Digital Place-based Networks, Digital Posters Global Yes Yes
Anjels Media Integrated media solution provider. In-taxi Video Screens, Digital Bus Shelters, Digital Posters Asia No No
Jcdecaux Global outdoor advertising corporation. Digital Billboards, Airport Digital Displays, Digital Bus Shelters, Transit Digital Displays Global Yes Yes
Vistar Media Programmatic technology platform for DOOH. All major DOOH formats Global Yes Yes
Adomni Online platform to buy and sell out-of-home advertising. All major DOOH formats North America, Europe Yes Yes
Broadsign Reach DOOH programmatic software provider. All major DOOH formats Global Yes Yes
Place Exchange Unified programmatic DOOH platform. All major DOOH formats Global Yes Yes
Hivestack Programmatic DOOH platform. All major DOOH formats Global Yes Yes
AdQuick DOOH media planning and buying platform. All major DOOH formats North America Yes Yes
Lamar’s Programmatic Platform Lamar Advertising’s programmatic platform. Digital Billboards, Transit Digital Displays North America Yes Yes
Quividi Audience & campaign intelligence platform for DOOH. All major DOOH formats Global Yes No
JCDecaux’s VIOOH JCDecaux’s programmatic platform. Digital Billboards, Airport Digital Displays, Digital Bus Shelters Global Yes Yes

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