Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become pivotal dates on the retail calendar, marking the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Originally a single day of in-store sales, Black Friday has now evolved into a full weekend event, with shoppers flocking to brick-and-mortar locations on Friday and turning to online deals during Cyber Monday. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), a record-breaking 200.4 million consumers shopped over the five-day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday last year, breaking the previous year’s record of 196.7 million shoppers.

The holiday shopping season isn’t just about big sales—it’s a race for consumer attention, with brands vying to make the biggest impact. Shoppers are actively hunting for deals, making them more open to ads highlighting promotions or new products. But in the crowded digital space, standing out is tough. That’s where out-of-home (OOH) advertising shines. OOH reaches consumers when they’re most receptive, driving foot traffic to stores and boosting digital campaigns, giving brands the visibility needed to win big this holiday season.

Capturing attention across the blended shopping journey

Holiday shopping habits have significantly transformed in recent years, with consumers spreading out their purchases to reduce stress and better manage their budgets. 2023 NRF research revealed that 59% of holiday shoppers had already started browsing and buying by early November. This earlier start to shopping has turned what was once a single weekend frenzy into a more extended, thoughtful process as consumers aim to get ahead of the rush.

So, where are consumers making most of their purchases? Recent surveys show that shoppers are seamlessly blending in-store and online experiences. According to the NRF, 134.2 million people shopped online during last year’s Black Friday weekend, up from 130.2 million in 2022. Data from eMarketer echoes this trend, projecting holiday e-commerce sales to grow by 9.5% year-over-year, accounting for 19.8% of 2024’s total holiday retail sales.

Despite the growth of online shopping, in-store experiences remain a major part of the consumer journey. Over last year’s Black Friday weekend, 121.4 million shoppers visited physical stores, a number nearly identical to the previous year. With consumers actively moving between digital and physical spaces, brands need an advertising strategy to capture attention across both worlds.

Boost in-store shopping visits

With its increased mobility and foot traffic, the holiday season amplifies the potential of OOH advertising to influence shoppers as they navigate stores and retail centers. Strategic ad placements—whether on billboards near malls, digital displays in transit hubs, or along busy streets—enable advertisers to engage audiences during high-impact moments. By targeting shoppers already primed to browse and buy, OOH can drive store visits and prompt immediate action during the holiday rush.

Beyond awareness, OOH’s dynamic capabilities make it perfect for promoting time-sensitive offers. According to Vericast’s 2024 Holiday Retail TrendWatch, 38% of consumers are most interested in receiving deals and discounts that will make holiday shopping more affordable. Meanwhile 56% say the holiday season is a great time of year for purchases because of sales and discounts.

Programmatic DOOH can display real-time updates on limited-time sales, exclusive discounts, or last-chance promotions, prompting consumers to act quickly. For example, digital displays in shopping areas can alert shoppers to flash sales that end in a few hours, pushing them to visit nearby stores immediately. This kind of messaging taps into the urgency of the season, especially with 30% of shoppers purchasing earlier to avoid missing out on specific items.

Case Study: See how Holt Renfrew drove 400,000 store visits with its programmatic DOOH campaign.

In addition to its role outside of stores, OOH can amplify its impact through in-store retail media activations. Digital displays within retail environments can showcase current promotions and exclusive deals right at the point of purchase. These in-store elements reinforce the messaging encountered earlier and provide a seamless transition from outside advertising to immediate action, driving impulse buys and enhancing shopper engagement during peak shopping days.

Create online and offline synergy with OOH

OOH plays a crucial role in complementing digital strategies, especially with e-commerce forecasted to drive about $1 out of every $5 spent during the holidays. Ads in high-traffic areas can drive awareness of online promotions, encouraging shoppers to visit a website or app to get more information or complete their purchases. Shoppable OOH ads, like those featuring QR codes, provide a direct path to purchase by letting shoppers instantly scan the code to access deals or product pages on their phones.

Incorporating retargeting into an omnichannel strategy also enhances the effectiveness of OOH. After capturing consumer attention in the real world, digital retargeting enables brands to reconnect with those same audiences online. An OAAA and Harris Poll report found that 74% of mobile users took action on their devices after viewing DOOH ads. These actions included online searches(44%), direct visits to websites (38%), and engagement on social media (30%). This seamless follow-up helps brands remain top-of-mind and drive conversions across various touchpoints.

For instance, when a shopper enters a specific location, such as the area surrounding a billboard, advertisers can use mobile retargeting to serve ads later on social media or search engines. These timely digital reminders reinforce the initial OOH impression, keeping the brand top-of-mind as the shopper browses online. This strategy is especially effective during the holiday season, with mobile e-commerce now driving more than half of all online sales, increasing the chances of conversion.

Retail Playbook: Get more strategies for reaching shoppers this holiday season.

As the shopping rush kicks off, brands have a prime opportunity to leverage DOOH advertising to reach targeted audiences both on the go and at the point of purchase. With shifting economic factors and an earlier shopping window, consumers are more focused on finding deals and value-driven offers. DOOH is the perfect medium to highlight these promotions in real time. Whether you’re focused on building brand awareness or driving in-store traffic, integrating DOOH into your omnichannel strategy is a powerful move that can significantly amplify results.

Want to build an impactful retail OOH campaign this holiday season?

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With out-of-home (OOH) advertising projected to grow 11.5% globally by the end of the year, measuring campaign performance has become more important than ever. Historically perceived as trailing behind digital channels in measurement capabilities, technology advancements are driving significant transformation in the industry. Once limited to estimated impressions and ad plays, campaign analytics have expanded to offer more comprehensive insights into performance. Additionally, enhanced OOH measurement and attribution capabilities enable advertisers to gather privacy-compliant data to extend their reach beyond physical screens to target audiences across multiple platforms.

This guide dives into the evolving metrics and analytics in OOH and digital OOH (DOOH), showcasing how the industry is leveraging technology to achieve more measurable campaign outcomes. We’ll also cover how advertisers can leverage data from OOH campaigns to retarget audiences across digital channels through audience extension.

Why accurate (D)OOH measurement is critical for campaign success

In OOH, audience measurement is generally governed by established industry bodies like the World Out-of-Home Organization (WOO), Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), and Media Rating Council (MRC), which help ensure that measurement is consistent and comparable to other media channels as called for by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s). Industry organizations like Geopath in the US, OMA in Australia, ROUTE in Europe and Out of Home Measurement Council (OHMC) in South Africa implement rigorous data collection and reporting standards for their respective markets. These standards ensure consistent, accurate measurement across campaigns, geographies, and media owners.

Before the adoption of programmatic DOOH, advertisers had to analyze campaign performance across different venue types and media owners by requesting individual reports from each publisher. Programmatic DOOH streamlines this process by providing centralized, real-time data and automated reporting, simplifying evaluation and saving time and resources. This approach offers a comprehensive view of brand KPIs and campaign effectiveness, enabling more strategic decision-making. Additionally, it allows for real-time adjustments and optimization of ongoing campaigns based on factors like location, time, format, and ad creative, enhancing overall performance.

OOH measurement and attribution also support audience and campaign extension by providing detailed data on audience demographics and behaviour, which can be used to retarget audiences via other channels. 

Understanding measurement & attribution in digital out-of-home

(D)OOH offers a range of data capabilities that can provide valuable insights into campaign performance. Understanding which specific metrics you want to track and measure ahead of time will make it easier to design and evaluate the campaign’s overall success. Let’s dive into the data capabilities within OOH.

Measurement

Measurement in out-of-home advertising involves gathering and analyzing data to assess the audience profile, impressions, reach, frequency, and optimized media mix to ensure the effective delivery of campaigns. This process provides valuable insights that enable advertisers to optimize their strategies and maximize return on investment (ROI), often without needing an additional data partner. Key metrics include:

• Impressions: Measured by a research company or industry organization, impressions are the number of times an ad is viewed by individuals around a (D)OOH display.

• Ad plays: The number of times a specific advertisement is displayed or shown on a screen within a given period.

• Reach: The total number of unique people who see the ad.

• Frequency: The average number of times a person sees the ad.

• Engagement: This includes both direct interactions, like scanning QR codes, and passive methods like targeted mobile surveys to measure attribution, brand perception, and audience interest in sharing or learning more about the ad they encountered.

Since out-of-home is a one-to-many medium, the impression multiplier acts as a DOOH-specific multiplication index applied to each play on every screen, giving advertisers an idea of how many impressions are delivered in a single ad play.

Attribution

In digital out-of-home, attribution goes beyond measurement by linking exposure to specific consumer actions, like visiting a website, making a purchase, or downloading an app. It aims to identify the impact of OOH ads on the customer journey. 

Attribution also helps advertisers understand how OOH contributes to broader marketing goals and how it interacts with other media to drive conversions and sales. A DOOH expert can help you execute any of these attribution analyses by providing access to third-party measurement partners. Types of attribution include Brand Lift, Foot Traffic, Web/App Lift, and Sales Lift.

Brand Lift

Brand lift studies measure a DOOH campaign’s impact on overall brand metrics and KPIs like ad recall, attribution, awareness, perception, brand familiarity, ad clarity, consideration, and intent. Brand lift studies are served to audiences exposed to a campaign based on their proximity to the OOH screens. These audiences are then invited to take a brief online survey that measures the ad’s performance. These studies are beneficial for advertisers as they provide concrete data on the effectiveness of their campaigns, allowing for data-driven adjustments and optimizations to enhance future marketing efforts.

Brand lift study partners, like Happydemics and MFour, start by identifying survey broadcast zones based on the geo-locations of digital OOH screens. GDPR-compliant methods are used to collect survey answers through in-app and mobile ads targeting consumers in these areas. The uplift is then measured by comparing responses from those who recall the ad (exposed group) to those who do not (control group), with both groups matched for age and gender.

Brand Lift Study In-Action: How Sea-Doo Leveraged Digital OOH to Drive a 144% Lift in Purchase Consideration

Sea-Doo, a brand of personal watercraft and boats manufactured by Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), wanted to boost awareness, purchase consideration, and share of voice in Florida. To reach its core audience of personal watercraft, pontoon, and fishing enthusiasts, the brand turned to programmatic DOOH to activate ads across outdoor and indoor place-based venues. A brand lift study was conducted in partnership with Broadsign and Happydemics, measuring the campaign’s impact on metrics like brand image and consideration. The results? A 130% uplift in positive brand image and a 144% uplift in purchase consideration. Read the case study.

Foot Traffic Attribution

Foot traffic studies offer immediate attribution by mapping audience travel patterns before and after exposure to specific screens or points of interest. Brands with physical locations commonly use this type of measurement to evaluate the increase in in-store visits following DOOH exposure. By understanding foot traffic, advertisers can assess the real-world effectiveness of OOH campaigns in driving actual visits to their locations, establishing a direct link between the advertisement and physical store visits.

Tracking foot traffic also analyzes optimal conversion paths, helping to determine which (D)OOH inventory converts to in-store visits. This insight allows marketers to tailor and optimize campaigns for maximum impact and effectiveness. With a comprehensive view of a campaign’s impact, advertisers can refine their strategies based on data about which locations or creative elements drive the most visits, leading to more effective future campaigns.

Foot traffic measurement partners like Spotzi, Accretive, and Arrivalist, use location-based data from mobile devices, which tracks movement patterns before and after ad exposure. This data is then analyzed to measure changes in visits to specific locations, indicating the effectiveness of the advertising campaign.

Foot Traffic Study In-Action: Digital Out-of-Home Campaign Drove 400,000 store visits for Holt Renfrew 

Holt Renfrew, Canada’s largest fashion and lifestyle retailer, wanted to drive consumers to its stores in major cities nationwide. With measurement partner Spotzi, over 200 screens were selected in target locations. An exposure radius was applied to collect a sample of mobile devices exposed to the DOOH ads that subsequently appeared in a Holt Renfrew retail location. The campaign resulted in a 7% weekly rate of consumers who visited the retailer post-ad exposure and yielded nearly 400,000 total store visits. Read the case study.

Web & App Lift

Measuring web and app lift involves tracking and analyzing various metrics to understand the impact of OOH campaigns on digital interactions, like visiting a website or downloading an app. This helps advertisers better understand cross-channel behaviour and optimize campaign effectiveness. 

Vendors like Accretive, Outcomes, and Mira deploy tracking pixels on a website or software development kit (SDK) of a mobile app. These pixels collect privacy-compliant data on user interactions, like visits and downloads, before, during, and after the campaign. By comparing this data, the brand can quantify the increase in online interactions directly attributed to the DOOH ads, determining the web and app lift.

Sales Lift

A sales lift study in digital out-of-home measures a campaign’s impact on actual sales performance. By comparing sales data from areas exposed to the OOH ads with data from similar areas that were not exposed, advertisers can determine the effectiveness of their campaign in driving sales.

For example, if a snack brand runs an OOH campaign across several city locations, the brand would track sales in stores within the advertised areas versus in non-advertised areas over the same period. By analyzing the difference in sales growth between these two groups, the brand can determine the incremental sales attributed to the DOOH campaign.

Expanding campaign reach with audience extension

Audience extension expands the reach of campaigns by using data from OOH campaigns to retarget audiences across digital channels. It allows advertisers to continue engaging with people who have seen their OOH ads, reinforcing the message and increasing the chances of conversion. Types include:

QR Code Extension

QR codes on DOOH ads offer an interactive and accurate way to measure engagement by tracking the number of codes scanned and sequential offers delivered based on interactions. They also allow for A/B performance testing and help measure converted sales that can be directly attributed to each campaign, providing real-time data on audience interest and behaviours. 

Through providers like ACTV8me, brands and advertisers can create interactive experiences by incorporating dynamic sequential QR codes into creatives. When viewers scan a participating QR code with their mobile device’s camera, they’re redirected to a microsite where they can immediately redeem offers or save them to mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Once saved, users receive reminders and notifications when promotions are about to expire or near an activated point of interest, such as a store or restaurant. Engagement data is then collected, saved, and delivered to the advertiser for analysis. This increases engagement while adding a layer of attribution measurement that helps evaluate OOH ad performance with real-time consumer data.

Here’s an example of QR code activation in OOH: A popular fast-food chain launched a QR code activation campaign to promote its new menu items. The campaign was displayed on 10,000 digital screens at bus stops and train stations in major cities for three months, resulting in over 20 million impressions per month. When commuters scanned the QR codes, they were directed to a microsite offering exclusive discounts on the new menu items. The campaign’s measurable data showed a 15% increase in app downloads and a 20% boost in sales for the new items, demonstrating the effectiveness of the QR code activation.

Omnichannel Retargeting via Mobile Ad ID

Omnichannel retargeting via Mobile Ad ID (MAID) involves collecting mobile devices detected near OOH ads to gather data on those users, which is then used to retarget them with personalized ads on their mobile devices and other digital platforms. This method ensures continuous engagement by reinforcing the initial OOH message through multiple digital touchpoints, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

Data partners like NativeTouch capture data from mobile devices that come into proximity with OOH ads, including mobile ad IDs, enabling the quick retargeting of audiences while the DOOH campaign is still in flight. 

MAID/ Device ID Passback

Including mobile retargeting in your omnichannel strategy is one of the best ways to amplify your campaign. Data experts specializing in device ID passback capture device IDs when audiences enter defined location boundaries. This data is then analyzed and translated into qualified audience profiles, which can later be retargeted with mobile ads via your DSP. Capturing exposed device IDs can enable additional measurement of how your DOOH campaign impacted other media channels.

Data experts like Spotzi and Connected Interactive gather mobile devices detected within a geofenced area where consumers have an opportunity to see the campaign. Those exposed mobile ad IDs (MAIDs) are collected and passed along to the client’s retargeting partner of choice. The captured mobile device IDs are then analyzed to create detailed audience profiles, enabling advertisers to retarget consumers exposed to the campaign and further extend their reach among their target audience segments with their preferred provider.

Let’s take an example of a smartphone brand launching a new model: The brand places digital OOH billboards in high-traffic areas like shopping malls and city centers. When potential customers pass these billboards, their mobile device IDs are captured. The data partner then analyzes this data to create detailed audience profiles, identifying individuals who frequently visit these areas and are likely interested in the latest technology. Using this information, the smartphone brand targets these individuals with personalized ads on their mobile devices, highlighting features of the new smartphone model and offering special promotions. 

Out-of-home measurement, attribution, and extension have advanced significantly over the years. From traditional metrics to sophisticated digital tracking methods, today’s OOH campaigns can provide detailed insights into audience engagement and campaign effectiveness. Techniques like QR code activations, foot traffic analysis, sales lift studies, and omnichannel retargeting have revolutionized how advertisers connect with and understand their audiences. As technology continues to evolve, the potential for OOH advertising to deliver highly targeted and measurable results will only grow, offering advertisers even greater opportunities to optimize their strategies and maximize their return on investment.

Want to learn more about leveraging industry-standard solutions to report on DOOH campaigns and gain key audience insights? Register for our upcoming webinar Attribution for DOOH Advertising!