Month: December 2018

Product News | October 11, 2021

How can I buy digital out-of-home media programmatically?

how to buy digital out-of-home programmatically

Did you know you can buy digital out-of-home programmatically? Do you have a vague idea how it works? If not, read this.

Once you’ve got the basics down, you might be interested in actually adding digital out-of-home to your programmatic campaign. It’s a powerful medium, and automated bidding gives you the opportunity to create efficient and targeted campaigns. Triggers can be set up based on weather, time-of-day, day-of-week – any data feed, really – to only run the campaign when it’s relevant to the audience.

A recent campaign by music video brand XITE did just that, combining mobile, online and digital out-of-home for a creative, efficient and memorable campaign.

“With programmatic digital out-of-home and mobile, we were able to carefully target our campaign to serve our specific target audience in a creative and contextual way, all without having to spend huge amounts of money. We’re happy with how innovative it all was and we will definitely be running this type of campaign again.”

– Moa Afzal – PR and communications manager, XITE

More and more advertisers are embracing digital out-of-home, adding bright, impactful screens to their mobile and online offerings. Are you the next?

Defining audience in digital out-of-home

Before getting started, there is one important way digital out-of-home differs from traditional online and mobile programmatic: the way audience is measured. Given that one screen can be seen by thousands of viewers, audience is not calculated on a one-to-one basis – just imagine the viewership of a digital billboard ad in Times Square! Instead, audience is calculated based on a variety of research and data methods to determine the number of impressions a screen will get.

First-party data – the venue owner has a tally of the number of people in their establishment. This could be done via a ticketing system, like at a cinema or in a public transport network, or by analyzing sales.

Second-party data – the venue owner hires a company to conduct research on who is present, through surveys, a counting system or other anecdotal research.

Third party data – an independent third-party research firm like Geopath or Nielsen conduct a statistical analysis of the likely views that a screen will get using anonymous location data from mobile phones and cars, and custom data resources like traffic statistics and pedestrian count.

Video data – this third-party research uses cameras and sensors integrated with a DOOH analytics platform like Quividi or Linkett to collect views data on an ongoing basis.

For an even more in-depth analysis, OOH audience data can also be broken down by demographics like age, gender, purchasing habits and more. This enables you to better understand who will see your ad, and to ensure you hit your target audience.

These demographics also have an impact on price, as some audiences are more interesting to advertisers than others. For example, a billboard in a wealthy and established neighborhood will likely cost more than one in a less affluent area of the city, as this audience is presumed to have a higher level of disposable income.

How to price digital out-of-home

Once these metrics are found, a multiplier is used to determine the CPM for a given screen, very similar to other programmatic media. As with any product or service, supply and demand play a large role in determining the cost of a billboard. The more attractive it is to advertisers, the higher the price, with factors like location, audience impressions and demographics, and the type of sign affecting the final cost.

Digital signs have an average CPM of nine to 32 dollars, making this medium slightly more expensive than its online partners. However, digital out-of-home offers creative flexibility and budgeting options that are otherwise impossible.

Adding programmatic digital out-of-home media to your mobile or online campaign

While adding digital out-of-home to your campaign is quite simple, it differs slightly from traditional programmatic. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Decide where you want to buy

The main this here to consider if digital out-of-home inventory screens are located where your target audience is. Some DSPs offer a global inventory of screens, while others are more focused in smaller geographical regions.

2. Decide on your DSP partner

Once you’ve determined where your campaign needs to run, select a partner to work with. Depending on the DSP, some are are hands on, and will guide you through initial setup and campaigns, while others are more self-serve. Given that it’s a fairly new medium in programmatic and there a slight differences between digital out-of-home and traditional programmatic, it’s suggested to get a bit of help on your first campaign.

3. Understand your audience multiplier

As mentioned earlier, audience in digital out-of-home is not calculated in quite the same way as traditional programmatic. Working with the DSP, you will need to determine how their audience statistics for digital out-of-home translate to their other metrics. It’s important to really understand the nuances of digital out-of-home to truly know where your campaign dollars are going.

4. Define your audience demographic and environment targeting

For a digital out-of-home campaign to be a success, targeting criteria should be set. This can be as simple as using screen location to determine a given audience. However, other criteria like time of day, the day of the week, or feeds like weather, traffic or even custom data, can be used to further add context to a campaign. Most DSPs already have some form of targeting available, while others will even help you set up custom data feeds for your campaign.

5. Set up a procedure for creatives

Digital out-of-home assets are fairly similar to online and mobile, yet generally need to be of higher quality to look great on large screens. In many cases, creatives can be reformatted from mobile and online. However, be sure to consider text size and graphics to ensure your creatives are impactful on large screens. Given it’s public nature, digital out-of-home publishers may also require an initial creative before a campaign can go live.

Digital out-of-home is one of the newer mediums to join the programmatic realm, and as more brands run amazing campaigns, we’re excited to see what the future holds. Who knows, maybe your programmatic campaign will be the next to dazzle on screens around the world.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Meet Arno Buskop, Broadsign’s new Senior Director of Data Strategy

We’re excited to welcome Arno Buskop to the Broadsign team as our new Senior Director of Data Strategy. Arno joins us from GroupM’s Kinetic, where he spent nearly 15 years at the intersection of data, technology, and research in out-of-home (OOH) media. With deep experience in data-driven planning, measurement, and software development, Arno has helped shape how modern OOH campaigns are executed and evaluated.

As he steps into this new role at Broadsign, Arno brings with him a sharp perspective on the future of OOH and how data can drive smarter decisions, stronger outcomes, and greater accountability across the ecosystem.

We sat down with Arno to hear more about his vision for the industry, what excites him about the medium, and why now is a pivotal moment for data strategy.

What excites you most about working in out-of-home advertising today?

What excites me is that, even after two decades of working in OOH measurement, research, and technology, the puzzle still feels unsolved. That ongoing challenge, bringing all the moving parts together, is what keeps me motivated. At the same time, the pace of change is accelerating. Data and technology are evolving rapidly, and the art (expertise) and science (data) of OOH are converging more than ever. As the art increasingly integrates into platforms, it’s critical that we stay focused on doing the right thing and delivering real value for advertisers.

That creates a powerful moment of opportunity. Broadsign holds a unique position in the market—widely adopted and deeply embedded in the core of digital ad delivery and optimization. We now have the chance to build on that foundation, in collaboration with clients and partners, to help shape what’s next for the entire OOH industry.

In your opinion, what defines a strong data strategy in OOH, and where do you see the biggest opportunities for growth?

A strong OOH data strategy aligns planning, activation, and measurement throughout the entire ecosystem. It begins with trustworthy audience data, both deterministic and modelled, and layers in contextual signals unique to the physical nature of the OOH environment. But it’s not just about collecting data; the real value comes from connecting it in meaningful ways that drive better outcomes.

The biggest growth opportunities lie in predictive capabilities, more intelligent targeting, and real-time creative optimization. AI has a major role to play in making these complex scenarios more understandable. In the near future, AI will begin to reshape how we forecast audiences, validate delivery, and dynamically adjust campaigns.

What are some of the key challenges brands face when leveraging data in OOH, and how can the industry address them?

The biggest challenges stem from fragmentation across methods, data standards, and practices. Many markets, and therefore brands, still face inconsistent audience definitions, limited transparency, and unreliable impression validation. There’s also a clear gap between the desire for seamless omnichannel execution and the current realities of how OOH fits into that broader landscape.

To move forward, we need shared benchmarks, improved data interoperability, and stronger collaboration across the value chain. As programmatic investment continues to grow, fraud prevention, brand safety, and data accuracy must become industry-wide priorities.

Where does measurement stand today, and how should it evolve moving forward?

Measurement in OOH has come a long way, but it still varies by market, vendor, and methodology. We’ve moved beyond basic reach proxies and are beginning to validate impressions and connect exposure to outcomes. Still, accountability remains inconsistent.

There’s a clear need for transparent, shared metrics and standards that both buyers and sellers can align on. We also need to be honest about what’s modelled, what’s observed, and what’s assumed. That level of clarity becomes especially important when combining data sources or building attribution models.

Ultimately, measurement should help OOH close the loop from planning to delivery to performance. It’s not about finding one perfect number; it’s about developing frameworks that build confidence, reduce friction, and enable brands to invest with trust.

At the same time, OOH can take inspiration from digital channels by adopting a smarter, more agile mindset—planning more effectively, optimizing in real time, and consistently proving value. This includes using better segmentation, dynamic delivery strategies, and real-time adjustments.

However, the goal isn’t to replicate digital. OOH’s strength lies in its physical presence, contextual relevance, and brand-safe, emotionally resonant environments. The real opportunity is in combining those unique qualities with digital intelligence.

How do you see the medium integrating more seamlessly with omnichannel media strategies?

The market is demanding it. Agencies are consolidating planning and driving toward true omnichannel execution. For OOH to thrive in this environment, it must integrate with all major buying platforms, align on metrics, and communicate in the same terms as other media channels.

At the same time, we need to proactively assert our influence and show that we’re equipped to navigate complexity, especially as other channels continue to introduce new priorities that can easily shift attention elsewhere.

With the continued shift toward digitization and programmatic buying, which trends or technologies are you most eager to see evolve?

I’m excited about AI and automation, not just for optimization but for their potential to reduce manual effort across the entire ecosystem. We need to use the industry’s expertise to build better plans and execute more effectively, not waste it on repetitive tasks. I’m also closely watching how mobility and location data can deepen our understanding of audiences and improve delivery. In addition, I see creative and media planning beginning to converge, which presents a major opportunity for platforms like Broadsign that sit at the heart of ad delivery.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Understanding dynamic creative optimization in out-of-home

In out-of-home (OOH) advertising, capturing attention is just the first step—real impact comes from delivering the right message at the right moment. As personalization rises in priority and real-time data becomes more accessible, Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) is emerging as a must-have strategy. By automatically adapting ad content based on live signals like location, time of day, weather, audience demographics, or current events, DCO helps maximize the effectiveness of digital OOH (DOOH) campaigns.

At the same time, programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) has revolutionized how campaigns are bought and delivered, enabling smarter, automated, and data-driven ad placements. But while programmatic ensures ads appear at the optimal time and place, it’s the creative that determines whether the message truly resonates. Even the most precisely placed ad can fall flat without visuals tailored to the moment—and that’s exactly where DCO delivers.

And the data backs it up. Research from Clear Channel UK found that incorporating contextually relevant messaging in DOOH campaigns increases effectiveness by an average of 17%. Similarly, a study by Analytic Partners revealed that investing in OOH creative, particularly dynamic and tailored messaging, can drive 2.5x higher returns. The same research also found that creative accounts for 41% of the potential ROI from the medium, highlighting its central role in campaign performance.

Creative that moves with the moment

In digital OOH, dynamic creative responds to real-time triggers like location, time of day, weather, and live data to deliver timely, relevant content. For example, brands and advertisers can promote in-store offers near specific screens, target commuters during rush hour, adapt messaging to current weather conditions, serve updates based on live sports scores, stock market changes, or trending topics.

For more advanced strategies, marketers can layer in audience data, like crowd density or movement patterns, to inform when and where ads appear. Custom APIs can also be integrated into the campaign planning process to trigger creatives based on specific conditions, like team scores, lottery amounts, bus schedules, and more.

One brand that successfully leveraged dynamic creative is McDonald’s, which set out to promote its refreshing Summer Coolers in Qatar by delivering dynamic messaging during the region’s hottest days. Partnering with Splicky DSP, Elan Media, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Broadsign, the brand launched Qatar’s first weather-responsive pDOOH campaign. Custom creatives were triggered by real-time temperatures between 35°C and 45°C, ensuring the content aligned with local conditions and captured audience attention at the perfect moment. The result was a 7% sales lift for the Summer Coolers lineup. Supporting this, more data from Analytics Partners found that weather-adjusted creative can drive a 57% increase in performance compared to traditional advertising approaches.

A McDonald’s Summer Coolers ad appears on a digital screen in Qatar, dynamically activated when temperatures soar between 35°C and 45°C.

Strategic advantages of dynamic creative in OOH

While “dynamic” once simply referred to motion or video, today’s DCO capabilities go far beyond that. In a programmatic environment, dynamic creative is fluid, automated, and adapts in real time, either through multiple creative variations or modular templates built with interchangeable elements like headlines, images, and calls to action. These templates, powered by live data, remove the need to build static assets for every scenario, streamlining production, reducing overhead, and speeding up time to market. They also enable more cohesive and personalized storytelling, sequenced across different times and locations.

One of the biggest advantages of dynamic creative is campaign agility. Brands can adjust messaging mid-flight based on performance data or changing market conditions, helping minimize wasted impressions. Sequencing creative throughout the day or across geographies allows for more personalized, funnel-driven brand experiences that drive stronger engagement. Additionally, brands can influence real-world behaviours by responding to contextual triggers, like promoting in-store visits during sales, encouraging shared ridership during transit delays, or driving in-app betting activity based on live sports scores.

Dynamic campaigns also generate meaningful performance insights. Marketers can identify which creative variations and data triggers are most effective, access those learnings directly through the DSP, and apply them in real time. These insights can also guide broader cross-channel strategies across social, display, video, CTV, mobile, and audio.

For media owners, dynamic creative unlocks new monetization opportunities. A single screen can serve multiple creative variations throughout the day, making campaign packages more flexible and competitive while positioning their networks as innovative, responsive, and ready for what’s next.

Key considerations 

A common perception is that DCO is overly expensive, highly technical, and too complex to implement—but with the right partners and platforms, it’s increasingly accessible. While DCO brings a new level of creativity and relevance to digital out-of-home campaigns, it does come with some considerations.

Firstly, a strategic setup is key. Launching a DCO campaign involves more than just activating media; it requires upfront planning, including designing flexible creative templates, integrating real-time data feeds, and selecting inventory that supports dynamic delivery. More advanced campaigns, especially those requiring high creative flexibility and live updates, call for a more robust setup. Marketers should evaluate their tech stack: does it support HTML5, live data feeds (like weather or store traffic), a dynamic creative authoring tool, a CMS for approvals, and publisher networks that can deliver dynamic content? 

Next, consider how your creative needs to be built. Do you have to create many custom creatives for every scenario or can your DSP render dynamic elements on top of an image or video in real-time depending on the scenario? For a complex campaign, this could save you many hours of work.

 The path forward for smarter DOOH

Advancing DCO is key to positioning digital out-of-home as a high-performing, modern media channel. It elevates both relevance and effectiveness, showcasing the format’s full creative and data-driven potential and helping to drive long-term growth for the medium. Getting there will require industry-wide collaboration and a shared vision for dynamic creative that blends automation with storytelling and prioritizes both performance and user experience.

While industry alignment is an ongoing journey, running a dynamic OOH campaign today doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right partners and technology in place, brands can simplify execution, explore new creative possibilities, and start seeing stronger results from digital out-of-home campaigns.

Reach your target audience with contextually relevant messaging across premium screens. Launch a programmatic DOOH campaign with Broadsign.