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

Cinema advertising is back. Here’s why it’s more valuable than ever

Moviegoers seated in a cinema watching a film on a large theatre screen.

If you’ve been following the box office lately, you’ve probably noticed that movie theatres are packed again. Cinema is on track for its strongest year since before the pandemic, fueled by a steady stream of blockbuster releases and renewed demand for premium movie-going experiences.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is the latest example, generating more than $264 million globally during its opening weekend. More than half of its domestic box office revenue came from premium large format theatres, while IMAX alone generated over $51 million worldwide. And The Odyssey is just one of many films driving cinema’s resurgence. This year’s strong lineup of releases, including The Mandalorian and Grogu, Toy Story 5, Project Hail Mary, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is bringing audiences back to theatres and keeping the momentum going.

The numbers reinforce the trend. Cinema attendance has reached 154 million tickets sold across the U.S. and Canada this year, up nearly 16% over 2025. Domestic box office revenue is also running 23% ahead of last year and is on pace to surpass $10 billion for the first time since 2019.

For advertisers, the resurgence represents more than a box office success story. It signals the return of a premium, high-attention environment where brands can reach large, engaged audiences at scale—and, thanks to programmatic buying, more easily integrate cinema into modern omnichannel campaigns.

Today’s cinema experience extends beyond the big screen

Many cinemas now offer luxury seating, expanded dining options, full-service bars, and upgraded lobby spaces, encouraging visitors to arrive early and stay longer. Reserved seating has also shifted more of the experience outside the auditorium, giving audiences additional time to browse concessions, socialize, and engage with digital screens before the movie begins.

For advertisers, that means more opportunities to connect with moviegoers beyond the big screen. According to the Fortune Business Insights Movie Theater Market Report, multiplexes account for 72.94% of the global cinema market. Because these large-format theatres are typically located in regional shopping malls and lifestyle centres, brands can extend their campaigns beyond the auditorium and engage consumers throughout high-traffic retail environments.

Cinema advertising opportunities

From arrival to concessions to the auditorium, advertisers can engage audiences through multiple formats that work together across the cinema journey.

  • Lobby and digital displays reach moviegoers as they arrive and move throughout the theatre. Digital posters, 6-sheets, video walls, and foyer screens capture attention while audiences wait, browse concessions, and socialize before the film.
  • On-screen pre-show advertising remains the flagship format. Played on the main screen before the feature begins, these ads deliver full-screen, distraction-free attention with no skipping or muting. Many cinema networks now make this premium inventory available through programmatic DOOH platforms.
  • Experiential activations take engagement even further through branded installations, concession takeovers, standees, product sampling, and other interactive experiences that connect brands with audiences in memorable ways.
Megaplex Entertainment movie theatre screen in Utah, USA

Premium audiences with undivided attention

In an era of endless scrolling and shrinking attention spans, cinema offers something increasingly rare: an audience that’s fully engaged. Moviegoers aren’t skipping ads, checking notifications, or flipping between channels—they’ve chosen to be there. Combined with large-format screens, immersive audio, and a distraction-free environment, that level of attention helps brands create stronger ad recall and deeper emotional connections than many traditional TV or mobile formats.

Beyond attention, moviegoers also represent a highly valuable audience. They tend to skew younger, more affluent, and more likely to spend on entertainment and experiences. Gen Z continues to lead attendance, with 87% having attended a movie in the past year and 41% going six or more times. For advertisers looking to reach younger consumers beyond increasingly crowded digital channels, cinema offers a rare combination of premium audiences and premium attention.

Cinema belongs in the modern media mix

Cinema’s resurgence is happening alongside a broader shift in the OOH industry. Advertisers are investing more heavily in digital, screen-based environments that deliver the flexibility, measurability, and automation expected from today’s media channels. According to the OAAA’s Q1 report, digital OOH now accounts for 36% of all OOH revenue, while digital place-based media grew 17% year over year—making premium environments like cinemas an increasingly important part of the media mix.

As more theatre inventory becomes available through pDOOH, cinema is no longer a standalone buy. Advertisers can activate campaigns alongside roadside DOOH, retail media, transit, display, CTV, and mobile using the same buying workflows, with unified reporting, attribution, and cross-channel measurement.

That opens up new possibilities for campaign planning. Rather than relying solely on a pre-show ad, advertisers can connect with audiences throughout the theatre experience—from digital screens in parking areas and lobbies to concession spaces and the auditorium—creating a more cohesive brand experience across multiple touchpoints.

Through Broadsign’s Place Exchange SSP, advertisers can access the largest movie theatre network in the U.S., reaching more than 65,900 screens and 1.6 billion four-week impressions. Whether extending an existing DOOH campaign or building a broader omnichannel strategy, cinema is now easier to access, easier to measure, and better connected to the rest of the media plan than ever before.

Ready to plan your next campaign? Access the largest programmatic DOOH network today.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Dynamic creative optimization (DCO) in DOOH: What marketers need to know before launching their first campaign

A busy New York City sidewalk with pedestrians walking past a LinkNYC digital kiosk displaying a Corona beer advertisement. The kiosk stands prominently in the foreground against a backdrop of bright city lights, storefronts, and traffic, illustrating digital out-of-home advertising in a high-footfall urban environment.

Dynamic creative optimization (DCO) is changing what’s possible with digital out-of-home (DOOH), giving advertisers the ability to automatically adapt creative elements — including copy, imagery, and featured products or offers — based on real-world context.

As brands look for new ways to engage audiences with contextually relevant messaging, advertisers are increasingly turning to programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) and dynamic creative to bypass digital ad fatigue and reach target audiences in the physical world. However, while they’re often discussed together, DCO in DOOH introduces its own set of considerations: Which DOOH campaigns are best suited for dynamic creative? How does DCO change the way you approach campaign planning and creative production? And what do you need to launch a dynamic campaign successfully?

Whether you’re experimenting with dynamic DOOH for the first time or exploring how DOOH fits into your broader omnichannel strategy, here’s what to consider before getting started.

When should you use dynamic creative optimization (DCO) in a DOOH campaign?

Use dynamic creative optimization in DOOH when real-time context — like location, weather, time of day, traffic conditions, or product availability — can influence which creative message will be most effective for your campaign goal. 

Instead of telling the same story everywhere, all the time, DCO can dynamically tailor your messaging—an approach that has been shown to increase overall campaign effectiveness by 17% and drive returns up to 2.5x higher. 

For example:

  • A QSR brand could promote iced drinks when temperatures rise, then automatically switch to warm beverages when colder weather hits.
  • A retailer could feature products based on what’s currently in stock at nearby locations.
  • A car brand could showcase different financing offers or messaging based on current interest rates.
  • A sports brand could update creative with live scores, game results, or messages celebrating key moments in real time.
  • A travel brand could adjust featured destinations based on current deals, availability, or local weather.

While contextual and audience targeting decide which ad to serve and where, DCO changes the ad itself in real time—delivering more relevant creative without building and trafficking hundreds of manual variations.

What creative considerations go into planning a dynamic DOOH campaign?

Planning a dynamic DOOH campaign involves identifying the creative elements that will adapt, defining the triggers and logic that determine when they change, and designing a modular HTML5 template that brings those elements together to create variations based on real-world context.

This changes the way buy-side teams approach DOOH creative planning and production. With DCO, instead of producing separate creative assets for every possible scenario, you design a flexible creative system that adapts messaging based on changing conditions and delivers more relevant variations at scale.

Which creative elements should change?

In DOOH, the best candidates for dynamic creative are the elements whose relevance changes in response to real-world conditions. Depending on your campaign objectives, dynamic elements might include:

  • Text (headlines, messaging, calls to action, etc.)
  • Imagery or video
  • Featured products, services, or offers
  • Location-specific information
  • Live updates (scores, countdowns, availability, wait times, etc.)

Not every creative element needs to be dynamic. Starting with a focused set of dynamic elements keeps your setup simple, while adding more variables creates more possible creative combinations to account for.

READ ALSO: Great dynamic DOOH starts with great creative. Explore our best practices for high-impact OOH creative.

What real-time data triggers should drive creative changes?

The best real-time data triggers for dynamic DOOH campaigns are those that meaningfully influence when a different message is likely to resonate more strongly with the viewer — and, in turn, be more effective in achieving your campaign objective.

For example, food delivery service foodora used multiple dynamic triggers, including weather, time of day, and proximity to restaurants, to tailor its DOOH creative to what was most relevant to consumers in each moment.

What does building a modular HTML5 template involve?

Dynamic DOOH relies on a modular template, typically in HTML5, composed of interchangeable components that can be assembled into different variations based on predefined triggers and rules. 

Instead of producing dozens or even hundreds of separate finished ads, the template serves as a master creative asset, combining your chosen dynamic elements and predefined logic to generate multiple creative variations without requiring separate files for every possible scenario. This allows scaling creative variation without increasing production at the same rate.

The more creative variations your campaign requires, the greater the value of a modular production approach.

READ ALSO: Preparing creative for your campaign? Check out our DOOH creative specifications guide for media buyers and planners.

What else should you confirm before committing to a dynamic DOOH campaign?

Creative planning is only one part of a successful dynamic DOOH campaign. Before investing in dynamic creative production, it’s equally important to think through both the capabilities required from your media partners and technology and how you’ll measure the performance of different creative variations.

Do your media partners and technology support dynamic DOOH creative?

Not every media partner and technology solution supports the same dynamic DOOH capabilities.

  • Do media partners and technology solutions support the data sources, triggers, creative formats, and activation approach your dynamic DOOH campaign requires?
  • What creative approval workflows are available?
  • Are there any technical or implementation limitations that could affect your campaign design?
  • Does your SSP platform support dynamic creative campaign reporting, including detailed data on creative variations, impressions, spend, and more?

Support for DCO in digital OOH can also vary depending on how a campaign is bought: some setups only enable dynamic creative through programmatic activation, while others can also support it on direct-bought inventory. Understanding these capabilities early can help you identify potential limitations before launch and choose partners and technology that align with your campaign goals.

Can your measurement setup prove which creative variations worked?

One of DCO’s biggest advantages is the ability to test the effectiveness of different creative variations under different conditions — meaning success should be measured at the variation level, not just overall campaign performance. 

  • Do certain messages perform better in specific contexts?
  • Do some creative variations drive stronger outcomes than others?
  • Which triggers produce the greatest lift?

The DOOH metrics you prioritize should reflect your campaign goals, and they should also influence the partners and technology you choose. Confirm that your planned setup can provide the reporting and insights needed to answer those questions once your campaign is live.

Does running dynamic creative cost more than a standard DOOH campaign?

Not necessarily. While more advanced dynamic campaigns can involve additional production considerations — including template development, data integrations, or support from a dynamic creative technology partner — DCO can also reduce the need to manually create and manage large numbers of individual creative variations.

The key is using dynamic creative when the added relevance and flexibility support your campaign goals — not adding complexity where a single strong message already does the job.

Ready to explore more? Browse our inventory catalog to discover premium digital screens worldwide.