How Publicartel Blazes a Trail for Better OOH in Uruguay
The DOOH space is heating up all over the world, with established players and newcomers alike expanding their networks and introducing new technologies for bigger, better buys.
In Uruguay, nobody exemplifies these trends better than Publicartel. The country’s largest OOH player and its first to transact programmatically, it uses its diverse media portfolio to help buyers reach their intended audiences.
A series of firsts
Founded in 1967, Publicartel has succeeded over the decades not only in becoming the dominant OOH player, but in continually pushing the local industry to adapt to the latest possibilities and technologies.
In the late 2000s, the company became the first in Uruguay to add LED displays to its network, and more recently it has incorporated real-time audience measurement to make it easier for buyers to reach the people they want. With Publicartel now leading the way for the dawn of programmatic DOOH in Uruguay, it’s set to once again drive its business and the local industry into a new and exciting era.
Publicartel has been Uruguay’s dominant OOH player for decades
Some static, some digital, all premium
Publicartel’s footprint extends across Uruguay, with static and digital displays in at the side of major roads, on building murals, and at malls, including Punta Carretas shopping, one of the highest-profile malls in the city of Montevideo. It has also become a strategic partner of Antel, providing continuous support to the displays that company operates in Antel arena. This arena is used to host home games for Uruguay’s national basketball team, and was central to the country’s past bid to host the FIBA World Cup.
The company sees the diversity of its business as essential to meeting the needs of virtually any client, and continues to evaluate new opportunities for expansion based on the audience it expects to reach and on the needs and recommendations of its stakeholders.
Increasing business diversity has helped Publicartel deliver greater value to its customers
Technology for a more creative future
Publicartel sees DOOH as a great vehicle for creative messaging by advertisers, and has made it a priority to acquire technology that enables more complex and interesting work to be made and displayed.
Together with strategic partners, the company developed SmartSpots that can measure OOH and DOOH audiences both outdoors and in retail stores, as well as establish geofences for targeted content delivery. Looking ahead, it plans to use its stable base of OOH media revenue to continue to develop its digital inventory and capabilities over time, opening the door to more creative campaigns and new ways of delivering messages for the advertisers and charitable organizations it works with.
New technology will help Publicartel push the local industry forward
Publicartel and Broadsign
With a network that includes more than 500 static faces and 30 high-profile digital displays across Uruguay, Publicartel needs a streamlined workflow that allows it to automate much of the nitty-gritty and focus more on the big picture. To accomplish its goal, the company turned to Broadsign.
Thanks to the rules-based content management and delivery present in the Broadsign platform, Publicartel can work more efficiently to meet its obligations to advertisers. The ease of scaling within the Broadsign platform, meanwhile, will allow the company to continue growing quickly, while still retaining flexibility and agility in delivering on its commitments. Additionally, the unparalleled security of the platform helps ensure that Publicartel can operate its prominent screens with peace of mind.
Finally, it’s the open nature of the Broadsign platform that will help Publicartel continue to push the envelope and explore new technologies for DOOH. Whether its audience measurement, programmatic transactions, or some other technology that catches the company’s eye, Publicartel will be able to develop a business that matches its vision and ambition.
Do you want to see how the Broadsign platform can help fuel your OOH ambitions?
How the Broadsign Platform enables ad delivery rates of up to 99% for Orb
At a time when consumer attention is in short supply, out-of-home (OOH) remains an effective medium to attract and retain consumer attention. This is demonstrated in Kantar’s 2023 Media Reactions study, which found that in-person media channels were preferred by consumers, with OOH and digital OOH (DOOH) ranking among the top five favoured channels.
Looking at Group M’s This Year Next Year: 2023 Ireland End-of-Year Forecast, the preference for OOH is particularly noticeable in Irelan, with the medium seeing an average growth rate of 16.65% over the last four years. This growth can be primarily attributed to the introduction of new technology in DOOH, which has provided advertisers with new creative possibilities and added flexibility on how OOH is bought by advertisers and delivered to audiences.
In fact, when looking at the share of static and digital OOH spending in the region, static consistently outpaced digital up until 2023, when shares for both mediums were split evenly. As of 2024, DOOH spend in Ireland exceeded traditional and will continue to do so in the next four years. As DOOH’s presence continues to grow in the region, Irish media owners have an opportunity to enhance their DOOH presence and capabilities.
One Irish media owner who’s already benefiting from the added value of DOOH is Orb. Running a fully digital network of 100 screens, Orb has become a preferred network for both global and local brands due to its flexible buying options and accurate ad delivery rates – made possible by the Broadsign Platform.
Why Orb’s network speaks to advertisers
There is no shortage of demand for Orb’s screens. Its premium locations, creative campaign capabilities and comprehensive campaign reports are why advertisers choose Orb’s network. Orb’s carefully curated selection of screens can be found in bars, restaurants, premium shops and shopping malls found in busy city centres and suburban spots.
Orb’s network attracts both large and local brands from a wide range of verticals. In the entertainment vertical, you’ll often see ads from Disney, Universal, Paramount and Warner Brothers. Well-known car brands, like Toyota and Kia, as well as alcohol brands under the parent companies of Diageo and IDL Irish Distillers, are also frequent advertisers.
Moreover, in a market where static OOH still has a large presence, Orb is providing advertisers with new dynamic creative optimization (DCO) opportunities made possible by DOOH. For instance, displaying a countdown clock on sports ads for upcoming football or rugby matches or dynamically triggering content based on the location and audience demographics to deliver ads at the right time to the right audience.
Last but not least, advertisers appreciate Orb’s comprehensive reporting. By pulling data from a third-party technology provider for footfall and audience data and Broadsign’s Proof-of-Performance (PoP) report, advertisers are given a comprehensive overview of campaign performance and effectiveness.
How the Broadsign Platform powers Orb’s flexibility
Prior to Broadsign, Orb had tested other platforms to run their network on, but none of them provided Orb with the flexibility they wanted when it came to how inventory was sold and how campaigns were delivered. After careful evaluation, Orb adopted the Broadsign Platform as it not only provided them with new ways of selling, but also dynamic creative capabilities, and comprehensive network monitoring and management.
Flexible buying options that meet diverse needs and maximize ad delivery
While DOOH continues to gain popularity in the region, perspectives in the Irish market vary on the preferred level of flexibility from the medium. Some media owners want to maintain controlled delivery through fixed, frequency campaigns, while others are open to experimenting with flexible, goal-based campaigns. It was essential for Orb to have a solution that allowed them to address the needs of both.
“Our market is divided into two schools of thought; clients who want to keep frequency-based campaigns and another group who have fully embraced flexible campaigns”, says Agnieszka Mendrychowska, Chief Operating Officer at Orb. “The way that the Broadsign Platform is designed allows us to cater to the entire market, as we can select the amount of flexibility we want for each campaign.”
With the Broadsign Platform, Orb has access to frequency-based, goal-based, and data-triggered campaigns. One way Orb is introducing flexible selling to more traditional clients is through play goal campaigns. This allows the client to define how many times they want the ad to play within a given time frame, and Broadsign ensures that the goal is not only met but optimally distributed across all selected screens throughout the campaign’s duration.
Moreover, flexible campaigns benefit from dynamic rebalancing, which leverages Broadsign’s optimization engine to modify the pace at which a campaign is delivered to ensure that campaign objectives are always met. Through Broadsign’s PoP reports, Orb has shown ad delivery rates of up to 99% on flexible campaigns and 95% on frequency campaigns. Having access to this data has not only allowed Orb to reassure its traditional buyers of the effectiveness of flexible campaigns but also helped them attract new customers.
“We’ve been told by clients that what makes our network stand out from others is its reliability when it comes to ad delivery, and that’s thanks to Broadsign.”
Agnieszka Mendrychowska, Chief Operating Officer at Orb
Network and campaign management; the way they want it
Additional benefits Orb has seen with the Broadsign Platform include full visibility into network health and inventory availability. With live digital screen management, Orb can check the status of their network every day, allowing them to resolve issues as quickly as they arise. Moreover, when a more complex issue comes up, they appreciate the support provided by Broadsign’s service team as well as the extensive training guides made available to them online.
Full transparency into their inventory availability has simplified their campaign proposal and booking process. When building proposals, Orb leverages the filter and criteria search function to easily find screens that best meet advertisers’ campaign objectives. When booking flexible campaigns, like play goal ones, Orb can see the estimated number of plays they can reach depending on the screens they’ve selected, allowing them to adjust as needed and provide an accurate proposal.
Finally, the ability to manage and separate content as they need is another advantage
of the Broadsign Platform. For instance, being able to define a percentage split of how content should be rotated within a single campaign. More importantly, leveraging Broadsign’s competitive separation feature allows them to run ads from competing brands on their network, as well as ensure that certain ads don’t play in specific locations. For example, not allowing alcohol ads to be shown on screens that are closer than 200m from a school playground.
Orb’s adoption of the Broadsign Platform has empowered them to meet the diverse needs of their market with flexibility and precision. By offering advertisers dynamic creative options, flexible buying options, and reliable ad delivery, Orb has solidified its reputation as a dependable media owner for the Irish market. Orb’s ability to quickly adapt and deliver tailored solutions through Broadsign ensures they remain well-positioned as DOOH continues to grow in popularity.
What’s next for Orb
Looking into the future, Orb plans to expand its network within Ireland – in cities like Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway – and Northern Ireland. The media owner is also looking to strengthen its programmatic DOOH offering, as the targeting and measurement capabilities made through that medium will unlock a new level of flexibility in how Orb sells its inventory.
Product News | October 11, 2021
How to measure ROI in OOH advertising: Methods and strategies for accurate attribution
Out-of-home (OOH) advertising has traditionally been considered challenging to measure, but that perception is shifting. Thanks to advancements in analytics and cross-channel tracking, OOH is now demonstrating its strength as a powerful driver of return on investment (ROI).
According to a recent study by Analytics Partners, reallocating even a small portion of your marketing budget to OOH can lead to impressive results. For example, increasing your OOH spend has been shown to boost ROI by up to 27% — especially when combined with other channels like digital and TV.
Ready to harness OOH’s full potential? Let’s explore the strategies and tools that make it easier than ever to measure its true impact and drive tangible results.
The attribution challenge: Why it’s crucial to prove OOH’s ROI
(D)OOH attribution links your out-of-home advertising efforts to measurable outcomes, like store visits, online purchases, or app downloads. It helps advertisers understand how OOH ads impact the customer journey and how they contribute to broader marketing goals.
Today, proving ROI is more important than ever. Recent research shows that 88% of marketing leaders are now responsible for revenue goals, so there’s growing pressure to justify their team’s ad spend with clear, actionable data tied directly to measurable business outcomes. Yet, only 25% of leaders report high visibility into ROI across channels.
Advancements in technology have transformed OOH into a measurable, performance-driven channel capable of delivering actionable insights and proving its impact on modern marketing strategies. The rise of digital OOH (DOOH) and programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) is also helping solve traditional measurement challenges, offering access to tools like geofencing, dynamic audience impression tracking, and real-time analytics.
How to accurately attribute results to OOH campaigns: 4 tried-and-true methods
Tracking the impact of your campaigns doesn’t have to be complicated. By using proven methods like brand lift studies, foot traffic attribution, and interactive elements, you can directly connect ad exposure to measurable outcomes. These strategies help you maximize the value of every campaign and confidently demonstrate ROI.
Collecting brand lift insights through surveys and direct feedback
Brand Lift Studies provide tangible evidence of how OOH influences brand perception and consumer behaviour, uncovering data on ad recall, brand awareness, purchase intent, and more. Insights from these studies can guide targeting strategies, creative design, and placement decisions for future campaign efforts.
Measurement partners play a critical role in this process. They identify survey zones based on the geo-locations of digital OOH screens and use GDPR-compliant methods to gather responses through in-app and mobile ads targeting consumers in these areas. The uplift is measured by comparing survey results from two groups: those who recall seeing the ad (exposed group) and those who don’t (control group). Both groups are matched for demographics like age and gender, ensuring accurate, actionable results. Using targeted surveys as part of a brand lift study gives you a clear picture of how your OOH campaigns resonate with audiences and drive results.
Combining OOH attribution with sales data
One of the most direct ways to measure the success of OOH campaigns is by connecting ad exposure to sales outcomes. Integrating sales data — whether from in-store purchases or online transactions — can help you understand how OOH influences customer buying decisions and contributes to your bottom line.
Similarly, pairing OOH exposure data with e-commerce analytics can reveal spikes in online sales or conversions from specific geographic regions targeted by your campaign. This connection is especially valuable for measuring the effectiveness of location-based ads, like billboards near stores or transit ads in high-traffic areas. Integrating OOH attribution with sales data gives you a complete view of your campaign’s performance, helping you allocate budgets more effectively and focus on strategies that drive the greatest return.
Using geofencing and mobile data for foot traffic attribution
Geofencing has revolutionized how advertisers measure the impact of OOH campaigns on foot traffic, making it simple to track real-world results. By setting up a virtual boundary around your ad placement, you can use mobile data to see how many people are exposed to your ad and visit a specific location, like a nearby store or restaurant. For example, a restaurant with a billboard near a shopping mall can measure how many mall visitors stop by after seeing the ad.
Foot traffic attribution partners specialize in helping brands leverage geofencing and mobile data to measure campaign performance. These platforms analyze mobile location data to determine how exposure to OOH ads influences visits to specific locations. They also compare visitor patterns between exposed and non-exposed audiences to provide a clear picture of ad effectiveness. With tools like these, advertisers can gain actionable insights into customer behaviour, ensuring every OOH dollar is well spent.
Embracing marketing mix modelling (MMM) for cross-channel campaigns
When it comes to measuring the true impact of a brand’s outdoor advertising placements across various marketing channels, marketing mix modelling (MMM) is your secret weapon. MMM looks at the bigger picture, analyzing how different marketing channels — both online and offline — work together to drive results. For (D)OOH campaigns, it offers a way to capture the full value of your ads, even when there’s no direct click or digital trail to follow.
This is important because, while effective on its own, OOH has also been shown to supercharge the reach of your other advertising channels, with one study finding that OOH amplifies all major media by more than 90%. For example, a well-placed digital billboard might boost the performance of your paid search campaigns by increasing brand recall, which MMM can measure alongside your total marketing mix. MMM quantifies these synergies, helping you understand how OOH fits into your broader marketing mix and optimize your investments accordingly.
By leveraging new tools that provide real-time data and integrating OOH campaigns with digital platforms, marketers can gain deeper insights and drive greater returns on investment. Here’s how these technological advancements are shaping the future of OOH advertising:
Real-time impression tracking
For digital and programmatic OOH campaigns, tools like the impression multiplier — a dynamic, DOOH-specific multiplication index that’s applied to each play on every individual screen — give advertisers a more accurate idea of how many impressions are delivered in a single ad play.
Depending on the network, the impression multiplier for a given DOOH screen is calculated by analyzing factors like:
Screen size and visibility: Larger, more prominent screens are likely to capture more attention and generate higher impressions.
Location and foot traffic: The number of people passing by the screen in a given timeframe, such as in busy urban areas or transit hubs.
Viewing angles: How easily the screen can be seen from different positions and distances.
Dwell time: The amount of time individuals spend within viewing range of the screen, such as in waiting areas or checkout lines.
Content duration and frequency: The length and repetition of ads, which influence the likelihood of being seen.
Time of day: Variations in audience size and engagement during different hours, such as rush hours or peak shopping times.
Environmental conditions: External factors like lighting or weather that may impact screen visibility and audience behavior.
This data provides accurate audience exposure metrics, giving you a reliable way to measure reach, which remains a cornerstone of OOH advertising’s effectiveness. Real-time data also allows you to adjust your campaigns on the fly, maximizing impact.
Interactivity and real-time environmental triggers
Interactive elements in DOOH campaigns go beyond capturing attention — they invite participation and create measurable links between ad exposure and consumer action. Incorporating dynamic QR codes, touchscreens, augmented reality (AR), or social media prompts into your DOOH creative make it easy to track engagement, from website visits and conversions to social shares and app interactions.
Pair these interactive tools with dynamic DOOH content that adapts to real-time factors like time of day, weather, or location, and advertisers can deliver highly relevant messages that resonate with their audience.
Boost consumer engagement and measure OOH ad exposure with dynamic QR codes
QR codes have made a big comeback in recent years, driven by the widespread use of smartphones and the post-pandemic demand for contactless solutions. In fact, over 94 million U.S. consumers will use smartphone QR scanners this year alone — a number that’s expected to reach 102.6 million by 2026, according to eMarketer.
Once seen as a novelty, QR codes have grown into a valuable tool for out-of-home (OOH) marketing. With quick access to digital content through billboards, posters, and digital out-of-home (DOOH) ads, these codes add an interactive element to campaigns and give brands an easy way to boost engagement across channels. Paired with new tools for measuring and tracking OOH impact, QR codes on (D)OOH ads make it simpler to assess campaign performance and gather actionable insights.
In this article, we explore how QR codes are transforming OOH campaigns — creating seamless offline-to-online experiences and helping brands capture valuable data on audience interactions and campaign impact.
What makes QR codes perfect for (D)OOH advertising?
QR codes (Quick Response codes) are two-dimensional barcodes that, when scanned with a smartphone, direct users to specific digital content like a website, video, or app.
As consumers have grown accustomed to QR codes, brands are using them more in campaigns to provide personalized offerings like product info, special promotions, and coupons. With just a quick scan, anyone with a smartphone camera and internet camera can take action, seamlessly engaging with the brand and/or its ad content across multiple channels.
This simple yet effective technology has become especially popular in OOH advertising, letting brands connect directly with people in physical locations — like bus stops, parking lots, or store entrances. In short, their easy integration with mobile devices and contactless tech has made them an ideal bridge between the physical and digital worlds.
Dynamic vs. static QR codes: Which to pick for billboard and DOOH advertising
It’s worth noting that there are two main types of QR codes used in advertising: static and dynamic. Static QR codes are fixed, meaning once they’re created, their content can’t be changed. They’re great for one-time use or unchanging messages, like directing audiences to a permanent webpage or providing a contact number. However, they can be less versatile for campaigns that need to evolve over time.
Dynamic QR codes, on the other hand, are built for flexibility. With these codes, you can update the content anytime — no need to reprint or replace the code. This adaptability makes it easy to keep messaging fresh, adjust campaigns on the fly, and track valuable data on where, when, and how often people engage. Essentially, dynamic QR codes provide the insights you need to optimize OOH campaigns in real time and deliver more tailored, interactive experiences.
For most OOH campaigns, dynamic QR codes are the go-to choice, offering the engagement, customization, and analytics capabilities that modern advertising demands.
How QR codes work to extend and improve measurement of (D)OOH campaigns
Dynamic QR codes add a new layer of extensibility and measurability to OOH campaigns, turning each ad into a direct channel for digital engagement and making real-time audience interactions instantly trackable. Each scan captures data on when, where, and how audiences engage, providing insights into behaviours that were previously hard to measure. This engagement data becomes even more powerful in programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH), as it can be mapped to specific audience segments, locations, time of day, weather conditions, and more, allowing for real-time campaign adjustments that make each message more relevant and impactful.
Innovative data and measurement partnerships are pushing these capabilities further, providing new ways to measure campaign performance. For instance, Actv8me can integrate its Sequential QR (SQR) Code™ solution with programmatic ad inventory. By incorporating these dynamic SQR codes into their DOOH creatives, advertisers can create direct-to-consumer experiences through sequential messaging and contextual offerings like coupons and promotions.
Here’s how it works:
Scan: Viewers can the QR code on an ad using their phone’s camera.
Redirect: They’re instantly taken to a microsite where they can redeem offers, learn more, or even save deals to their mobile wallets.
Engage: Once saved, users get reminders and notifications when promotions are set to expire or when approaching an activated point of interest, keeping the ad/brand top-of-mind.
Track: Engagement data, like scans, time, and location, are collected and sent back to the advertiser.
Key takeaway: Dynamic QR codes give advertisers a simple, flexible way to keep messaging fresh while collecting valuable performance insights. This approach makes it easy for agencies and brands to evaluate, refine, and optimize DOOH campaigns — turning each scan into a step toward stronger audience connections and a better understanding of campaign impact.
READ ALSO: Solidify your understanding of important DOOH metrics and learn how they can be used to measure different aspects of your DOOH campaign’s success
Key benefits of using QR codes in OOH advertising
QR codes are transforming outdoor advertising and changing the way brands engage with consumers. Here’s why they’re so effective in OOH campaigns:
Increased consumer engagement
QR codes turn passive OOH ads into interactive experiences, inviting people to engage directly with the brand. Whether it’s accessing exclusive content, redeeming offers, or RSVPing to events, QR codes turn a quick scan into a meaningful connection. For example, a retail brand could add a QR code to a bus shelter ad, offering a special discount when scanned — making it easy for people to shop right from their phones. This interaction turns static advertising into a dynamic, two-way experience that boosts brand recall and user engagement.
Data and performance measurement
Dynamic QR codes provide detailed insights into audience engagement. With access to privacy-compliant data on scan rates, timing, location, and more, you can measure how your OOH ads perform and adjust based on real-time results. This data-driven approach lets marketers and brands make informed decisions to maximize return on investment and refine future strategies.
Seamless online and offline integration
QR codes bridge the gap between physical ads and digital experiences. By linking a QR code on a billboard to a landing page or video, you can extend your reach beyond the OOH ad itself. This cross-channel approach boosts brand visibility and increases the impact of OOH campaigns, as people can take action instantly from an offline ad.
Real-world example of a successful QR code campaign in OOH advertising
Boehringer Ingelheim, a global pharmaceutical company, wanted to raise awareness and drive sales for its new pet antiparasitic product under the Frontpro brand, Frontpro Antiparasitic. To do this, the brand launched a programmatic DOOH campaign across key cities in Spain. Featuring a mix of static and digital creatives, the OOH ads also incorporated dynamic QR codes that encouraged audiences to interact with the content. The result? A staggering 254% boost in positive brand perception.
Launched with agency partner OMD Spain and OOH expert Broadsign, the ads targeted dog lovers in cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Sevilla. Shopping malls and outdoor screens were selected within a certain radius of pet stores stocking Frontpro Antiparasitic to drive in-store foot traffic. Meanwhile, Broadsign leveraged its OOH expertise to create detailed campaign proposals, enabling the brand and agency to segment by location and interests while applying consumer data for a more qualitative impact.
Dynamic QR codes are an incredible tool to boost engagement, track performance, and connect offline ads with digital content. For agencies and media buyers looking to bring more value to their OOH campaigns, QR codes offer a simple, effective, and flexible solution.
Ready to integrate QR codes into your next OOH campaign? Check out our eBook for actionable tips on integrating digital out-of-home into your omnichannel marketing strategy for high-impact, cross-channel campaigns.
