Month: October 2020

Product News | October 11, 2021

Introducing our intelligent cloud-based ad server: Broadsign Air

When we envision the future of out-of-home, we envision an industry free to deliver amazing content in all sorts of contexts. We envision a space that allows for boundless creativity, and the ability for just about any OOH business to access powerful tools that save them time and maximize the value of their inventory.

To get to that place a little sooner, we created Broadsign Air, an intelligent cloud-based ad server that brings all the power of the Broadsign Control CMS to non-Broadsign players. With Broadsign Air, players running Android, or other architectures previously unsupported by our platform, can be added to networks alongside Broadsign Players.

If you want to build a network with a great deal of hardware flexibility but don’t want to sacrifice on software features, now’s your chance. Broadsign Air can help you make it happen.

How Broadsign Air Works

Broadsign Air is basically the ad-serving capabilities of Broadsign Control, just uncoupled from the Broadsign player software used by PC players to handle incoming media.

With Air, when content is uploaded to the Control CMS, the content also gets uploaded into an Amazon Web Services S3 repository. The URL indicating the location of the piece of content within the repo is then sent by Broadsign Air to your third-party player of choice.

Upon receipt of the URL, your Air-connected player will need to download the associated media file and then render the content for the display.

Note: Broadsign Air alone will not be capable of playing media on your network. You must connect Broadsign Air to separate software that can play the content it serves.

What does all of this mean?

For day-to-day use, using Broadsign Air will be basically the same as using Broadsign Control normally. Users will log in to the Broadsign Control administrator tool and be able to enjoy all the great features it has to offer. That means automated scheduling and delivery, industry-leading security, and a virtually unlimited ability to scale your business while maintaining a streamlined workflow.

You will be able to use players connected through Broadsign Air both on their own or as part of a larger network that includes full Broadsign Players, giving you increased flexibility and choice when building out your network.

And, finally, you can also make full use of the Broadsign Direct sales solution, and will be able to connect any players running on Broadsign Air to the Broadsign Reach supply-side programmatic platform.

The main complication is just that it takes some time and development resources to establish the connection between Broadsign Air and your player of choice.

What do I need to use Broadsign Air?

Because Broadsign Air does not make use of the native connection between the Control Administrator tool and the Control Player, you will need to do some development work to establish the connection between the Broadsign Air ad server and your players of choice.

We will provide REST API endpoints for your team to connect your client application. This will allow your client to send POST requests. Your developer or team of developers therefore will need to know how to work with Postman, CURL, or some other development environment suitable for working with a REST API to make the connection.

Note that this project can be complex, and so it is not the kind of thing that can be handed off to the average intern. A dedicated, experienced developer, either in-house or outsourced, can likely achieve the required connection with a couple of months of work (assuming you already have a player ready/selected).

Limitations of Broadsign Air

Broadsign Air was built to deliver everything you know and love about Broadsign’s intelligent scheduling and ad serving capabilities to a wider array of players. There are, however, a few important details to keep in mind when selecting this software to power your content scheduling.

Broadsign Air does not handle playback

We’ve mentioned this above, but it’s a point worth repeating: Broadsign Air allows you to connect the Broadsign Control scheduling and ad-serving capabilities to a non-Broadsign player. It will not provide content playback, incident reports, or network monitoring for your network. It will only generate content playlists based on campaign conditions and creatives, and then make media available for download by your third-party player accordingly.

Note: Proof-of-play functionality powered by Broadsign Air is supported. It is up to your third-party player to report successful playback back to Broadsign Air so that it can be included in proof-of-play reports.

Broadsign Air must be used with Control as the CMS

Broadsign Air is not a totally standalone product. Rather, it requires that you adopt Broadsign Control as your CMS and use it to schedule content to Air-connected displays. Without the use of Broadsign Control as the CMS, Broadsign Air will not function.

Currently incompatible with Broadsign Publish

At launch, Broadsign Air will not support custom HTML5 content managed through our local messaging service, Broadsign Publish.

Got questions? We’ve got answers

If you want to learn more about what Broadsign Air can do for you, please reach out to your Broadsign rep or request a free demo to see what it’s all about!

Product News | October 11, 2021

Broadsign and Scope3 Partner to Advance Carbon Measurement in DOOH Advertising

Collaboration unlocks new DOOH campaign emissions insights for sustainability-minded media buyers, improves DOOH carbon footprint reporting

MONTREAL, March 5, 2025 –Broadsign and Scope3 today announced a partnership that sets the stage for more accurate, comprehensive carbon modeling of digital-out-of-home (DOOH) campaigns. As more brands seek to limit carbon emissions across their businesses, including marketing, the two companies have teamed up to expand the depth and precision of available DOOH emissions data.  

As a result of the collaboration thus far, agencies and brands leveraging Scope3’s carbon measurement platform can now access DOOH property and format emissions data for over 1 million screens globally when planning DOOH and omnichannel campaigns. Available insights include average CO2e per impression for DOOH screens by country and venue category. 

Scope3 users can view this data alongside similar insights from web, mobile, social, CTV, and other channels for more seamless carbon-conscious media planning and reporting. While DOOH is proven to augment omnichannel campaign performance, the data now available on Scope3’s platform also demonstrates its carbon efficiency on a per impression basis, reaffirming previous studies that illustrate the medium’s carbon-efficiency advantage over other channels. 

Key findings based on the data collected by Scope3 and Broadsign to date include:

  • DOOH is the lowest carbon-emitting marketing channel on a per/impression basis (in countries where DOOH benchmarks are available). 
  • The primary source of DOOH carbon emissions comes from the electricity that powers the screens. Key factors include operating hours, brightness settings, and the electricity grid mix.
  • Approximately 95% of Broadsign-contributed screens fall at or below the median emissions level, considering factors like country and venue category.
  • Opting for high-quality, low-emitting screens that deliver strong performance without increasing carbon output and optimizing campaigns for time of day can help advertisers reduce emissions, as certain hours may benefit from a more sustainable energy grid mix or higher foot traffic.

“There’s a preconceived notion that DOOH is a high-emitting channel, but the data tells a more accurate story that accounts for its unique nuances,” shared David Fischer, GM, Global Ad Tech Platforms, Scope3. “Broadsign’s expertise, insights, and extensive inventory data are helping us refine our DOOH carbon measurement modeling to shed more light on the medium’s impact. Agencies and brands that use Scope3 to inform omnichannel media strategies can now better understand DOOH’s emissions, and media owners can set their inventory apart by offering insight into the carbon footprint of their screens.”

“Scope3 is the ad industry standard for carbon measurement, so partnering with them in the interest of the broader ad industry was a natural next step,” explained Bryan Mongeau, CTO, Broadsign. “As companies look to implement more sustainable practices, reducing ad campaign emissions will be an area of increasing focus, and our collaboration with Scope3 provides a strong foundation to support this demand. It not only provides invaluable insights today but also paves the way for future innovations like dynamic campaign planning and real-time media plan adjustments based on carbon intensity; we’re just getting started and have only begun to scratch the surface of what’s possible.”

Visit Scope3.com for more details and find out more about Broadsign’s journey to achieve carbon neutrality. 

About Broadsign

Broadsign empowers media owners, agencies, and brands to harness the power and reach of out-of-home to connect with audiences in ways unlike any other advertising channel. More than 1.5 million static and digital signs along roadways and in airports, shopping malls, retailers, health clinics, transit systems, electric vehicle charging stations, and more run on Broadsign, reaching audiences at multiple touchpoints throughout the consumer journey. The Broadsign Platform helps media owners such as Outfront, Pattison Outdoor, Global, and Intersection streamline business operations and maximize revenue opportunities while enabling marketers and agencies to more easily plan and execute dynamic OOH campaigns that resonate with audiences. Brands spanning AB InBev, Disney, FanDuel, H&M, Honda, HP, Johnson & Johnson, KLM, Uber Eats, Sea-Doo, Samsonite, and many more have run successful programmatic DOOH campaigns enabled by Broadsign technology. https://broadsign.com

Product News | October 11, 2021

Driving omnichannel success with DOOH: Insights from 1,050 brand lift studies

Virginie Chesnais, Chief Marketing Officer at Happydemics, explores the strategic role of DOOH in the media mix and its impact on campaign performance. Backed by extensive brand lift studies, this blog highlights how measurement helps drive better marketing outcomes.

Digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising is reshaping the advertising landscape, blending the physical and digital worlds to deliver memorable brand experiences. While traditional out-of-home formats have always excelled in visibility, DOOH takes this to the next level by integrating data, dynamic creativity, and omnichannel synergies.

As a global solution for measuring advertising effectiveness across all online and offline media, including measuring the effectiveness of DOOH campaigns for companies like Broadsign, Happydemics delivers actionable, full-funnel metrics collected among targeted audiences, and offers one of the most comprehensive industry benchmarks to enable advertisers to compare to industry standards and optimize strategies.

With over 1,050 DOOH brand lift studies across 27 countries since 2022, we’ve seen firsthand how this medium enhances campaign performance. In this post, we’ll explore DOOH’s evolution, its strategic role in the media mix, and how marketers can leverage it to drive results at every stage of the funnel. We’ll also discuss how brand lift measurement helps demonstrate DOOH’s effectiveness, refine offerings, and deliver better outcomes across the board.

The evolution of DOOH: A must-have medium

Once viewed as a traditional and static format, DOOH has undergone a dramatic transformation. It has transformed the way we experience public spaces, blending cutting-edge technology with the pulse of urban life. Over the past decade, it has evolved into immersive displays that seamlessly integrate into our environments. No longer just an advertising medium, DOOH has become a storyteller, using motion, data, and real-time information to engage with us in the most relevant and meaningful ways. It now stands at the intersection of technology, creativity, and strategy, making it a vital part of omnichannel marketing. 

Why DOOH matters more than ever

  • From visibility to engagement: DOOH’s evolution from static billboards to dynamic, interactive formats has expanded its capabilities. Advertisers can now deliver real-time updates, location-specific messages, and interactive campaigns.
  • Shaping consumer behavior: Positioned in urban centers, transportation hubs, and retail environments, DOOH captures attention where people make decisions. This strategic placement bridges offline and online, influencing both immediate actions and long-term brand perceptions.

In today’s media-saturated world, DOOH excels at cutting through the noise. Its bold, large-scale visuals and dynamic content are not only eye-catching but also foster deeper emotional connections. As part of omnichannel strategies, DOOH strengthens cross-channel message consistency and creates seamless consumer journeys.

DOOH’s strategic role in omnichannel campaigns

DOOH is highly effective at showcasing creative content and enhancing ad perception compared to other media. Its large, dynamic formats are not only clearer and more engaging but also provide a strong platform for sophisticated brand image building.

The medium excels in delivering clear messages and shaping brand positioning, making it a powerful tool for highlighting key aspects of a brand’s identity. When integrated with other channels, DOOH becomes even more powerful at driving action—like purchases, inquiries, or recommendations—creating a compelling force for influencing consumer intent. Its visual dynamism, large-scale formats, and real-time adaptability make it effective across awareness, consideration, and conversion, solidifying its value for both brand building and consumer engagement.

This graph is based on the Happydemics benchmark, which includes 6,500 Brand Lift studies. The “+Xpts” value represents the performance difference from the benchmark, showcasing how this media surpasses the average of all other media for this specific KPI.

  • Upper section: DOOH performance by funnel phase compared to the average of all media.
  • Lower section: Best-performing media by funnel phase compared to the average of all media.

When integrated into a broader omnichannel strategy, the medium amplifies impact by working in synergy with other media channels. A successful multichannel approach relies on consistency and relevance, and DOOH strengthens this by extending reach and maximizing engagement.

It also pairs exceptionally well with digital channels. For example, combining DOOH with social media elevates brand visibility, with both channels reinforcing each other’s messages. DOOH enables the delivery of contextually relevant content to targeted audiences. After viewing a DOOH display, consumers are more likely to search for the brand or engage with mobile ads. This connection between the physical and digital worlds ensures that the brand message stays top-of-mind across all touchpoints.

During the consideration phase, DOOH continues to build on brand awareness, reinforcing messages and showcasing localized offers. Its flexibility allows for dynamic, contextually relevant content, ensuring ads remain timely, engaging, and persuasive, nudging audiences closer to decision-making.

Moving down the funnel, leveraging in-game advertising, where context is crucial, can further drive consumer intent. As part of a full-funnel strategy, DOOH works seamlessly with OOH, social media, and in-game ads to drive specific consumer actions. This combination ensures that every stage of the journey is optimized—whether building awareness, enhancing brand image, sparking curiosity, or driving conversion. With DOOH at the core, brands can create campaigns that deliver precise messaging and maximize impact at every stage.

Campaign types that benefit most from DOOH

  • Product launches: DOOH is particularly effective for showcasing new products, delivering high ad recall, and building awareness in saturated markets.
  • Seasonal promotions: Time-sensitive campaigns leverage DOOH’s flexibility to adapt messaging in real-time, ensuring maximum relevance.
  • Service-based industries: Our analysis shows that service brands see the highest ad recall uplift with DOOH, making it a top choice for industries like travel, finance, and healthcare.

Measurement: The key to optimizing the media mix

In today’s fragmented and competitive advertising landscape, measurement is essential for campaign success—especially in DOOH, which operates in diverse, high-saturation environments. With a 135%+ increase in DOOH measurement activations on the Happydemics platform from 2023 to 2024, the industry is increasingly recognizing measurement as a necessity. By comparing ad recall, brand preference, or purchase intent between exposed and control groups, advertisers can determine the true impact of their campaigns.

Making the medium work for you

With tools to measure uplift and track performance, brands can now optimize DOOH’s placement in campaigns and refine their media strategies to deliver greater impact. The lesson is clear: the key to success lies in working across the funnel, ensuring every medium contributes to a cohesive, high-performing campaign.

As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, DOOH will remain a must-have medium—not as a standalone solution, but as a vital piece of the omnichannel puzzle.

See OOH attribution in action! Check out our case studies here.