Month: February 2021

Product News | October 11, 2021

How to start a digital out-of-home business

The digital out-of-home (DOOH) space has grown at an impressive rate in recent years, accounting for 28.3% of all out-of-home (OOH) ads in 2019. With predictions showing these numbers up to 38.3% by 2023, the rise of DOOH shows no signs of slowing. And as DOOH technologies continue to advance, the doors for more affordable, flexible campaigns open wider.

If all the excitement surrounding DOOH has piqued the interest of your inner entrepreneur, you might be considering how you can get in on the action. These next few sections will cover what it takes to start your own digital out-of-home business.

Understanding startup costs

First, you will need to consider the startup costs. There’s a lot of expense involved in acquiring the screens, digital signage players, cables, and even the mounting brackets required for building out your network. On top of that, there will also be additional costs for the actual installation.

It is important to thoroughly research the best hardware options to match your budget and needs, including those dictated by your environment. For example, besides the technical specifications of your screens, you may also have to consider weather conditions — a digital screen on a frigid roadway up north needs to be able to handle different conditions than an indoor screen at the mall.

Select hardware that will stand up to weather conditions in your locations

Once you’ve selected your screens, the next costs to consider will be your digital signage player — the computer that is attached to or embedded within the signage display. One of the most important factors when choosing your player will be software compatibility. You’ll want to ensure your hardware choice doesn’t restrict the software option that best meets your needs.

Aside from these initial expenses, you must also keep in mind the continued costs of services like internet connectivity, upgrades, software licenses, real estate, remote access, monitoring, and support.

Preparing for a new kind of selling

If you are already familiar with selling inventory for out-of-home, you may find DOOH to be an entirely new ballgame. With options to sell based on deeper audience insights, the demand and expectations from media buyers will deepen too. You and your sales team need to try and understand the different deals that are possible in DOOH in order to most effectively meet the needs of your customers and generate revenue for your business.

Support many types of buyers

Media buyers may have a variety of criteria they want met when they purchase ad space. Some may purely want to achieve a specific number of impressions, while others may want to target specific audience demographics in specific locations. The more types of buy that you are able to offer, the more sales you will be able to make. To start, some common types of buys you should support include:

· audience-based;
· location-based;
· share-of-voice; and
· loop frequency.

This is where your digital signage players and software choices come into play. It is important for you to be able to support these types of buys in order to deploy a campaign that best supports the media buyer’s target.

Help your buyers reach their target audience in the way they want to

Selling with more accuracy

The more accurate you can be when reporting on audience data and impressions, the more money you can potentially sell ad space for. For example, if you know that there are mostly college-aged people passing by one of your particular screens, you can sell that space to a college recruitment campaign for a premium. This brings more value to both you and the media buyers, as they’ll likely better reach their audience with the target screen than they would with others.

Offering accurate targeting capabilities for media buyers to meet their goals is becoming an essential part of selling DOOH inventory. Digital can rely on OOH audience measurement and intelligence tools to fully understand the audience that is currently in front of a screen at any given time (often, in real time).

Furthermore, some of these technologies are able to dive even deeper, breaking down audience demographics of those present when particular ads were playing. This level of transparency provides media buyers with a greater level of accuracy when measuring the success for campaigns. The greater the insights you can offer, the more ways you can sell inventory.

With good data, you can charge buyers a premium to connect with specific audiences

Equip your sales team

With more complex metrics and pricing used to sell DOOH inventory, it is vital you have a sales team that is ready for the particulars of DOOH. If your sales team comes from a traditional OOH background, getting them up to speed with DOOH will require time and training to ensure they are adept at selling digital campaigns.

Where a traditional OOH ad might sit up on a billboard or a sign for days or weeks at a time, digital ads tend to run in slots measured only in seconds. This means your sales team will need to be prepared for a likely increase in the volume of bookings, as well as to sell according to the different kinds of campaign pricing models mentioned above. Dedicated OOH sales software like Broadsign Direct can be a big help in helping your team manage the new sales process, and can also help eliminate double bookings and otherwise reduce human error.

Planning for programmatic sales

If you’re planning on starting your own digital signage business, it’s important to know how programmatic has been shaking up the industry. But what is programmatic?

Programmatic DOOH refers to the automated buying, selling, and delivery of out-of-home advertising. In other words, transactions are automated by computers in response to external triggers or targeted at a specific audience. Buyers are able to set their own conditions under which they want to buy media. If their campaign is approved and the targeting conditions are met, ads are purchased automatically. For example, an advertiser selling umbrellas may only wish to run their ads when the forecast is calling for rain.

Example: This programmatic ad for Foodora played different content depending on the weather

Because programmatic campaigns can be sold in such a targeted manner, media owners can charge a premium for the more efficient spend. What’s more, programmatic DOOH campaigns are often purchased as part of larger multichannel buys that include online, mobile, and other kinds of advertising that are also purchased programmatically. Buyers like the convenience of being able to make DOOH a part of their existing digital advertising spend.

Finally, programmatic offers a dead simple way for large brands to put a message out to large local, national, or even international audiences just by changing the targeting conditions of their campaign. Newcomers to the DOOH space who want their inventory to be selected for campaigns run by the biggest companies around will have much better odds if they support programmatic selling of their inventory.

Other things to keep in mind

While starting a digital signage business may sound as simple as purchasing the hardware and software and selling to media buyers, there is a lot more that goes into the business of DOOH. Here are a few more things to keep in mind as you look into starting up.

Building your team

We recommend you start out small and slowly begin to build your business up to minimize risk. If you expand too quickly, you may run into unforeseen technical or economic troubles that leave you reeling. But this doesn’t mean your operation should be a one-man show. In fact, you’ll improve your odds of success by bringing in some key individuals to help you manage the different aspects of the business.

· CFO/Financial advisor: someone to help evaluate your financial goals and create a plan as you gradually build up your business.
· Project manager: someone who sets up display installations, makes technical arrangements, and takes care of the details while you focus on the ‘big picture.’
· Software engineers: someone in house to oversee deployment and ensure everything is running smoothly on a day-to-day basis.
· Salespeople: someone to sell your DOOH inventory (see, “Selling to Media Buyers” above for more).
· Legal assistance: someone familiar with the different bylaws regarding OOH generally and DOOH specifically.

You’ll need a good team with varied skills to create a successful DOOH business

Local laws

Speaking of the law, there are many different laws and bylaws that you may need to consider when it comes to DOOH. It is important you are familiar with these laws as you begin to set up your business.

There are many different kinds of laws pertaining to OOH, but some of the most common ones include:

· Size and height of screens
· Locations (ex. Restricted on certain roadways)
· Separation between signs
· Type of content displayed (ex. local governments may prohibit advertisements for alcohol in public spaces where youth exposure is made possible)
· Illumination levels

Be sure to thoroughly research local government regulations and restrictions on digital signage before making any purchasing decisions.

Local laws can restrict your DOOH business – make sure you stay compliant

Selecting Locations

Where you choose to place your digital signage is one of the most important pieces in the success of your business. So where do you start? Here are a few things to consider when selecting a location for your screens:

· Where is the screen most useful for the intended audience?
· Will lighting affect the viewability of the screen?
· Where is the nearest power source?
· Is there internet connectivity?
· Does the venue have rules or regulations for digital signage?

Keep in mind, too, that choosing your location will likely involve working out a rental agreement with a landlord or delivering signage in specific locations to fulfil a government contract. You’ll need to put some legwork in to bring either kind of network to life.

DOOH can be a great fit for many different locations – find the ones right for your business

Security

Finally, you’ll want to consider security as you begin setting up. In a digital space, comes the threat of digital security. As more stories continue to dominate headlines regarding hackers, it is vital to have a digital security plan.

Be sure you take the time to research security protocols of the software solutions you have in place and make sure the solution you choose meets your needs. This is especially important in sensitive environments, like the healthcare space, where it is especially important that troublemakers can’t take over your displays. Our solution, for instance, holds SOC II Type 1 certification, effectively meaning it’s as secure as online banking. This level of security should be more than adequate for just about any DOOH environment you can think of.

Want to dig deeper?

Download your complete guide to building a successful digital signage network

Product News | October 11, 2021

How to boost your back-to-school campaigns with OOH advertising

Back-to-school season isn’t just about new notebooks and sneakers—it’s one of the biggest retail moments of the year. In fact, next to Black Friday, it’s the second-busiest shopping event, with sales expected to reach $84.5 billion in 2025. It’s a key moment for brands to drive both in-store and online traffic.

According to the National Retail Federation, 67% of back-to-school shoppers had already started shopping by early July, up from 55% last year and the highest early start since the NRF began tracking it in 2018. The early start is partly driven by economic concerns: 51% of families say they’re shopping earlier this year to avoid potential price increases due to tariffs or inflation.

With shoppers active early but still open to influence, this season presents a key opportunity for advertisers to stay top of mind throughout the entire purchase journey. DOOH advertising helps brands do just that—reaching shoppers in real time with contextually relevant messages near retail locations, on transit routes, and in everyday environments where purchase decisions happen.

With families actively hunting for value and wrapping up their shopping lists, DOOH offers a smart, scalable way to connect with them. Here’s how to maximize your back-to-school campaigns this season.

Strategies for effective back-to-school OOH advertising

Targeted ad placements

Location matters—and when it comes to driving real-world action, proximity pays off. According to the OAAA, 30% of consumers have recently noticed OOH ads providing directions to a business. Of those, 51% visited the business, and 93% made a purchase, highlighting the power of timely, well-placed messaging to convert attention into action.

With 62% of back-to-school shoppers planning to visit two or more physical stores this season, strategic DOOH placements offer a direct way to influence purchase decisions in real time. By meeting consumers where they live, move, and shop—on commutes, in stores, and during everyday errands—advertisers can stay top of mind throughout the entire path to purchase.

  • Urban panels and transit stations reach students, teachers, and parents as they navigate city streets or commute to school and work—making them ideal for building awareness early in the shopping cycle.
  • In-mall screens and big-box retail placements reach consumers at the point of decision, when new clothes, school supplies, and electronics are already top of mind. These locations offer both high dwell time and strong purchase intent.
  • Grocery stores and pharmacies are high-frequency stops for families throughout the season. Placing DOOH ads in these environments helps reinforce messaging around snacks, lunch prep, personal care, and other everyday essentials.
  • Near college campuses, DOOH campaigns can engage students and educators gearing up for the semester, with messaging focused on dorm furnishings, laptops, and classroom supplies.
Tesco’s back-to-school campaign via Clear Channel UK.

Contextual, relevant messaging

Crafting timely and relevant messages for your OOH ads can significantly enhance their impact—especially as inflation continues to influence how households prioritize their spending. According to the National Retail Federation, nearly half of back-to-school shoppers are delaying purchases to wait for better deals, making context-aware messaging more valuable than ever.

DOOH ads tailored to contextual settings or time-specific discounts can help capture a shopper’s attention and inspire action—whether it’s a limited-time offer near a big-box store or a reminder to stock up on supplies during the afternoon commute. You can take that agility even further by incorporating dynamic creative, allowing your messaging to automatically adapt based on real-time conditions.

Thanks to continued advancements in programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH), triggering dynamic ads is easier than ever. Advertisers can activate creative based on factors like weather, traffic conditions, time of day, special offers, or even nearby events. In some cases, ads can even be triggered by inventory status, such as displaying promotional discounts when a store has an overstock of merchandise.

Timing is key—schedule ads during the moments your audience is most likely to engage, like morning and afternoon commute windows, weekend shopping rushes, or after-work errand hours, to ensure your message reaches consumers when it matters most.

H&M promotes the back-to-school season during commuting hours via JCDecaux.

Amplifying digital reach with OOH

OOH advertising is not just about physical presence; it can also drive digital engagement. According to data from The Harris Poll and OAAA, 74% of mobile device users reported taking action on their mobile devices following recent exposure to DOOH ads, with actions ranging from online searches about advertisers to direct visits to advertiser websites and social media platforms. 

Integrating QR codes or short URLs into OOH ads can encourage viewers to visit an online store or follow or engage with a brand on social media to access a promo code for B2S shopping. Social media contests or giveaways with a B2S theme promoted on OOH creative can further drive engagement and increase a brand’s following.

Interested in getting started with DOOH this back-to-school shopping season?

The back-to-school season is a prime time for brands to connect with consumers and boost sales. Incorporating OOH into your marketing strategy is a strategic way to reach parents, students, and teachers where they’re at, increasing brand awareness and prompting them to take action. 

Explore curated audiences in our Retail package here!

Product News | October 11, 2021

Want to scale in-store digital signage the smart way? These costly missteps could undermine long-term growth

As retailers race to meet brand demand and tap into new revenue streams, many are rapidly rolling out digital signage as part of their broader retail media networks (RMNs). But in the rush to scale, it’s easy to make early decisions that quietly erode long-term flexibility, visibility, and control.

The way you structure your network — from how screens are managed to how content is delivered and measured — directly impacts your ability to scale effectively. And when speed is prioritized over strategy, foundational cracks often surface just as brand expectations are rising.

Whether you’re installing your first in-store screens or integrating an existing network into a broader retail media strategy, your setup should serve your business, your partners, and your shoppers without compromise. That’s where Broadsign’s new eBook, Owning Your In-Store Activation: A Playbook for Scaling In-Store Digital Signage Networks, comes in: a guide to scaling smart, staying in control, and building for the long term.

The following insights — pulled directly from the playbook — spotlight three of retailers’ most common missteps when scaling in-store media. Avoiding them early can help you protect long-term flexibility, unlock greater value, and stay in control as your network grows.

Why in-store, why now?

Retail media is one of the fastest-growing channels in advertising — and the physical store is its most underleveraged asset. While ecommerce has historically commanded retail media budgets, over 80% of U.S. retail sales still happen in-store. That’s a massive opportunity to engage shoppers at the point of purchase.

That momentum is building fast:

To capture that value, more retailers are turning to digital signage. With screens, contextual triggers, and access to first-party customer data, they can now deliver targeted, measurable campaigns right where buying decisions are made. From dynamic digital displays to mobile integrations and real-time content delivery, in-store environments are becoming high-impact media assets.

But unlocking that value — and making it work to your advantage — takes more than tech. It takes a strategy that puts you in control.

Retailers that act now, building scalable infrastructure and aligning their networks with long-term goals, will be better positioned to drive revenue, strengthen brand partnerships, and elevate the in-store shopping experience.

What in-store retail media looks like today

Modern in-store retail media is fast, flexible, and measurable. Gone are the days of static signage and lengthy campaign rollouts. Today’s in-store environments are powered by:

  • Endcap and shelf-edge displays for real-time, context-driven promotions
  • Checkout and kiosk screens to deliver targeted, personalized offers
  • Mobile integrations (e.g., dynamic QR codes, NFC) that bridge physical and digital touchpoints

The real power lies in data. With insights from loyalty programs, real-time signals like inventory or weather, and behaviour-based triggers (e.g. motion sensors, dwell time), retailers can automatically serve relevant content when it matters most — increasing engagement and conversion.

Common missteps that undermine retailer control

Before you scale, avoid these all-too-common traps, which can limit your flexibility, erode shopper trust, and ultimately impact your bottom line.

1. Prioritizing speed over strategic control 

Turnkey solutions from third-party platforms can be appealing. They promise fast deployment, minimal lift, and a steady demand pipeline from brand advertisers. But this speed can come at the cost of flexibility. These models often involve rigid contracts, limited customization, and closed systems that don’t integrate easily with your existing operations. Those early decisions can box you in as your network scales, restricting how you deliver content, leverage data, or monetize your screens.

“The best long-term value comes from owning the data and being the front door for how retail media is bought,” says Troy Townsend, CEO of Zitcha. “This is about building enterprise value.”

2. Letting fragmentation create friction

Retailers often launch in-store media programs without standardized systems or shared goals across internal teams. The result? Fragmented networks that are hard to manage and even harder to measure. According to the Path to Purchase Institute, consumer goods companies now work with an average of six retail media networks, a number that’s expected to nearly double by 2026. That fragmentation creates a real challenge for retailers: proving performance and standing out to advertisers.

In-store adds even more complexity. Factors like screen location, shopper flow, and dwell time vary from store to store, making it hard to compare results without standardized reporting. To scale effectively, you need more than screens. You need a connected ecosystem, a unified measurement strategy, and a clear operational playbook.

3. Letting content chaos dilute the shopper experience

You’ve invested in digital screens — now what do you show on them? This is where many retailers hit a wall. Without a coordinated strategy across teams (media, marketing, merchandising, store ops), everyone competes for screen time, leading to:

  • Conflicting messages
  • Missed opportunities for targeted content
  • Visual overload that confuses shoppers and weakens campaigns

Media campaigns are often treated like old-school packages — booked by week or location, with no real audience targeting or dynamic scheduling. That approach might fill screens, but it fails to align with shopper context or brand expectations.

“That lack of screen- or audience-level targeting creates real operational challenges,”
says Jorge Bueno, CEO of Shoppermotion. “Without the right infrastructure, the only option is to run the same ads across all screens at once.”

The result? A disjointed experience that under-delivers for everyone.

Own your growth — before someone else defines it for you

These pitfalls aren’t just operational challenges — they’re symptoms of a deeper issue: giving up too much control over how your network runs, scales, and delivers value.

Taking back control doesn’t mean building everything yourself. It means:

  • Choosing partners who align with your goals
  • Building infrastructure that supports flexibility and interoperability
  • Retaining ownership of the data, processes, and strategy that shape your success

Retailers that define these boundaries early are better equipped to scale their networks purposefully and turn their in-store footprint into a long-term competitive advantage.

Ready to take back control?

Owning your in-store activation doesn’t mean doing it all alone. It means making smart, strategic decisions about your infrastructure, partners, and operations — and building a network that works for you, not the other way around.

Download the complete Owning Your In-Store Activation playbook to explore the key decisions that shape in-store success and learn how to structure your network for long-term, scalable growth.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Digital out-of-home for retail: Strategies to reach consumers along the path-to-purchase

As of early 2025, consumers were spending over $555 billion each month on retail, but only 18.9% of that happened online. Despite ongoing digital growth, 45% of shoppers still prefer brick-and-mortar stores as their primary channel, and 72% visit physical locations weekly, according to Capital One Shopping.

These habits reflect a fluid decision-making process. With 82% of purchases made in-store—and 62% driven by impulse—advertisers have a powerful opportunity to influence shoppers at the point of decision.
Digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising is key to capturing that moment. It grabs attention, builds awareness, and connects online engagement to in-store action, creating a more seamless and impactful customer journey.

Turning retail challenges into opportunities with DOOH

Retail is evolving fast, with fragmented journeys, higher shopper expectations, and growing pressure to turn online engagement into store traffic. Traditional digital ads often miss the mark—skipped, blocked, or ignored at key moments.

Digital OOH offers a powerful alternative, reaching consumers during daily routines like commuting, shopping, or socializing. These unavoidable brand moments drive both awareness and action. According to OAAA and Morning Consult, 42% of consumers say OOH ads impact their in-person shopping decisions, and once inside a store, 75% still notice those ads. Meanwhile, a global study reveals 56% of shoppers purchased an item featured in a DOOH display, with most of those purchases (65%) being unplanned.

As brands adapt to shifting consumer habits, OOH bridges the gap between online and offline, delivering meaningful, measurable results right where buying decisions happen. Here’s how to make it work.

Drive foot traffic to purchase locations

As digital noise intensifies, brands are turning to OOH to drive real-world results. It’s a high-impact, last-mile tool that reaches consumers at key moments with location-relevant prompts. In fact, research from Talon Outdoor shows 59% of shoppers are likely to buy within 30 minutes of seeing an OOH ad, highlighting its power as a last-mile driver.

Smart OOH strategies leverage proximity, timing, and context to turn awareness into action. For instance, proximity-based targeting helps reduce friction along the path-to-purchase by delivering messages when and where shoppers are ready to act, whether that’s during a commute, while running errands, or browsing in a high-traffic retail zone.

To maximize impact, marketers can:

  • Appeal to price-sensitive consumers by highlighting promotions, limited-time deals, or exclusive in-store offers. With 41% of shoppers willing to switch stores or brands to save money, these cues can be powerful motivators.
  • Use high-visibility screens in key pedestrian zones (like digital billboards and urban panels) to build upper-funnel brand awareness and capture attention early in the customer journey.
  • Incorporate interactive or time-sensitive messaging in long-dwell environments, like transit hubs where people spend between 5-15 minutes on average, offices, and casual dining venues. These venues are ideal for more detailed storytelling or promotional offers.
  • Drive urgency with last-mile tactics by promoting local store locations, curbside pickup options, or real-time stock availability, prompting immediate visits.
  • Align messaging with seasonal moments, like back-to-school or the holidays, when audiences are already in a buying mindset.

Success story: Holt Renfrew’s strategic DOOH campaign

Holt Renfrew, Canada’s largest fashion and lifestyle retailer, offers a strong example of strategic digital OOH execution. When Nordstrom exited the Canadian market, Holt Renfrew moved quickly to capture market share among key demographics.

Leveraging geofencing to target areas surrounding closing Nordstrom locations, the campaign activated ads across high-traffic formats like billboards, bus shelters, and urban office buildings within close reach of its core audience. In total, 200 ads ran across seven Holt Renfrew markets, including residential neighbourhoods strategically selected through consumer mapping. Over ten weeks, the campaign drove more than 400,000 store visits, showcasing how smart placement, audience insights, and well-timed messaging can deliver real-world results.

Integrate online and offline journeys

Boosting online sales and engagement starts with smarter, more personalized OOH. By leveraging first-party data, like loyalty program activity or past purchase behaviour, brands can deliver targeted creative that speaks directly to individual shoppers. Interactive elements like QR codes, touchscreens, or social media prompts embedded in DOOH campaigns make those messages instantly actionable.

Viewers can scan a QR code with their phone, triggering an immediate redirect to a microsite, product page, or mobile wallet offer. Saved deals can then prompt timely reminders based on location or expiration, keeping the brand top of mind. Every interaction—from the scan itself to timing and location—is tracked and analyzed, turning passive impressions into valuable insights.

This closed-loop approach bridges physical and digital touchpoints while enabling continuous optimization. And with 76% of consumers taking mobile action after seeing a digital OOH ad, the opportunity for meaningful engagement—and measurable results—has never been greater. From website visits and app downloads to conversions and social shares, interactive DOOH empowers brands to connect, convert, and learn in real time.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s DOOH campaign for Frontpro featured dynamic QR codes that invited passersby to engage with the ad, driving awareness and contributing to a 254% lift in positive brand perception.

Target the right audience with smarter segmentation

Not every shopper engages with the same message or environment. Luxury buyers, for instance, respond to exclusivity and aspirational messaging. Target them in premium urban areas with sleek visuals, minimal copy, and high-end lifestyle cues. Digital billboards and urban panels near luxury retailers or in high-income neighbourhoods help reinforce brand prestige. Value-driven shoppers, on the other hand, are motivated by savings and practicality.

To maximize OOH impact, brands must tailor their creative and placement to their audience and context Some examples include:

  • Bargain Shoppers (ages 55–64) and Department Store Shoppers (primarily women in the same age group) are often found browsing malls and retail corridors in search of deals. Use OOH screens in malls, transit stations, and shopping areas to promote limited-time offers or loyalty incentives.
  • Daily Deal Consumers, who span all age groups and skew female, respond well to time-sensitive promotions. Highlight coupon codes, mobile savings, or QR-driven discounts using interactive formats in long-dwell venues like casual dining spots, grocery stores, or point-of-care locations.
  • Holiday Shoppers, who emerge seasonally and lean slightly female, are driven by urgency and convenience. In the lead-up to peak retail periods, focus OOH messaging on gift guides, holiday exclusives, and extended store hours.
  • Gen Z and Millennials are drawn to bold visuals, interactivity, and values-driven messaging. Use QR codes or social prompts to drive mobile engagement and connect them to exclusive content or offers. Prioritize placements in transit hubs, urban panels, and social venues, with messaging tied to causes like sustainability or inclusivity.

Measure success and optimize campaigns

With DOOH, retail marketers can go beyond basic awareness metrics to track high-value actions—like in-store visits, footfall traffic, online purchases, and app interactions—offering a clearer view of how OOH drives shopper behaviour from discovery to conversion. Attribution connects these insights to broader media performance, revealing how OOH works alongside digital, social, and in-store efforts to boost engagement and sales.

Modern OOH campaigns come equipped with robust measurement tools, including:

  • Mobile location data: Understand how shoppers engage with OOH ads and whether they visit a store or interact online afterward.
  • Footfall analysis: Measure physical store traffic tied directly to campaign exposure.
  • Sales lift studies: Track the revenue impact of targeted OOH campaigns across specific products or categories.
  • Brand lift studies: Assess how OOH influences brand recall, purchase intent, and favorability during key shopping moments.

The future of retail isn’t purely digital or physical—it’s a blend of both. Out-of-home advertising connects these worlds, guiding shoppers from screens to storefronts with relevance, impact, and intent. By combining smart targeting, engaging creative, and measurable outcomes, OOH turns moments of attention into moments of action—bridging the gap between awareness and conversion in a way few other channels can.

Ready to maximize your digital out-of-home investment? Explore curated audiences in our Retail package here!

Product News | October 11, 2021

What’s new in the Broadsign Platform: Sophisticated targeting, creative management and UI improvements

Spring has finally sprung, which means fresh air, greenery, and, most importantly, fresh updates to the Broadsign Platform. This season, we are bringing you sophisticated targeting tools, streamlined creative management, and major UI improvements to make the campaign planning and management process for directly-sold campaigns as seamless as possible for campaign planners. 

Why does this matter? While the activation process for digital out-of-home (DOOH) may only require a couple of minutes, the campaign planning and management process often requires much more time. Discovering available and relevant inventory, collecting data to prove the medium’s effectiveness in meeting campaign goals, and managing campaign creatives are all time-consuming tasks.

The new spring updates introduce a new level of automation that not only reduces the time and complexities of getting DOOH campaigns out the door but also helps make out-of-home (OOH) a competitive and attractive medium for buyers. Let’s dive in!

Sophisticated targeting tools that find the best inventory 

Granular targeting shouldn’t be exclusive to programmatic. That’s why last year, we introduced targeting tools for directly sold campaigns executed through the Broadsign Platform, giving campaign planners the same flexibility and comprehensive targeting capabilities as online and programmatic media buyers. 

The targeting tools included the ability to filter your inventory by location and key points of interest (POIs), enabling campaign planners to find the most relevant inventory for each campaign at the click of a button. An intuitive map view was also introduced, allowing you to better visualize your inventory with quick filtering options by area, support for bulk location uploads, and setting radius parameters. 

This year, we’re introducing two powerful targeting upgrades for directly sold campaigns: demographics and criteria targeting. With demographics targeting, you can filter inventory by attributes like age, gender, or occupation to find the screens that will maximize campaign impact. We’ve also enhanced criteria targeting, giving you more granular control over inclusion and exclusion rules. For example, when building a proposal for an alcohol brand, you can now quickly exclude screens that don’t allow alcohol ads from your inventory search in just a few clicks. 

These new additions to the Broadsign Platform not only reduce the manual work required for inventory discovery but also give your team the opportunity to be a more strategic partner to buyers. We’re also excited to share that these enhanced targeting capabilities are now available to Broadsign customers worldwide! 

Simplified creative management and centralized campaign planning

Media owners juggle multiple campaigns and creatives at the same time, and without the right tools, the creative management process can become complex and stressful for your teams. Last year, we released our in-platform creative management tools, which allowed you to create, edit, manage, and assign campaign creatives with ease. On top of that, we also made it possible for you to push your campaigns live through the Broadsign Platform, eliminating the need to go through Broadsign’s desktop tools. 

In this latest update to the Broadsign Platform, we’re introducing creative scheduling. You’ll now be able to apply multiple scheduling options to your creatives, making it easier than ever to deliver the right message at the right time. You can also target your content by time of day or event, making it easier than ever to adapt your messaging to dayparts or changing campaign goals. Finally, you can update your creatives in real-time, allowing you to plan and deliver up to 55% of your campaigns in one unified workflow directly in-platform. 

Additional management tools for an improved user experience

Along with comprehensive creative management and targeting tools for directly-sold campaigns, additional tools and UI enhancements have been added to improve the usability and user experience of the Broadsign Platform:

Inventory package accessibility

Access inventory packages effortlessly through the platform’s updated navigation bar, enhancing efficiency and ease of use.

Centralized settings management

Administrators can now adjust and manage all necessary settings for digital and static inventory, user management, and more directly within the platform’s web-based UI through a centralized hub for control and configuration.

Campaign monitoring enhancements

With the newly implemented progress indicator, real-time monitoring of campaign pacing is now possible, giving immediate insight into campaign performance. This allows for quick adjustments to be made, as needed, to meet campaign goals effectively.

Search functionality and filters

An improved search mechanism, complemented by additional filters like campaign, client or contract names, enables quicker and more accurate campaign retrieval, saving time and improving workflow.

Line item list

You can now access a list of all line items directly through the navigation bar. Operations teams now have a more precise and comprehensive view of all bookings made on your network.

Dashboard customization

Tailor the platform’s dashboard to meet individual needs, ensuring that the most relevant and important information is always front and center.

Interested in testing out these new features? Book a demo today