Product News | October 11, 2021

Interactive digital signage: The future of DOOH advertising

Shows an example of a touch-enabled interactive signage display

There has never been a more exciting time for the digital out-of-home industry. From new emerging formats to the accelerated adoption of dynamic DOOH, the innovation taking place in digital out-of-home advertising isn’t slowing down. As digital signage makes its way into new places and spaces, advertisers need to find new ways of catching the attention of their target audience.

That’s where interactivity can make a real difference. For marketing teams, interactivity presents an opportunity to differentiate their brand with effective and engaging stories. For media owners, supporting interactive content can mean more exciting and engaging content across their network, higher premiums associated with booking this sort of complex campaign, and the opportunity to make a splash with delighted social media posts showing off the campaign in action.

What is interactive digital signage?

While personalization has been a hot topic in digital marketing the past few years, the interactive element is what’s really rising to the forefront. These days, you can find interactive ads on desktop, tablet, and—perhaps most frequently—mobile devices. But online isn’t the only place that you can go wild with the level of interactivity; features like advanced audience targeting and anonymized real-time sensors make DOOH uniquely well-suited to creating powerful interactive experiences.

Put simply, interactive digital signage turns traditional advertising into a participatory activity: it invites consumers to physically engage with the display content and find information that’s relevant to them. Whereas traditional digital signage broadcasts information in a single direction, displaying content regardless of whether or not viewers are paying attention, interactive digital signage turns viewers into users.’

Example: This campaign for Dancing with the Stars Australia invited passers-by to push a button on the digital billboard and follow the interactive video tutorial that appeared on the screen. It’s a fun and engaging campaign, and a great example of the potential offered by interactivity.

A brief history of interactive digital signage

The origin of today’s interactive displays can be traced back to the first commercial appearance of touchscreen technology in the early 1980s. Interactive kiosks in the form of the automated teller machine (ATM) were also coming into widespread use at that time, and the ability for customers to interact in that way laid the foundations for the interactive digital signage technologies still emerging today.

While early advancements in digital signage were focused on improving the hardware—with big leaps in the industry being driven by the advent of thinner, brighter displays, improved graphics, and better overall reliability—the significance of those developments in display technology eventually impacted the content and software side. As responsive and dynamic display technology became more affordable and easily available, the market was flooded with digital signage solutions all competing for consumers’ attention. In response, marketers and network owners have started turning to contextualized, dynamic, and perhaps most importantly, interactive content in order to cut through all the noise and preserve the effectiveness of commercial messaging in the DOOH space.

Watch: An interactive DOOH campaign pulling content from social media

Why make digital signage interactive?

The average city-dweller today probably passes by a good number of digital displays on any given day, and most aren’t interactive. With interactive capability generally requiring additional technology and setup, it tends to come at an additional cost. This is both for the media owners who need to outfit the signage and the buyers looking to purchase more intricate campaigns. Is the added expense of investing in interactive signage justified?

The answer largely comes down to memorability in a crowded advertising landscape. According to a report from MAGNA, interactive video ads get 47% more viewing time than non-interactive ones and are more memorable to consumers, regardless of whether or not they choose to interact. People are also more willing to share personal information in exchange for personalization and value; by displaying content that’s relevant and engaging, your audience is more likely to feel comfortable with sharing their data and your buyers can gain insight into customer behaviors which can help inform their future strategies.

Perhaps most crucially for network owners is the fact that potential ad buyers are convinced of interactivity’s effectiveness: 81% of marketers agree that interactive content grabs attention more effectively than static content and 79% believe that it enhances retention of brand messaging when combined with traditional marketing tactics. With high-end buyers seeking ways to make their campaigns stand out, only those DOOH networks that are capable of the interactivity they desire will be in contention to run their campaigns.

Watch: An interactive AR campaign from JCDecaux and BBC Earth

What you need for interactive digital signage

Good interactive content takes a bit of work to bring to life. Network owners will need to secure hardware capable of powering the interactive content, and also drive that hardware with software that can connect all the right pieces together for the content to run flawlessly.

Extensible software offering an open API will generally be the best choice for interactive signage projects, though it is important too to ensure the solution is secure and reliable. Interactive displays within arm’s reach could become targets for tampering by troublemakers, so it’s particularly important that they are secured.

Finally, the signage needs content to be interacted with. This content takes various forms, dependent on the nature of the display. Interactive billboards, for instance, are likely going to display interactive content provided by a media buyer looking to place a particular promotional campaign. For an indoor display, such as a wayfinding terminal in a mall, the interactive content is likely a concern to be handled by the network owners themselves. This isn’t to say that the content must be created in-house. A number of digital signage content providers specialize in providing interactive content that can be tailored to the specific needs of a given network.

Interactive activation for digital signage

“Interactive digital signage” is a broad category, uniting many very different kinds of projects. Here is an overview of some of the most common types of interactivity that are used.

Touch

One of the most common ways digital signage is made interactive is by deploying a touchscreen. The ubiquity of touchscreens today makes this a safe bet for interaction, as there are unlikely to be many barriers to most individuals simply walking up and engaging with the installation. Touch is commonly employed to let audiences browse information on a screen or manipulate on-screen elements.

Common uses: Wayfinding, self-serve kiosks, special ad campaigns

Example: The LinkNYC network of touch-enabled kiosks gives people in New York City access to phone calls, WiFi, directions, and more, all paid for by advertising on the kiosk.

Check out how Intersection bettered the lives of New Yorkers using dynamic DOOH.

Gesture/motion tracking

Gesture control is a lot like touch with a lot more style and a bit less precision. People can walk up and move their hands in the air in front of the sign, with cameras connected to the installation registering the types and speed of the movements being made and triggering corresponding reactions on-screen. This isn’t a particularly common form of interactivity in the digital signage space, though advances in gesture control and greater awareness of hygiene concerns post-pandemic are seeing it become more common.

Common uses: In-store virtual browsing or shopping, interactive advertising

Example: This campaign by Swarovski uses motion and gesture tracking to turn onlookers into participants in an interactive game.

Social media

Social media has been a mainstay of interactive digital signage campaigns for years now, thanks largely to social being such a great tool both for driving engagement and generating onscreen content. The specific implementation of social interactivity varies depending on the campaign. A typical example involves users posting to their own social accounts using a specific hashtag and having their post appear onscreen, sometimes after a moderation process is completed.

Common uses: Advertising

Example: The #SendingLove campaign, facilitated by the World Out of Home Organization, promoted user-submitted messages of love in cities around the world during the fight against the COVID-19.

Mobile

Increasingly, campaigns are making use of the capabilities of mobile phones to deliver some really interesting interactive content. Special applications or mobile websites are created to grant audiences the ability to manipulate onscreen elements or objects, with audiences prompted to visit or download by visiting a site displayed on the billboard. This can be a fun way to put games up on the screen and encourage mass participation in a campaign delivered to a nearby digital billboard.

Common uses: Ad-supported games, interactive advertising, augmented reality

RFID/NFC

RFID (radio frequency identification) and NFC (near field communication) are often spoken about interchangeably, as they achieve similar things with only minor differences. They involve the use of passive chips that interact with a frequency emitted by a powered device, like a smartphone, to deliver information or trigger a reaction. The technology is becoming more common thanks to contactless payment apps promoted by major cellphone companies but might be a bit of a risky choice for an interactive advertising campaign. Many phones today still do not support these technologies.

Augmented reality & visual recognition

Some of the best interactive DOOH campaigns are also some of the simplest. Installing cameras near a digital display and hooking them up to a suitable PC can allow for some really neat augmented reality campaigns. This can be a fun way to bring onlookers and the world around them right into a fun new experience. Other uses include using cameras to do basic visual identification and have campaigns deliver messaging tailored to whoever they see standing by. Different content, for instance, could be delivered depending on whether the onlooker is an adult or a child.

Common uses: AR, dynamic campaigns

Example: JCDecaux and Telia Estonia promoted the launch of a new TV channel, called ‘Inspira’, with Estonia’s first outdoor AR campaign. With 10% of the Estonian population tuning in to the new channel during the first month, we think it’s safe to say this campaign had a positive impact.

QR Codes

QR codes are a fairly passive form of interactivity, offering passers-by the ability to use their phone to receive information or navigate to a website by scanning a code with a capable app. It is generally used to accomplish similar things to NFC campaigns, but is more accessible. Where phones need to include specific hardware to access NFC content, they just need a QR reader application on their smartphone to access codes.

Common uses: Directions, information and website sharing

Example: This campaign by Google Play and oOh! Media offered users the choice of both NFC and QR codes to access media promoted by the campaign.

Key software capabilities for interactive digital signage

Good interactive content takes a bit of work to bring to life. In addition to securing hardware capable of powering the interactive content, network owners will need to select the best digital signage software to connect all the right pieces together and ensure the content runs flawlessly.

Here’s a look at some of the specific features we think you should keep in mind when shopping for digital signage software.

Extensibility

Many interactive DOOH campaigns require real-time integration with external data feeds, audience analytics tools, and other capabilities that generally aren’t included in digital signage software by default.

Extensible software offering an open API will generally be the best choice for interactive signage projects, though it is important too to ensure the solution is secure and reliable. You don’t want to go to the trouble of integrating a service into your network only to have your players fail to play your interactive content.

Dynamic content playback

Since interactive digital signage is a subset of dynamic DOOH, your digital signage software needs to have the ability to change on-screen content in response to external data or triggers. But even though the number of brands demanding dynamic ad capabilities is growing, not all software is capable of displaying this type of content.

To make sure your network doesn’t miss out on great opportunities, check that your digital signage software supports dynamic playback more generally, and is capable of supporting the specific aspects (touchscreen, gesture control, etc.) of your interactive campaigns.

Mobile device integration or coordination

Thanks to advancements in mobile and DOOH advertising technology, it’s easier than ever for brands to create seamless omnichannel campaigns across platforms. Geofencing and scannable QR codes let users engage with digital kiosks and other touchscreen displays without making physical contact, and can help bring interactivity to projected content, displays behind windows, and large video wall displays.

Less direct methods of interactivity have been gaining traction in the wake of COVID-19, so we recommend choosing a digital signage software that supports this type of approach via mobile device integrations.

As interactive technology gets cheaper and more widespread, it’s likely that interactivity will increasingly be seen as a must-have for many networks operating in the digital space. Investing in the right tech today will put network owners and their businesses on the most productive path in the years to come.

Do you want to build an interactive digital signage network?
Request your demo of Broadsign to see how our software can help!

Product News | October 11, 2021

Understanding (D)OOH metrics: How to measure the success of out-of-home advertising

Understanding the right metrics can make or break your strategy when managing any advertising campaign—and digital out-of-home (DOOH) is no different. Thanks to evolving out-of-home (OOH) measurement and attribution capabilities, successful DOOH advertising now goes beyond displaying an ad on a digital billboard; it’s about reaching the right audience at the right moment with measurable impact. In today’s advertising landscape, where every dollar must show results, relying on outdated methods to track impressions and reach won’t cut it.

In this blog, we’ll break down the key metrics that define DOOH advertising and explain how they stand apart from other forms of digital advertising. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or new to out-of-home advertising, understanding these metrics is crucial to leveraging DOOH effectively in your marketing strategy.

Jump to:

How digital technology transformed out-of-home ad measurement
Key DOOH performance metrics
Leveraging pDOOH for successful campaign targeting

How digital technology transformed out-of-home ad measurement

Tracking OOH impressions used to be tricky due to its broad, one-to-many nature. For example, measuring how many people pass a billboard is more complex than tracking views on an online ad. But with digital OOH, that’s changing.

Unlike static OOH, which relied on broad reach estimates, DOOH uses technology like in-screen sensors, mobile tracking, and geolocation to provide more accurate audience insights. Advertisers can now track who’s viewing ads, when, and even actions like visiting a store or website. Programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) has further transformed the space, allowing automated ad buying and detailed performance reports. This level of tracking and attribution brings DOOH closer to the precision of online advertising, making it a key part of today’s marketing strategy.

READ ALSO: Learn how media buyers can account for the growing demand for this format within their existing teams with our tips on structuring your buying team for success with pDOOH

A busy street with different kinds of digital signage and DOOH installations. Metrics research can help the network owners understand their audiences. — DOOH metrics can be researched and tracked in a number of different ways

DOOH advertising performance metrics

Like any form of advertising, digital OOH has certain quantifiable data points — metrics —that advertisers and media buyers rely on to assess the performance of their campaigns. These metrics help determine whether an ad is reaching its target audience, whether it’s generating the right amount of exposure, and how well it’s driving engagement or conversions.

Some of the most common metrics used to measure DOOH performance include:

Impressions

Definition: The total number of times an ad has potentially been viewed.
How it’s calculated: Impressions are typically calculated using traffic data, sensor-based tracking, or audience measurement technologies (like GPS data or facial recognition software). For example, if 100,000 vehicles pass by a digital billboard each day, and each vehicle has an average of 1.5 occupants, then the number of impressions per day would be approximately 150,000.

The most important metric in digital out-of-home is the number of impressions that a screen gets over a given time period. Impressions help measure performance by estimating the number of times people view an advertisement, and they often determine how much an ad will cost. However, determining how many impressions a screen gets is a little tricky.

With online advertising, one appearance of an ad on one screen is likely to reach one person. But since out-of-home is a one-to-many medium, with several people likely to be looking at a screen at any given moment, media owners apply an impression multiplier to each ad play on every individual screen.

Determining these dynamic multipliers requires real-time (or relatively real-time) data collection. Different networks rely on different tools to gather this data. Cinemas, for instance, can use ticket sales to get a good idea of how many people see a given ad up on the screen. Other businesses might use cameras and sensors integrated with a DOOH analytics platform like Quividi or Linkett to collect view data on an ongoing basis. Still, others might use an independent third-party research firm like Geopath or Nielsen to conduct a statistical analysis of the likely views that a screen will get.

Reach & frequency

Definitions: Reach measures how many unique people are exposed to your ad, while frequency indicates how often those people see it over a given period.
How they’re calculated:
- Reach estimates the unique viewers from total impressions by distinguishing repeat views from new ones. For example, if an ad location has 500,000 unique passersby in a week, the reach is 500,000.
- Frequency is calculated by dividing total impressions by reach. For example, if an ad has 1,000,000 impressions and reaches 250,000 unique people, the frequency would be 4 (1,000,000 ÷ 250,000).

Reach and frequency, both based on impressions, capture different aspects of a campaign’s effectiveness. They help advertisers balance exposure: too few views risk low recall, while too many can lead to ad fatigue.

Engagement

Definition: The level of interaction or attention that the audience has with the ad, often measured by actions like QR code scans, taps on a touchscreen, or other measurable forms of interaction.
How it’s calculated: Engagement can be tracked using various tools like sensors, cameras, or interaction points (e.g., mobile apps or touch screens). For example, if 500 people scan a QR code from a digital display out of 50,000 impressions, the engagement rate would be 1% (500 ÷ 50,000).

DOOH can feature interactive elements like QR codes, touch screens, or mobile app integrations that invite viewers to engage with the content directly. This precise tracking gives a clear understanding of the ad’s ability to capture attention and drive meaningful engagement from the audience.

READ ALSO: Learn how brands and advertisers can create interactive consumer experiences through the use of dynamic QR codes

Conversion rate

Definition: The percentage of individuals who take a desired action after viewing the ad, such as making a purchase, signing up for a service, or downloading an app.
How it’s calculated: Conversion rate is typically calculated by dividing the number of conversions (e.g., purchases or sign-ups) by the total number of interactions or impressions. For example, if 200 people make a purchase after seeing the ad out of 500,000 impressions, the conversion rate would be 0.4% (200 ÷ 50,000).

Today’s diverse data sources and analytics tools allow advertisers to precisely track post-exposure behaviors, accurately attribute conversions, and better assess campaign success.

Attribution strategies depend on campaign goals. For brand awareness, metrics like increased branded searches, social media followers, direct website traffic, or physical store visits can indicate success. For greater accuracy, device IDs can track actions: if someone searches for a brand shortly after passing a DOOH ad, that search can likely be attributed to the ad exposure.

A woman holding a tablet. On the tablet's screen are charts and figures relating to finances. Reviewing data in this way is an important method of determining DOOH campaign effectiveness. — Comparing sales before and after a campaign is a common method of determining DOOH campaign success

READ MORE: Learn all about brand lift studies, tracking pixels, and other types of DOOH attribution available to today’s marketers in our in-depth guide to measurement, attribution, and audience extension

Leveraging pDOOH for successful campaign targeting

While impressions and conversion rates are key for assessing campaign success, programmatic DOOH offers advanced metrics that give deeper insights into audience behavior and real-time engagement. Here are some pDOOH-enabled metrics that elevate omnichannel campaign measurement:

Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) metrics

One key benefit of pDOOH is Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO), which adjusts DOOH creatives in real-time based on factors like weather, time of day, audience profiles, or nearby events. DCO allows advertisers to customize ad elements (images, text, offers, CTAs) to match user preferences. For example, a QSR might display various menu items, adjusting in real-time based on demographics, browsing history, and environmental data such as location or weather.

Effective DCO requires ongoing measurement using metrics that track general DOOH performance (dwell time, impressions, interaction rate) and specific DCO impact. These metrics show how engagement or conversion rates change with factors like weather, local events, or foot traffic.

Key performance indicators for DCO in DOOH campaigns include:

Creative variants CTR: Measures interaction, like QR code responses, for different versions.
Engagement with creative elements: Tracks which elements resonate most (e.g., weather-based messaging).
Creative rotation effectiveness: Compares performance across different times or conditions.
Weather, time, and location relevance: Assesses engagement based on real-time factors.

Cross-channel conversion metrics

Advanced data analytics in pDOOH connect offline and online interactions, providing a complete view of the consumer journey. Using device ID matching and geo-fencing, advertisers track DOOH ad impact on website visits, app downloads, social media engagement, and store visits, measuring how exposure drives cross-channel actions.

Key metrics highlighting the cross-channel impact of DOOH include:

Walk-in rate: Measures the percentage of people who visit a location after seeing a DOOH ad, often tracked via mobile location data or GPS.
Online conversion rate: Calculates the percentage of website visitors who convert (e.g., sign up, purchase) after seeing a DOOH ad.
Cross-device conversions: Tracks conversions on other devices after DOOH exposure, using multi-device tracking.
Social media interaction rate: Measures increased social media activity (e.g., likes, shares, follows) from DOOH exposure, often tracked with geo-fencing.
Multi-touchpoint conversion attribution: Assigns conversion credit to DOOH within a larger multi-channel strategy, showing its role in cross-channel journeys.

See how real-time measurement improves pDOOH ROI

Check out our collection of case studies & customer spotlights to find real-world examples of pDOOH-enabled metrics in action!

Product News | October 11, 2021

New York City is this holiday season’s ultimate shopping destination – here’s how to make the most of it with out-of-home advertising

New York City is a premier holiday shopping destination, attracting millions of tourists and locals to its festive storefronts, holiday markets, Broadway shows, and iconic shopping districts. Each year, the city’s lively streets fill with brands and advertisers eager to capture the attention of shoppers looking for deals, gifts, and memorable seasonal experiences.

Last year, New York City welcomed over 6.5 million visitors between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve and is now gearing up for another bustling holiday season. This influx reflects the city’s continued tourism rebound, with annual visitor numbers projected to reach over 65 million—nearly back to pre-pandemic levels. Residents are also ready to join the festivities, flocking to major retail areas like Fifth Avenue, SoHo, and Herald Square to find special holiday deals. The influx of tourists and locals makes NYC an ideal spot for holiday campaigns, providing brands with countless opportunities to engage shoppers during the most wonderful—and busiest—time of year.

Why New York City is a prime location for your holiday retail campaign

For brands and advertisers, the holiday season provides a unique opportunity to capture shoppers’ attention amidst a backdrop of festive energy, heavy foot traffic, and elevated consumer excitement. The density of visitors and locals exploring the city’s popular spots makes billboard and out-of-home (OOH) advertising in New York City particularly impactful, especially when strategically placed to reach audiences in high-traffic areas.

Iconic locations like Fifth Avenue and Times Square are among the top destinations for holiday shoppers, drawing millions each season. However, other hotspots like Chelsea Market, Hudson Yards, and high-traffic hubs like Penn Station also offer prime visibility and audience engagement opportunities. Whether it’s vibrant digital billboards, urban panels, or transit ads on the city’s 36 subway lines and 470 stations, well-placed OOH advertising creates a seamless journey that moves shoppers from awareness to action.

Iconic shopping locations like Fifth Avenue and Times Square are top destinations for holiday visiors.

Beyond visitors, the city’s population also offers a desirable demographic for advertisers. With a mean household income approaching $115,000 and a median income of nearly $77,000, NYC residents have considerable purchasing power. Nearly 65% of the population holds white-collar jobs, and over half of the city’s residents are women—who drive almost 80% of consumer spending in the U.S., according to Capital One Shopping. This affluent and influential audience, combined with the surge of holiday tourists, makes NYC a prime location for brands aiming to maximize visibility and conversions during the holiday season.

Leverage different DOOH formats to drive foot traffic, sales, and consideration

Despite the rise in online shopping, in-store experiences remain central to the holiday season. Over 121.4 million shoppers visited physical stores last Black Friday weekend, highlighting the ongoing importance of brick-and-mortar retail during the holidays. This year, roughly 74% of U.S. consumers plan to shop in stores for gifts, according to eMarketer.

With a wide variety of OOH venue types across New York City—from shopping centers and transit hubs to entertainment districts—brands have countless opportunities to drive foot traffic in-store and amplify holiday campaigns. And thanks to programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) advancements, advertisers can run creatives to target specific shopping areas or seasonal needs based on factors like location, time of day, weather conditions, and more. Real-time performance tracking and enhanced attribution also provide valuable insights, allowing advertisers to adjust campaigns on the fly and connect ads to in-store visits, driving higher conversions.

Urban panels, digital billboards, and street-level displays are ideal for catching shoppers’ attention in high-foot-traffic areas near popular shopping districts. Positioned close to retail locations, these ads can serve as timely, contextual reminders that encourage shoppers to stop in or revisit nearby stores. Strategically placed to tap into the holiday hustle, they bring added value with digital capabilities that allow real-time updates—whether it’s highlighting flash sales, limited-time offers, or holiday countdowns to create urgency. Retailers can also personalize messages with festive themes, tailoring content to draw in nearby shoppers and guide them straight to the store.

DOOH ad displayed on a LinkNYC urban panel near a luxury retail location.

New York City’s extensive transit network offers a wide range of OOH advertising opportunities across subway platforms, buses, taxis, and trains, making it easy to connect with commuters and tourists as they head to major shopping areas. With the addition of QR codes or SMS calls-to-action, brands can further engage viewers by offering exclusive holiday deals or guiding them to nearby locations, boosting the likelihood of an in-store visit.

Ferries into the city also offer prime exposure for advertisers, with OOH displays strategically placed throughout the vessels and terminals. These high-dwell environments engage commuters from all directions as they approach NYC, making a memorable impression right from their arrival. With steady foot traffic and a captivated audience, ferry terminals and onboard displays are ideal for reaching a diverse range of potential customers right at a key entry point into the heart of NYC.

Amplify omnichannel retail campaigns with physical ads

Integrating OOH with digital channels like social media, CTV, and display creates a seamless brand experience across touchpoints. Ads with QR codes or SMS prompts make it easy for shoppers to engage with a brand instantly, allowing them to “see it on a billboard, buy it online,” which boosts brand engagement and drives both in-store and online conversions. These tools can also provide valuable data on foot traffic, website visits, and conversions tied to OOH exposure, demonstrating its effectiveness in a broader omnichannel strategy.

Mobile retargeting adds extra power to an omnichannel strategy by allowing brands to reconnect with audiences online after capturing their attention in the physical world. For example, a shopper walking through SoHo might spot a digital panel promoting a holiday sale at a popular clothing brand. Later, as they check social media or search online, they see ads for the same brand showcasing exclusive discounts or holiday gift ideas. This follow-up keeps the brand in mind, encouraging them to either visit the brand’s website or stop by a nearby store to shop.

A study by the OAAA and Harris Poll supports this, revealing that 30% of consumers have recently noticed OOH ads giving directions to businesses, and, of those, 51% went on to visit the advertised location. Additionally, 74% of mobile users engaged online after seeing DOOH ads, through searches (44%), website visits (38%), or social media interaction (30%). This cohesive follow-up helps brands stay connected across channels and boosts conversions, especially during high-impact times like the holiday season, when mobile e-commerce drives more than half of online sales.

Programmatic DOOH campaigns in action

Fashion and lifestyle retailer Holt Renfrew sought to increase brand consideration and drive consumers to its stores in major cities. To achieve this, they launched a programmatic DOOH campaign with screens placed in high-traffic locations near select stores, including billboards, bus shelters, and more. Combined with digital channels, the DOOH ads delivered outstanding results, generating over 400,000 store visits and a 500% lift in intent to take action.

Similarly, global alcohol brand White Claw used a pDOOH campaign to promote its latest Vodka launch across major U.S. cities, including New York. Ads appeared near bars and liquor stores carrying the product, using a mix of urban panels, billboards, taxi toppers, and in-car screens to reach consumers at prime locations. The campaign was a success, with 1 in 3 people who recalled the ad expressing they would “absolutely” try White Claw’s new spirit.

Premier luggage brand Samsonite also leveraged programmatic DOOH, activating over 300 screens across New York City to boost brand awareness and consideration for its high-quality luggage. By targeting high-traffic areas like office buildings, malls, and residential complexes, Samsonite extended its omnichannel strategy into the physical world, resulting in a 53% lift in purchase consideration and 37% positive recall and brand attribution across the city.

Ask us how to get a free brand lift or footfall study with your OOH buy. Talk to a media specialist today.

Samsonite’s programmatic DOOH campaign featured urban panel displays across New York City.

NYC’s dynamic holiday season is the ideal setting for impactful OOH campaigns that put brands in front of engaged, ready-to-shop audiences. From high-traffic retail zones to popular holiday events, OOH advertising reaches people in the heart of the action, sparking interest and encouraging in-store visits and online engagement. Paired with digital tactics like mobile retargeting, OOH ads in NYC offer a powerful way to connect with shoppers at just the right moment, driving visibility and sales during one of the year’s biggest retail opportunities.

Ready to launch your holiday retail campaign? Explore OOH inventory in New York City.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Attribution in DOOH advertising: Your questions answered

Attribution is a powerful tool for marketers, but when it comes to digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising, it’s often misunderstood and underestimated. While some advertisers believe DOOH is difficult to measure, advancements in attribution have made it easier than ever to track campaign impact.

To demystify the process and offer practical insights, we sat down with Ryan Pogy, Director of Data Partnerships at Broadsign, to answer some of the most common questions about measuring DOOH effectiveness.

What are the main challenges in DOOH attribution, and how can advertisers overcome them?

One of the unique strengths of DOOH is the variety of ways in which a message can reach an audience, which calls for a more nuanced approach to measurement.

One of the main challenges we face is the fragmentation of DOOH media owners. Each network has its own standards and measurement methods, which makes it difficult to have a unified view of campaign performance across different environments. Another challenge is privacy compliance, particularly in regions governed by laws like GDPR. Advertisers need to ensure they’re using data responsibly and adhering to regulations.

To overcome these challenges, leveraging unified global measurement platforms is key. This is where working with the right data partners becomes crucial—partners who specialize in pulling data together from disparate sources, all while ensuring compliance with privacy laws.

What strategies are most effective for measuring DOOH performance?

There are several strategies that advertisers can employ to measure the effectiveness of their DOOH campaigns, depending on their goals. But I’ll touch on the three most popular:

Brand Lift Studies: This study measures the impact of your campaign on brand metrics like brand image, preference and consideration.
Foot Traffic Analysis: Mobile location data can be used to track the number of people who visit a store after seeing a DOOH ad. These studies are particularly useful for retail campaigns aiming to drive in-store customers.
Web & App Lift Studies: These studies track online actions like website visits, sign-ups, or app downloads that happen after someone is exposed to a DOOH ad.

Some advertisers prefer to combine these methods to get a more comprehensive view of their campaign performance and better optimize their strategies for future campaigns. For example, we ran a campaign with Holt Renfrew, which combined a brand lift study and a foot traffic study. The results covered everything from top-funnel metrics like a 600% uplift in brand preference to successfully driving 400k store visits.

How can insights from Brand Lift Studies be used to optimize future campaigns?

Brand Lift Studies provide invaluable insights into how your campaign impacts brand metrics like awareness, consideration, and preference. They allow advertisers to quantify the impact of their campaigns and understand what messaging resonates with their target audience.

One of the main benefits is the ability to benchmark your performance. You can compare your results against averages in your industry and use that data to adjust your strategy for future campaigns. For example, if a particular message drove higher brand consideration, you might want to double down on that type of creative for the next campaign. Advertisers with global campaigns may also run a brand lift study in each of the markets where the campaign ran to glean market-specific insights and build their own internal benchmarks.

“Attribution is an evolving field, and staying informed about new tools and methodologies is crucial for staying competitive in today’s market. The more we innovate in DOOH measurement, the better we can justify media spend and optimize campaign performance.”
Ryan Pogy, Director of Data Partnerships at Broadsign

When measuring DOOH as part of an omnichannel campaign, how can advertisers bridge the gap between offline and online media?

Even though out-of-home (OOH) advertising takes place in the physical world, the gap between offline and online channels can be bridged by leveraging location-based play log data, which tracks when and where ads are displayed to create a detailed log of ad exposure. This data can be further enriched by integrating mobile exposure data, allowing for tracking of mobile devices that come into contact with DOOH ads. Such integration links an ad’s offline display with the digital behaviors of consumers, providing insights into how DOOH influences actions like website visits, app downloads, and even in-store visits.

By combining these offline and online data sources, advertisers can achieve a level of measurement granularity comparable to digital media, allowing them to measure and validate the impact of DOOH with the same confidence they expect from channels like social media or display ads. This approach makes DOOH attribution and optimization more actionable and data-driven.

How can device ID passbacks enhance attribution for DOOH campaigns?

Device ID passback is a powerful tool for enhancing attribution in DOOH. It allows advertisers to link ad exposure to specific customer actions, providing deeper insights into how audiences interact with ads.

Here’s how it works: device IDs are captured when mobile devices come within a specific range of DOOH ads. These IDs are then passed back to your other digital platforms, allowing for retargeting across online channels like social media or apps.

This method offers several benefits. It provides deeper insights into audience behaviour, enabling more precise retargeting and improving overall campaign performance. Passbacks also allow for more accurate cross-channel attribution, helping advertisers understand how DOOH exposure drives online and offline conversions.

What are common pitfalls to avoid when implementing DOOH attribution strategies?

A common pitfall in DOOH attribution is relying on poor-quality data. Not all data sources are created equal, so it’s essential to work with trusted partners who can deliver accurate, reliable data. While data capabilities in DOOH have come a long way, the effectiveness of attribution depends on the quality of the data used.

Another key factor is achieving a consistent, comprehensive view of campaign timing and venue logistics. Effective DOOH attribution requires tools that can adapt to the unique characteristics of different venue types, from large-format displays like billboards to smaller screens in office buildings or residential spaces. The volume and density of signals vary across locations, so it’s important to select tools that can adjust for these variations to ensure accurate, actionable insights.

Finally, many advertisers make the mistake of not acting on the insights gained from attribution studies. Data is only useful if it leads to action. I’ve seen campaigns that initially struggled because the advertiser didn’t adjust based on early attribution data. Once they adapted their strategy, their results improved significantly.

DOOH attribution has advanced significantly, offering advertisers the tools to confidently track and optimize campaign performance across the customer journey. Whether you’re building brand awareness with brand lift studies, driving foot traffic, or boosting conversions with device ID passbacks, aligning your attribution methods with your specific goals is key. As Ryan emphasized, understanding the impact of your DOOH efforts is crucial for making data-driven decisions and refining your strategy in real-time. With the right measurement solutions, advertisers can unlock deeper insights and achieve better results with their DOOH campaigns.

For a deeper dive into DOOH attribution, check out our guide here!

Product News | October 11, 2021

DOOH impression multiplier: What it is and how it enhances digital out-of-home ad measurement

If you’ve ever bought digital advertising, you’re probably familiar with measuring campaign success through clicks, conversions, and digital impressions. But when it comes to digital out-of-home (DOOH) media, the game changes. Measuring audience reach in this space isn’t as straightforward as it is in the rest of the digital world — as a one-to-many medium, not only does one play equal multiple impressions, but the amount of impressions usually differs depending on the hour, day, and any number of other environmental factors.

That’s where the impression multiplier comes in. This key concept helps advertisers understand not only how many people have the potential to see their outdoor ad but also how to maximize that reach for the best possible cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM). When combined with other robust out-of-home data capabilities, the impression multiplier significantly enhances DOOH campaign measurement, giving advertisers clearer insights into their audience reach and improving the tracking of cross-channel impact.

In this article, we’ll break down what the impression multiplier is, how it works, and what media buyers can do to leverage it for better return on investment (ROI).

Jump to:

What is the impression multiplier?
How is the DOOH impression multiplier calculated?
How to leverage the impression multiplier for better ROI

What is the impression multiplier?

The impression multiplier is a DOOH-specific metric that’s used to calculate the number of impressions delivered by a particular screen in a single ad play.

A core metric for all forms of advertising — whether digital, mobile, or OOH — impressions are used to measure performance by quantifying the total number of times an advertisement is likely to be seen. Since advertising tends to charge on a per-thousand-impressions basis, impressions also play a crucial role in determining the cost of an ad campaign.

READ ALSO: Solidify your understanding of other important DOOH metrics and learn how they can be used to measure different aspects of your DOOH campaign’s success

Impression attribution is fairly simple in online environments, which mostly operate on a one-to-one (one play = one impression) basis. One-to-many channels like DOOH require a slightly more unique approach when it comes to audience measurement since several people are likely to be looking at a display screen at any given moment.

Enter the impression multiplier: a DOOH-specific multiplication index that’s applied to each play on every individual screen, giving advertisers a more accurate idea of how many impressions are delivered in a single ad play.

Put another way:

# of served impressions (ad plays) x impression multiplier = publisher impressions (audience).

Let’s say a digital billboard plays your ad 10,000 times over a given period. This number represents the served impressions. Now, suppose the impression multiplier for this particular time and location is 4, based on audience data like foot traffic and dwell time.

To calculate the total publisher impressions (or audience):

10,000 served impressions (ad plays) x 4 (impression multiplier) = 40,000 publisher impressions (audience)

In this scenario, your ad would be estimated to have reached an audience of 40,000 people.

How is the DOOH impression multiplier calculated?

Contrary to what some might expect, the DOOH impression multiplier isn’t a standardized formula or static value. Instead, this dynamic multiplier is tailored to each screen, transforming raw plays into more accurate representations of audience impressions based on real-world data provided by media owners. These multipliers adapt to reflect the audience’s presence and engagement, adjusting for the individual nuances of each specific placement.

The audience data used to calculate the impression multiplier for any given DOOH screen typically revolves around the number of people present within the display’s viewing range at various times. Having access to real-time (or relatively real-time) data sources allows the multiplier to align with the actual impressions generated.

Depending on the network, different methods are employed to gather this data, including:

Proprietary survey data: Media owners conduct targeted surveys to understand foot traffic and viewer demographics in specific locations.
Mobile data: Location-based insights, such as anonymized mobile device tracking, provide valuable context about movement patterns near the screen.
Independent research: Third-party research firms like Geopath or Nielsen can be commissioned to validate impression numbers using their own methodologies.
Cameras or sensors integrated with a DOOH platform: Sophisticated tech, like AI-powered cameras or motion sensors, can be integrated with a DOOH analytics platform like Quividi or Linkett to monitor the environment and collect real-time views data on an ongoing basis.

By combining anonymized and privacy-compliant audience data with sophisticated tracking methods, media owners can provide advertisers with a clearer picture of how many people their message truly reaches. This granular approach improves the accuracy of KPIs like reach and CPM, offering media buyers more precise measurement and real-time insights for strategic decision-making.

READ ALSO: Get a better understanding of how to calculate CPM for billboards and other traditional OOH formats

How to leverage the impression multiplier for better ROI

Maximizing ROI in any advertising campaign comes down to two key factors: reaching the right audience and efficiently allocating budget. In the context of DOOH, the impression multiplier is a powerful tool that enables advertisers to optimize both. But how can you leverage this metric to not only improve your DOOH performance but also drive results across an entire omnichannel strategy?

Here are three effective ways to leverage the impression multiplier for better ROI:

1. Optimize audience targeting with data-driven precision

The impression multiplier factors in audience presence, giving you real-time insights into when and where your ads will resonate most. By integrating data on audience demographics and engagement analytics, the multiplier helps you fine-tune your targeting strategies for maximum impact and ROI. This data-driven approach optimizes both the reach and relevance of your campaigns, making every impression count.

2. Integrate the impression multiplier into cross-channel campaigns

(D)OOH has 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%. If you know how many people are actually seeing your DOOH ads, you can better coordinate follow-up touchpoints, like mobile retargeting and social media ads, reinforcing your message and driving conversions for a seamless customer journey.

3. Adjust CPM and bidding strategies in real-time

Programmatic DOOH allows for dynamic, real-time bidding adjustments based on audience fluctuations. Advertisers can fine-tune their cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) bidding strategies by analyzing how audience numbers fluctuate throughout the day, increasing bids during high-traffic periods and lowering them during off-peak times to ensure optimal exposure and budget allocation.

Suppose you’re running a DOOH campaign for a new sportswear collection at a shopping mall. Traditionally, your ad spend might be spread evenly throughout the day, assuming foot traffic remains constant. However, using insights based on the impression multiplier, you choose to boost ad placements during lunch hours and weekends when foot traffic spikes.

In today’s interconnected world, integrating DOOH with the impression multiplier enhances ad performance and creates a cohesive omnichannel strategy for better ROI. By optimizing targeting, syncing cross-channel efforts, and refining real-time bids, the impression multiplier helps media buyers maximize reach and budget efficiency, driving campaigns to their full potential.

Want to explore more pDOOH optimization strategies?

Check out our eBook for actionable tips on integrating DOOH into your omnichannel strategy.