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

Meet Arno Buskop, Broadsign’s new Senior Director of Data Strategy

We’re excited to welcome Arno Buskop to the Broadsign team as our new Senior Director of Data Strategy. Arno joins us from GroupM’s Kinetic, where he spent nearly 15 years at the intersection of data, technology, and research in out-of-home (OOH) media. With deep experience in data-driven planning, measurement, and software development, Arno has helped shape how modern OOH campaigns are executed and evaluated.

As he steps into this new role at Broadsign, Arno brings with him a sharp perspective on the future of OOH and how data can drive smarter decisions, stronger outcomes, and greater accountability across the ecosystem.

We sat down with Arno to hear more about his vision for the industry, what excites him about the medium, and why now is a pivotal moment for data strategy.

What excites you most about working in out-of-home advertising today?

What excites me is that, even after two decades of working in OOH measurement, research, and technology, the puzzle still feels unsolved. That ongoing challenge, bringing all the moving parts together, is what keeps me motivated. At the same time, the pace of change is accelerating. Data and technology are evolving rapidly, and the art (expertise) and science (data) of OOH are converging more than ever. As the art increasingly integrates into platforms, it’s critical that we stay focused on doing the right thing and delivering real value for advertisers.

That creates a powerful moment of opportunity. Broadsign holds a unique position in the market—widely adopted and deeply embedded in the core of digital ad delivery and optimization. We now have the chance to build on that foundation, in collaboration with clients and partners, to help shape what’s next for the entire OOH industry.

In your opinion, what defines a strong data strategy in OOH, and where do you see the biggest opportunities for growth?

A strong OOH data strategy aligns planning, activation, and measurement throughout the entire ecosystem. It begins with trustworthy audience data, both deterministic and modelled, and layers in contextual signals unique to the physical nature of the OOH environment. But it’s not just about collecting data; the real value comes from connecting it in meaningful ways that drive better outcomes.

The biggest growth opportunities lie in predictive capabilities, more intelligent targeting, and real-time creative optimization. AI has a major role to play in making these complex scenarios more understandable. In the near future, AI will begin to reshape how we forecast audiences, validate delivery, and dynamically adjust campaigns.

What are some of the key challenges brands face when leveraging data in OOH, and how can the industry address them?

The biggest challenges stem from fragmentation across methods, data standards, and practices. Many markets, and therefore brands, still face inconsistent audience definitions, limited transparency, and unreliable impression validation. There’s also a clear gap between the desire for seamless omnichannel execution and the current realities of how OOH fits into that broader landscape.

To move forward, we need shared benchmarks, improved data interoperability, and stronger collaboration across the value chain. As programmatic investment continues to grow, fraud prevention, brand safety, and data accuracy must become industry-wide priorities.

Where does measurement stand today, and how should it evolve moving forward?

Measurement in OOH has come a long way, but it still varies by market, vendor, and methodology. We’ve moved beyond basic reach proxies and are beginning to validate impressions and connect exposure to outcomes. Still, accountability remains inconsistent.

There’s a clear need for transparent, shared metrics and standards that both buyers and sellers can align on. We also need to be honest about what’s modelled, what’s observed, and what’s assumed. That level of clarity becomes especially important when combining data sources or building attribution models.

Ultimately, measurement should help OOH close the loop from planning to delivery to performance. It’s not about finding one perfect number; it’s about developing frameworks that build confidence, reduce friction, and enable brands to invest with trust.

At the same time, OOH can take inspiration from digital channels by adopting a smarter, more agile mindset—planning more effectively, optimizing in real time, and consistently proving value. This includes using better segmentation, dynamic delivery strategies, and real-time adjustments.

However, the goal isn’t to replicate digital. OOH’s strength lies in its physical presence, contextual relevance, and brand-safe, emotionally resonant environments. The real opportunity is in combining those unique qualities with digital intelligence.

How do you see the medium integrating more seamlessly with omnichannel media strategies?

The market is demanding it. Agencies are consolidating planning and driving toward true omnichannel execution. For OOH to thrive in this environment, it must integrate with all major buying platforms, align on metrics, and communicate in the same terms as other media channels.

At the same time, we need to proactively assert our influence and show that we’re equipped to navigate complexity, especially as other channels continue to introduce new priorities that can easily shift attention elsewhere.

With the continued shift toward digitization and programmatic buying, which trends or technologies are you most eager to see evolve?

I’m excited about AI and automation, not just for optimization but for their potential to reduce manual effort across the entire ecosystem. We need to use the industry’s expertise to build better plans and execute more effectively, not waste it on repetitive tasks. I’m also closely watching how mobility and location data can deepen our understanding of audiences and improve delivery. In addition, I see creative and media planning beginning to converge, which presents a major opportunity for platforms like Broadsign that sit at the heart of ad delivery.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Understanding dynamic creative optimization in out-of-home

In out-of-home (OOH) advertising, capturing attention is just the first step—real impact comes from delivering the right message at the right moment. As personalization rises in priority and real-time data becomes more accessible, Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) is emerging as a must-have strategy. By automatically adapting ad content based on live signals like location, time of day, weather, audience demographics, or current events, DCO helps maximize the effectiveness of digital OOH (DOOH) campaigns.

At the same time, programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) has revolutionized how campaigns are bought and delivered, enabling smarter, automated, and data-driven ad placements. But while programmatic ensures ads appear at the optimal time and place, it’s the creative that determines whether the message truly resonates. Even the most precisely placed ad can fall flat without visuals tailored to the moment—and that’s exactly where DCO delivers.

And the data backs it up. Research from Clear Channel UK found that incorporating contextually relevant messaging in DOOH campaigns increases effectiveness by an average of 17%. Similarly, a study by Analytic Partners revealed that investing in OOH creative, particularly dynamic and tailored messaging, can drive 2.5x higher returns. The same research also found that creative accounts for 41% of the potential ROI from the medium, highlighting its central role in campaign performance.

Creative that moves with the moment

In digital OOH, dynamic creative responds to real-time triggers like location, time of day, weather, and live data to deliver timely, relevant content. For example, brands and advertisers can promote in-store offers near specific screens, target commuters during rush hour, adapt messaging to current weather conditions, serve updates based on live sports scores, stock market changes, or trending topics.

For more advanced strategies, marketers can layer in audience data, like crowd density or movement patterns, to inform when and where ads appear. Custom APIs can also be integrated into the campaign planning process to trigger creatives based on specific conditions, like team scores, lottery amounts, bus schedules, and more.

One brand that successfully leveraged dynamic creative is McDonald’s, which set out to promote its refreshing Summer Coolers in Qatar by delivering dynamic messaging during the region’s hottest days. Partnering with Splicky DSP, Elan Media, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Broadsign, the brand launched Qatar’s first weather-responsive pDOOH campaign. Custom creatives were triggered by real-time temperatures between 35°C and 45°C, ensuring the content aligned with local conditions and captured audience attention at the perfect moment. The result was a 7% sales lift for the Summer Coolers lineup. Supporting this, more data from Analytics Partners found that weather-adjusted creative can drive a 57% increase in performance compared to traditional advertising approaches.

A McDonald’s Summer Coolers ad appears on a digital screen in Qatar, dynamically activated when temperatures soar between 35°C and 45°C.

Strategic advantages of dynamic creative in OOH

While “dynamic” once simply referred to motion or video, today’s DCO capabilities go far beyond that. In a programmatic environment, dynamic creative is fluid, automated, and adapts in real time, either through multiple creative variations or modular templates built with interchangeable elements like headlines, images, and calls to action. These templates, powered by live data, remove the need to build static assets for every scenario, streamlining production, reducing overhead, and speeding up time to market. They also enable more cohesive and personalized storytelling, sequenced across different times and locations.

One of the biggest advantages of dynamic creative is campaign agility. Brands can adjust messaging mid-flight based on performance data or changing market conditions, helping minimize wasted impressions. Sequencing creative throughout the day or across geographies allows for more personalized, funnel-driven brand experiences that drive stronger engagement. Additionally, brands can influence real-world behaviours by responding to contextual triggers, like promoting in-store visits during sales, encouraging shared ridership during transit delays, or driving in-app betting activity based on live sports scores.

Dynamic campaigns also generate meaningful performance insights. Marketers can identify which creative variations and data triggers are most effective, access those learnings directly through the DSP, and apply them in real time. These insights can also guide broader cross-channel strategies across social, display, video, CTV, mobile, and audio.

For media owners, dynamic creative unlocks new monetization opportunities. A single screen can serve multiple creative variations throughout the day, making campaign packages more flexible and competitive while positioning their networks as innovative, responsive, and ready for what’s next.

Key considerations

A common perception is that DCO is overly expensive, highly technical, and too complex to implement—but with the right partners and platforms, it’s increasingly accessible. While DCO brings a new level of creativity and relevance to digital out-of-home campaigns, it does come with some considerations.

Firstly, a strategic setup is key. Launching a DCO campaign involves more than just activating media; it requires upfront planning, including designing flexible creative templates, integrating real-time data feeds, and selecting inventory that supports dynamic delivery. More advanced campaigns, especially those requiring high creative flexibility and live updates, call for a more robust setup. Marketers should evaluate their tech stack: does it support HTML5, live data feeds (like weather or store traffic), a dynamic creative authoring tool, a CMS for approvals, and publisher networks that can deliver dynamic content?

Next, consider how your creative needs to be built. Do you have to create many custom creatives for every scenario or can your DSP render dynamic elements on top of an image or video in real-time depending on the scenario? For a complex campaign, this could save you many hours of work.

The path forward for smarter DOOH

Advancing DCO is key to positioning digital out-of-home as a high-performing, modern media channel. It elevates both relevance and effectiveness, showcasing the format’s full creative and data-driven potential and helping to drive long-term growth for the medium. Getting there will require industry-wide collaboration and a shared vision for dynamic creative that blends automation with storytelling and prioritizes both performance and user experience.

While industry alignment is an ongoing journey, running a dynamic OOH campaign today doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right partners and technology in place, brands can simplify execution, explore new creative possibilities, and start seeing stronger results from digital out-of-home campaigns.

Reach your target audience with contextually relevant messaging across premium screens. Launch a programmatic DOOH campaign with Broadsign.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Turn your in-store screens into revenue machines: How to monetize data through retail digital signage

Are you sitting on a goldmine of customer data but struggling to maximize its value across your entire retail ecosystem? You’re not alone. While many retailers have turned first-party data into profitable digital retail media networks (RMNs), extending these strategies in-store remains a largely untapped opportunity. By leveraging first-party data, you can turn in-store digital screens into a high-value revenue stream while delivering targeted, contextual marketing close to the point of purchase.

Integrating in-store retail media into your broader RMN strategy elevates the shopping experience, increases brand ROI, and drives greater retailer profitability. Public data from Tesco and Walmart shows that featuring products on in-store screens typically delivers a 7% product sales lift and a 4% brand halo effect. While digital still leads investments, in-store retail media is gaining traction, with ad spend projected to reach $1 billion by 2028, highlighting the growing value of physical stores as advertising platforms.

This guide explores why top retailers are doubling down on in-store media, how data monetization fuels new revenue streams, and what it takes to build a connected, omnichannel RMN strategy—so you can increase ad revenue, elevate engagement, and stay ahead in a competitive landscape.

Key takeaways for retailers:

In-store retail media networks transform physical spaces into valuable advertising platforms
First-party data enables relevant, privacy-compliant ad targeting to enhance shopper experiences
Integrating in-store digital signage and digital strategies creates cohesive, high-impact advertising campaigns
Measuring success through advanced analytics proves ROI and attracts brand partnerships

Understanding in-store digital signage

An in-store retail media network is made up of digital screens positioned throughout a store, including entrance displays, endcaps, checkout monitors, and areas with longer dwell times, like in-store pharmacies, that deliver targeted ads to shoppers at the point of purchase. By tapping into these screens, physical retail locations can be turned into impactful advertising channels for brands.

Walmart’s in-store network and Tesco’s plan to triple its connected screens show how leading retailers are betting on physical retail media. It’s a smart move—82% of purchase decisions happen in-store, and 62% of shoppers make impulse buys, underscoring the impact of in-store media on consumer behaviour.

READ ALSO: Learn more about in-store vs. online retail media, including how each one impacts the consumer shopping experience

The power of first-party data in retail digital signage

Unlike traditional in-store ads that rely on static displays, in-store retail media networks (RMNs) use first-party data to deliver dynamic, contextual messaging based on shopper behaviour. By tapping into insights from loyalty programs, past purchases, and real-time engagement, content can be tailored to store audiences and key moments in the shopping journey, creating a more personalized in-store experience that drives higher engagement, conversion, and basket size.

For example, you might promote high-margin breakfast items in the morning, surface seasonal or regionally popular products, or suggest complementary items based on purchase history. If inventory runs low, the system can automatically swap ads for alternatives, ensuring every placement remains relevant and effective.

READ ALSO: Learn how technology is disrupting in-store experiences and why in-store media is essential for forward-thinking retail media strategies

Revenue generation and integration strategies for in-store retail media networks

Successfully monetizing first-party customer data through in-store retail media takes more than basic screen placements — it requires the right tools, a clear strategy, and the ability to package high-intent touchpoints into larger, omnichannel campaigns that drive greater impact.

Common monetization streams include:

Selling ad placements on digital screens in high-traffic areas: A grocery store might offer screen placements near the produce section to endemic brands, like healthy snack or meal kit companies, whose products are sold in-store. Non-endemic brands, like a fitness app or credit card provider, might also buy screen time to reach shoppers while they’re considering lifestyle or financial decisions.
Sponsored product promotions: Brands pay for in-store ads highlighting specific products, like endcap displays or shelf-edge screens showcasing new items or seasonal offerings.
Cross-channel advertising packages: Bundling in-store ad placements with digital campaigns on their websites, apps, and email newsletters offers brands a unified way to reach shoppers across multiple touchpoints.
Retailer-owned brand promotions: Using in-store signage to promote private-label products can drive sales and increase profit margins on your own offerings.

READ ALSO: Learn how to use digital signage to enhance the in-person shopping experience, with actionable strategies and revenue-driving tips

Integration strategies for in-store and digital RMNs

Driving revenue and performance requires strategic planning and a strong infrastructure that delivers consistency, responsiveness, and clear performance insights. Here are four key areas where alignment and smart tech investments matter most:

Unified campaign planning: Consider designing advertising campaigns that span both in-store and digital channels. For example, a holiday promotion might combine ads on in-store screens, website banners, email campaigns, and social media posts, all reinforcing a consistent message across every touchpoint. This integrated approach is powerful—research from the OAAA and Comscore shows that OOH drives online activation rates 5 to 6 times higher than expected, outperforming other channels in generating digital engagement.
Centralized data management: Leveraging first-party data from both online and offline interactions provides a holistic view of shopper behaviour, enabling smarter ad targeting and more effective placement across channels.
Dynamic content delivery: Leverage programmatic technology to deliver highly targeted, contextually relevant content across in-store digital screens in real time. By integrating data sources such as inventory levels, shopper demographics, loyalty profiles, and external triggers like time of day or weather, messaging can dynamically adjust to align with shopper needs and behaviour. For instance, if a product is well-stocked, nearby screens can prioritize promotions or bundle offers to help drive sell-through.
Cross-promotion opportunities: In-store RMNs can be used to drive traffic to digital channels and vice versa. For example, an ad displayed at checkout might encourage shoppers to download the retailer’s app for exclusive discounts or reward points.

Target’s retail media network, Roundel, is a prime example of how integration drives success. Roundel combines in-store advertising with digital campaigns using first-party data from Target’s loyalty program and purchase histories. Brands can run ads on Target’s website and app while simultaneously promoting products through in-store displays and checkout screens, creating a cohesive campaign that reaches shoppers wherever they are.

Measuring success in in-store retail media networks

As in-store retail media evolves, accurate performance measurement is more important than ever. The key to success is combining traditional retail metrics with digital advertising KPIs to fully capture the impact of in-store campaigns.

To help streamline this process, the IAB In-Store Retail Media Standards—developed by IAB Europe and IAB US—established a framework to address the rapidly expanding in-store retail media opportunities and offer unified definitions, measurement standards, and guidelines for ad formats and store zones. These guidelines provide the clarity and consistency needed to evaluate in-store media with the same rigour applied to digital channels.

Measurement can be strengthened by leveraging incremental impact analysis, like holdout testing, to isolate campaign lift. For example, Kroger now offers incremental sales measurement to directly connect campaign exposure with ROI. By integrating loyalty data, online behaviour, and in-store activity into unified shopper profiles, brands gain a clearer view of the customer journey and can attribute outcomes more effectively.

Closed-loop reporting further enhances this by linking ad exposure to actual purchase data, while AI-powered analytics reveal meaningful patterns in shopper behaviour. Programmatic tools allow for real-time optimization of in-store campaigns, and multi-touch attribution models ensure that both online and offline touchpoints are accounted for in performance analysis.

Together, these strategies help retailers and advertisers demonstrate the value of in-store retail media while continuously improving results through data-driven insights.

Want to make the most of your data with in-store digital advertising?

At Broadsign, we help retailers and brands seamlessly integrate in-store digital signage, automate content management, and optimize retail media monetization.

Whether you’re looking to build your in-store retail media network or scale an existing one, we can help. Learn more today.

Product News | October 11, 2021

How 75Media increased its fill rates by 15% with the Broadsign Platform

2024 was a record-breaking year for out-of-home (OOH) advertising in the United Kingdom (UK). Total OOH revenue for the region grew 7.7%, pulling in a record-breaking £1.4 billion in revenue. While spend is expected to cool down slightly in 2025 at 7.2%, the medium will grow through technological innovations like dynamic digital billboards, interactive displays, and programmatic advertising.

Digital OOH (DOOH) now dominates the OOH landscape, accounting for 67.1% of total spend as brands seek the flexibility and creativity that digital offers. That being said, demand for static OOH – also known as classic OOH– isn’t going anywhere, remaining an effective medium for long-term brand-building campaigns.

With both formats offering distinct benefits to advertisers, the most effective campaigns combine both. This is where UK-based media owner 75Media comes in. As one of the leading providers of large-format static and digital roadside billboards in the region, 75Media makes it easy for brands, big and small, to tap into the power of OOH with the flexibility, scale and simplicity that modern advertisers need today.

How 75Media makes out-of-home simple for buyers

Wanting to provide brands with national reach through large-format, high-impact roadside billboards, 75Media’s sites are strategically positioned in high-traffic locations across the UK. These include key commuter routes and busy city centres, with placements carefully chosen for their proximity to gyms, shopping centres, supermarkets, and other points of interest.

Through a series of strategic acquisitions, 75Media has exponentially grown its network, going from 140 to nearly 1,300 digital and static billboards across the UK in just five years. Today, with just over 1,000 large-format static billboards, 75Media’s hybrid network is about 75% static and 25% digital.

75Media’s static and digital roadside billboards

In addition to their wide-reaching network, advertisers choose 75Media’s network because they make OOH measurable and efficient without compromising on quality. Wanting to deliver real audiences to clients as quickly as possible, 75Media focuses on minimizing the back-and-forth typically needed to book OOH campaigns.

75Media’s network attracts a broad mix of advertisers and campaigns, including major brand campaigns, fast-moving consumer goods promotions, as well as ads for local businesses, the public sector and charitable organizations. On the digital side of its network, there’s exciting momentum toward dynamic creative optimization (DCO) campaigns. Collaborating with their data partners, DOOH.com, Veridooh and Artbot, 75Media has been unlocking new ways for brands to engage with their audiences in real-time.

One notable dynamic, data-driven campaign that ran on 75Media’s network was Nike’s campaign featuring renowned Norwegian professional footballer Erling Haaland for the promotion of its new Mercurial football shoe. Leveraging the dynamic triggers available on the Broadsign Platform, the artwork and messaging of the DOOH ad would dynamically update whenever Haaland scored a goal during a match.

How Broadsign makes it easy for 75Media to run its network

One platform to efficiently scale, manage, and sell their digital and static out-of-home inventory

75Media has been using the Broadsign Platform since day one. Operations Director Alex Simpson—one of 75Media’s founding directors—had previously used Broadsign at his former company and saw first hand how reliable and effective the platform was. So when 75Media launched in 2020, continuing that partnership was a natural choice. And with their significant growth plans, they needed a platform that was capable of seamlessly scaling alongside their business.

In addition to the platform’s robustness and reliability, 75Media chose Broadsign for its content and network management capabilities. The manual work typically tied to campaign scheduling, booking and execution is now automated, freeing up the team’s time to focus on enhancing advertisers’ experience with OOH.

Moreover, managing their static and digital assets through the Broadsign Platform not only kept things efficient and organized, but also provided them with seamless workflows to plan, execute, and monitor static and digital OOH campaigns without unnecessary complications.

“The reporting capabilities provided by the Broadsign Platform for our digital and static assets allow us to be totally transparent with our clients. Being able to show brands exactly how their campaigns are performing in-flight is invaluable.”
Alex Simpson, Operations Director, 75Media

How 75Media optimizes fill rates with Broadsign’s flexible campaigns

Another key capability that 75Media has been leveraging is Broadsign’s flexible selling tools for their DOOH campaigns. This gives them access to our flexible campaign types, which are goal-based and data-triggered, allowing you to deliver more targeted results. In fact, 80% of DOOH campaigns that ran on 75Media’s network in 2024 leveraged flexible campaigns.

The most widely used flexible campaign type was the Campaign Average Share of Voice (SoV). This allows advertisers to define the average percentage of screen time their ad should get over the campaign’s duration. So what makes it flexible? The SoV on each screen can vary day-to-day to accommodate other campaigns requiring the same screens, but the target average SoV across all screens over the campaign’s duration will always be met.

This is made possible by Broadsign’s rebalancing feature, which leverages our optimization engine to modify the pace at which a campaign is delivered to guarantee targets are met. Since adopting these new flexible capabilities, 75Media has seen an increase of 15% in its screen fill rates and has strengthened its client relationships by offering more flexible solutions.

“Broadsign’s rebalancing feature helps deliver our campaigns efficiently while allowing us to maximize the space across our inventory. It’s particularly useful in ensuring everything runs smoothly without daily intervention from our delivery team.”
Alex Simpson, Operations Director, 75Media

The Campaign Average SoV campaign type is particularly useful for markets where flexible buying has not been widely adopted. Buyers can maintain the same fixed results typically obtained through slot-based campaigns while providing you with the operational flexibility to fill your network optimally.

What we can expect from 75Media in the near future

While 75Media will continue to invest in new digital and static sites to extend its coverage and reach, its focus in the near future is to become the most efficient OOH operator in the market. It plans to do this by investing in new technology and automation, removing the medium’s preconceived pain points, and providing the quickest way to buy OOH.

Additionally, as programmatic capabilities continue to evolve, advertisers will grow more confident in data-driven OOH. With demand expected to rise, 75Media is actively exploring new audience analytics and multiple data integrations to enhance targeting and boost campaign effectiveness.