Product News | October 11, 2021

Using pDOOH for a faster and more targeted way of adding OOH to your omnichannel campaigns

Advancements in programmatic technologies, like real-time data, contextual triggers, and more sophisticated measurement capabilities, have driven the adoption of programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH) and its inclusion in advertisers’ omnichannel strategies. However, integrating it into your omnichannel campaign remains a challenging process for many advertisers.

You often have to work with multiple demand-side platforms (DSPs) for the different ad mediums or even call a media owner to secure DOOH inventory. To address this pain point, many omnichannel DSPs offer auction packages to streamline OOH operations and campaign activations.

Auction packages are customizable packages that include targeted audiences, inventory, and contextual locations with data delivered through a single deal ID. With granular details provided in each package, you can limit the back-and-forth with clients, streamlining the proposal review and approval process. Furthermore, by providing access to multiple media owners in one package, you can easily access your ideal audiences with more cost-efficient CPMs.

Made available through existing omnichannel DSPs, you can set up and activate your pDOOH campaign in a matter of minutes rather than days. For these reasons, auction packages make the process of planning, buying and launching pDOOH campaigns alongside other ad mediums faster and more cost-efficient.

How targeting capabilities in pDOOH have evolved

While you can choose to target the entire audience provided through an auction package, you can also target a sub-segment of that audience. For instance, the overarching audience included in a Travel & Tourism auction package would be travel intenders, while more specific segments could be business travellers, leisure travellers, and road trippers. This gives you added flexibility on how granular you’d like your key audience to be, providing you with the same targeting capabilities as other ad mediums.

You can also choose to target your intended audiences by selecting specific venue types, like place-based or outdoor. Looking at a Retail auction package, for example, place-based screen selection could include screens in shopping malls, stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores. Outdoor would include billboards, urban panels and transit shelters within shopping distance of retail stores.

Contextual targeting can also be applied to each package, allowing you to trigger your ad to play only at the ideal time. There are multiple ways to contextually deliver your ads with an auction package. One way is by targeting your point of interest; using a Sports Betting auction package as an example, locations could include casinos, bars, and sports arenas. You can also use dayparts as a contextual trigger, like “game day schedules,” to display ads for a sports betting and gaming platform in the weeks leading up to a highly-anticipated sports game.

Lastly, you can leverage moments, like weather or financial market changes, to contextually deliver your ads. Using our Travel & Tourism auction package again, you could run ads for a warm and sunny destination when the local weather is cold or promote a destination with a desirable currency rate against the local currency. While auction packages are made available as pre-built bundles, you can also customize the package to meet your objectives better.

Using auction packages for a simpler and faster delivery of DOOH

While you may have a better understanding of what auction packages are, you’re probably wondering when you should use auction packages. Auction packages are great for complex DOOH campaigns that require multiple targeting requirements, like markets, point-of-interests and audiences.

In fact, one of the first campaigns that used Broadsign’s auction packages involved complex targeting requirements that would’ve made it impossible for the brand’s omnichannel DSP to activate on its own. Working with their preferred agency and DSP, a beverage brand was looking to raise awareness of its new range of alcoholic beverages and wanted to include DOOH in its broader omnichannel campaign.

To reach their intended audience with DOOH, two targeting strategies were identified for the brand: point-of-interest and audience targeting. Working with Broadsign, they identified screens located near bars and liquor stores that carried the new range of alcoholic drinks, as well as outdoor billboards and urban panels with higher concentrations of the target audience – Gen Z and Millennials.

Given that the campaign was set to run across different states, the proposal provided to the agency contained a substantial inventory list (spanning over 25 lines, to be precise), highlighting the inventory that matched the different targeting requirements per state. As each inventory line contained screens from multiple media owners, the omnichannel DSP would have had to manually create a deal ID for each media owner’s inventory per market and format had this DOOH campaign been set up without auction packages. We did the math, and that would’ve meant creating 150 different deal IDs, making it a highly error-prone and time-consuming process.

With auction packages, the omnichannel DSP simply needed to add the auction package per market and format, which already contained all the inventory from different media owners – significantly cutting down the time it took to set up and activate this complex DOOH campaign. They were also able to better measure the impact of DOOH by conducting a brand lift study after the campaign was completed, providing them with real-world insights on ad recall, how effective was the DOOH media mix, whether it helped enhance brand image, as well as drive consideration and product purchase.

Check out Broadsign’s auction packages through our inventory marketplace.

Make sure to reach out to your Broadsign representative today for more information!

Product News | October 11, 2021

How the Broadsign Platform enables ad delivery rates of up to 99% for Orb

At a time when consumer attention is in short supply, out-of-home (OOH) remains an effective medium to attract and retain consumer attention. This is demonstrated in Kantar’s 2023 Media Reactions study, which found that in-person media channels were preferred by consumers, with OOH and digital OOH (DOOH) ranking among the top five favoured channels.

Looking at Group M’s This Year Next Year: 2023 Ireland End-of-Year Forecast, the preference for OOH is particularly noticeable in Irelan, with the medium seeing an average growth rate of 16.65% over the last four years. This growth can be primarily attributed to the introduction of new technology in DOOH, which has provided advertisers with new creative possibilities and added flexibility on how OOH is bought by advertisers and delivered to audiences.

In fact, when looking at the share of static and digital OOH spending in the region, static consistently outpaced digital up until 2023, when shares for both mediums were split evenly. As of 2024, DOOH spend in Ireland exceeded traditional and will continue to do so in the next four years. As DOOH’s presence continues to grow in the region, Irish media owners have an opportunity to enhance their DOOH presence and capabilities.

One Irish media owner who’s already benefiting from the added value of DOOH is Orb. Running a fully digital network of 100 screens, Orb has become a preferred network for both global and local brands due to its flexible buying options and accurate ad delivery rates – made possible by the Broadsign Platform.

Why Orb’s network speaks to advertisers

There is no shortage of demand for Orb’s screens. Its premium locations, creative campaign capabilities and comprehensive campaign reports are why advertisers choose Orb’s network. Orb’s carefully curated selection of screens can be found in bars, restaurants, premium shops and shopping malls found in busy city centres and suburban spots.

Orb’s network attracts both large and local brands from a wide range of verticals. In the entertainment vertical, you’ll often see ads from Disney, Universal, Paramount and Warner Brothers. Well-known car brands, like Toyota and Kia, as well as alcohol brands under the parent companies of Diageo and IDL Irish Distillers, are also frequent advertisers.

Moreover, in a market where static OOH still has a large presence, Orb is providing advertisers with new dynamic creative optimization (DCO) opportunities made possible by DOOH. For instance, displaying a countdown clock on sports ads for upcoming football or rugby matches or dynamically triggering content based on the location and audience demographics to deliver ads at the right time to the right audience.

Last but not least, advertisers appreciate Orb’s comprehensive reporting. By pulling data from a third-party technology provider for footfall and audience data and Broadsign’s Proof-of-Performance (PoP) report, advertisers are given a comprehensive overview of campaign performance and effectiveness.

How the Broadsign Platform powers Orb’s flexibility

Prior to Broadsign, Orb had tested other platforms to run their network on, but none of them provided Orb with the flexibility they wanted when it came to how inventory was sold and how campaigns were delivered. After careful evaluation, Orb adopted the Broadsign Platform as it not only provided them with new ways of selling, but also dynamic creative capabilities, and comprehensive network monitoring and management.

Flexible buying options that meet diverse needs and maximize ad delivery

While DOOH continues to gain popularity in the region, perspectives in the Irish market vary on the preferred level of flexibility from the medium. Some media owners want to maintain controlled delivery through fixed, frequency campaigns, while others are open to experimenting with flexible, goal-based campaigns. It was essential for Orb to have a solution that allowed them to address the needs of both.

“Our market is divided into two schools of thought; clients who want to keep frequency-based campaigns and another group who have fully embraced flexible campaigns”, says Agnieszka Mendrychowska, Chief Operating Officer at Orb. “The way that the Broadsign Platform is designed allows us to cater to the entire market, as we can select the amount of flexibility we want for each campaign.”

With the Broadsign Platform, Orb has access to frequency-based, goal-based, and data-triggered campaigns. One way Orb is introducing flexible selling to more traditional clients is through play goal campaigns. This allows the client to define how many times they want the ad to play within a given time frame, and Broadsign ensures that the goal is not only met but optimally distributed across all selected screens throughout the campaign’s duration.

Moreover, flexible campaigns benefit from dynamic rebalancing, which leverages Broadsign’s optimization engine to modify the pace at which a campaign is delivered to ensure that campaign objectives are always met. Through Broadsign’s PoP reports, Orb has shown ad delivery rates of up to 99% on flexible campaigns and 95% on frequency campaigns. Having access to this data has not only allowed Orb to reassure its traditional buyers of the effectiveness of flexible campaigns but also helped them attract new customers.

“We’ve been told by clients that what makes our network stand out from others is its reliability when it comes to ad delivery, and that’s thanks to Broadsign.”
Agnieszka Mendrychowska, Chief Operating Officer at Orb

Network and campaign management; the way they want it

Additional benefits Orb has seen with the Broadsign Platform include full visibility into network health and inventory availability. With live digital screen management, Orb can check the status of their network every day, allowing them to resolve issues as quickly as they arise. Moreover, when a more complex issue comes up, they appreciate the support provided by Broadsign’s service team as well as the extensive training guides made available to them online.

Full transparency into their inventory availability has simplified their campaign proposal and booking process. When building proposals, Orb leverages the filter and criteria search function to easily find screens that best meet advertisers’ campaign objectives. When booking flexible campaigns, like play goal ones, Orb can see the estimated number of plays they can reach depending on the screens they’ve selected, allowing them to adjust as needed and provide an accurate proposal.

Finally, the ability to manage and separate content as they need is another advantage

of the Broadsign Platform. For instance, being able to define a percentage split of how content should be rotated within a single campaign. More importantly, leveraging Broadsign’s competitive separation feature allows them to run ads from competing brands on their network, as well as ensure that certain ads don’t play in specific locations. For example, not allowing alcohol ads to be shown on screens that are closer than 200m from a school playground.

Orb’s adoption of the Broadsign Platform has empowered them to meet the diverse needs of their market with flexibility and precision. By offering advertisers dynamic creative options, flexible buying options, and reliable ad delivery, Orb has solidified its reputation as a dependable media owner for the Irish market. Orb’s ability to quickly adapt and deliver tailored solutions through Broadsign ensures they remain well-positioned as DOOH continues to grow in popularity.

What’s next for Orb

Looking into the future, Orb plans to expand its network within Ireland – in cities like Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway – and Northern Ireland. The media owner is also looking to strengthen its programmatic DOOH offering, as the targeting and measurement capabilities made through that medium will unlock a new level of flexibility in how Orb sells its inventory.

Product News | October 11, 2021

How to measure ROI in OOH advertising: Methods and strategies for accurate attribution

Out-of-home (OOH) advertising has traditionally been considered challenging to measure, but that perception is shifting. Thanks to advancements in analytics and cross-channel tracking, OOH is now demonstrating its strength as a powerful driver of return on investment (ROI).

According to a recent study by Analytics Partners, reallocating even a small portion of your marketing budget to OOH can lead to impressive results. For example, increasing your OOH spend has been shown to boost ROI by up to 27% — especially when combined with other channels like digital and TV.

Ready to harness OOH’s full potential? Let’s explore the strategies and tools that make it easier than ever to measure its true impact and drive tangible results.

The attribution challenge: Why it’s crucial to prove OOH’s ROI

(D)OOH attribution links your out-of-home advertising efforts to measurable outcomes, like store visits, online purchases, or app downloads. It helps advertisers understand how OOH ads impact the customer journey and how they contribute to broader marketing goals.

Today, proving ROI is more important than ever. Recent research shows that 88% of marketing leaders are now responsible for revenue goals, so there’s growing pressure to justify their team’s ad spend with clear, actionable data tied directly to measurable business outcomes. Yet, only 25% of leaders report high visibility into ROI across channels.

Advancements in technology have transformed OOH into a measurable, performance-driven channel capable of delivering actionable insights and proving its impact on modern marketing strategies. The rise of digital OOH (DOOH) and programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) is also helping solve traditional measurement challenges, offering access to tools like geofencing, dynamic audience impression tracking, and real-time analytics.

How to accurately attribute results to OOH campaigns: 4 tried-and-true methods

Tracking the impact of your campaigns doesn’t have to be complicated. By using proven methods like brand lift studies, foot traffic attribution, and interactive elements, you can directly connect ad exposure to measurable outcomes. These strategies help you maximize the value of every campaign and confidently demonstrate ROI.

Collecting brand lift insights through surveys and direct feedback

Brand Lift Studies provide tangible evidence of how OOH influences brand perception and consumer behaviour, uncovering data on ad recall, brand awareness, purchase intent, and more. Insights from these studies can guide targeting strategies, creative design, and placement decisions for future campaign efforts.

Measurement partners play a critical role in this process. They identify survey zones based on the geo-locations of digital OOH screens and use GDPR-compliant methods to gather responses through in-app and mobile ads targeting consumers in these areas. The uplift is measured by comparing survey results from two groups: those who recall seeing the ad (exposed group) and those who don’t (control group). Both groups are matched for demographics like age and gender, ensuring accurate, actionable results. Using targeted surveys as part of a brand lift study gives you a clear picture of how your OOH campaigns resonate with audiences and drive results.

Combining OOH attribution with sales data

One of the most direct ways to measure the success of OOH campaigns is by connecting ad exposure to sales outcomes. Integrating sales data — whether from in-store purchases or online transactions — can help you understand how OOH influences customer buying decisions and contributes to your bottom line.

Similarly, pairing OOH exposure data with e-commerce analytics can reveal spikes in online sales or conversions from specific geographic regions targeted by your campaign. This connection is especially valuable for measuring the effectiveness of location-based ads, like billboards near stores or transit ads in high-traffic areas. Integrating OOH attribution with sales data gives you a complete view of your campaign’s performance, helping you allocate budgets more effectively and focus on strategies that drive the greatest return.

Using geofencing and mobile data for foot traffic attribution

Geofencing has revolutionized how advertisers measure the impact of OOH campaigns on foot traffic, making it simple to track real-world results. By setting up a virtual boundary around your ad placement, you can use mobile data to see how many people are exposed to your ad and visit a specific location, like a nearby store or restaurant. For example, a restaurant with a billboard near a shopping mall can measure how many mall visitors stop by after seeing the ad.

Foot traffic attribution partners specialize in helping brands leverage geofencing and mobile data to measure campaign performance. These platforms analyze mobile location data to determine how exposure to OOH ads influences visits to specific locations. They also compare visitor patterns between exposed and non-exposed audiences to provide a clear picture of ad effectiveness. With tools like these, advertisers can gain actionable insights into customer behaviour, ensuring every OOH dollar is well spent.

Embracing marketing mix modelling (MMM) for cross-channel campaigns

When it comes to measuring the true impact of a brand’s outdoor advertising placements across various marketing channels, marketing mix modelling (MMM) is your secret weapon. MMM looks at the bigger picture, analyzing how different marketing channels — both online and offline — work together to drive results. For (D)OOH campaigns, it offers a way to capture the full value of your ads, even when there’s no direct click or digital trail to follow.

This is important because, while effective on its own, OOH has also been shown to supercharge the reach of your other advertising channels, with one study finding that OOH amplifies all major media by more than 90%. For example, a well-placed digital billboard might boost the performance of your paid search campaigns by increasing brand recall, which MMM can measure alongside your total marketing mix. MMM quantifies these synergies, helping you understand how OOH fits into your broader marketing mix and optimize your investments accordingly.

READ ALSO: Check out our Q&A with subject matter expert Ryan Pogy to find answers to some of the most common questions about measuring DOOH effectiveness

Leveraging technology to optimize (D)OOH ROI

By leveraging new tools that provide real-time data and integrating OOH campaigns with digital platforms, marketers can gain deeper insights and drive greater returns on investment. Here’s how these technological advancements are shaping the future of OOH advertising:

Real-time impression tracking

For digital and programmatic OOH campaigns, tools like the impression multiplier — a dynamic, DOOH-specific multiplication index that’s applied to each play on every individual screen — give advertisers a more accurate idea of how many impressions are delivered in a single ad play.

Depending on the network, the impression multiplier for a given DOOH screen is calculated by analyzing factors like:

Screen size and visibility: Larger, more prominent screens are likely to capture more attention and generate higher impressions.
Location and foot traffic: The number of people passing by the screen in a given timeframe, such as in busy urban areas or transit hubs.
Viewing angles: How easily the screen can be seen from different positions and distances.
Dwell time: The amount of time individuals spend within viewing range of the screen, such as in waiting areas or checkout lines.
Content duration and frequency: The length and repetition of ads, which influence the likelihood of being seen.
Time of day: Variations in audience size and engagement during different hours, such as rush hours or peak shopping times.
Environmental conditions: External factors like lighting or weather that may impact screen visibility and audience behavior.

This data provides accurate audience exposure metrics, giving you a reliable way to measure reach, which remains a cornerstone of OOH advertising’s effectiveness. Real-time data also allows you to adjust your campaigns on the fly, maximizing impact.

Interactivity and real-time environmental triggers

Interactive elements in DOOH campaigns go beyond capturing attention — they invite participation and create measurable links between ad exposure and consumer action. Incorporating dynamic QR codes, touchscreens, augmented reality (AR), or social media prompts into your DOOH creative make it easy to track engagement, from website visits and conversions to social shares and app interactions.

Pair these interactive tools with dynamic DOOH content that adapts to real-time factors like time of day, weather, or location, and advertisers can deliver highly relevant messages that resonate with their audience.

Want to see more (D)OOH attribution in action?

Explore our collection of case studies and industry-specific strategy guides to discover how top brands are using advanced attribution methods to maximize the impact of their (D)OOH campaigns.