Month: June 2024

Product News | October 11, 2021

What is programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH)?

If your agency or brand uses online advertising, you may already know the basics of programmatic ad buying or have even set up a campaign using a demand-side platform (DSP). But even if the technology is similar, a few features of programmatic DOOH are unique compared to other digital formats, and there are certain factors to consider when integrating pDOOH in your omnichannel strategy – especially if the outdoor space is totally unfamiliar to you.

But what is pDOOH, exactly? Programmatic digital out-of-home, also known as programmatic DOOH or pDOOH, refers to the automated buying, selling, and delivery of out-of-home (OOH) advertising – that’s ads on digital billboards and signage.

Sounds simple? In a way, it is. With programmatic DOOH, computers are automating the sale and delivery of ad content in a similar way to what you see with most online advertising. Buyers will set conditions under which they want to buy media; when those conditions are met, ads are automatically purchased.

However, since programmatic DOOH ads appear out in the world and not on personal devices, your approach to building a programmatic DOOH campaign will likely differ from what you’re used to online.

Here’s a closer look at what programmatic DOOH is and how to use it to its full potential.

Jump ahead to:

What is digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising? A quick refresher on why DOOH is great in general

Marketers are increasingly seeing the value of DOOH, and it’s reflected in the continued growth of out-of-home advertising. In fact, one-third of all OOH ad spend in 2023 was directed to DOOH — and it’s projected to grow another 10% by the end of 2024. 

So, what is DOOH media? There’s a lot to love, but here are a few standout details.

  • DOOH ads can offer unmatched size: Big digital screens offer a lot of room to execute visually stunning ideas (see our favourite OOH and billboard ads) in a way you can’t match on personal devices. Even smaller DOOH displays, like digital signage, totems, and displays on bus stops, are going to offer a larger canvas with great visual potential. 
  • DOOH is unskippable and ad-block-proof: If people are around a digital display, they’re going to see it. There are no ad-blockers, no below-the-fold positions, and no issue of users switching over to a different app or tab. That’s partly why nine in ten U.S. adults (88%) notice OOH ads, and nearly 80% have engaged with an OOH ad in the past 60 days.
  • (D)OOH supercharges your other channels: Yes, digital out-of-home and traditional OOH advertising are impactful on their own, but they shine when you pair them with other advertising channels. Research from MRI-Simmons and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America found that using OOH alongside other channels can boost reach by as much as 100%.
  • DOOH drives real-world action: A new Harris Poll study reveals that DOOH is the preferred and most motivating medium compared to other forms of advertising. Notably, 76% of recent DOOH ad viewers reported taking action in response to an ad, highlighting its effectiveness in driving consumer behaviour.

pDOOH vs DOOH: Why programmatic digital out-of-home is even better

So take everything great about DOOH and layer extra data, better targeting, and easy access. That’s what you’re looking at with programmatic DOOH. Let’s dig into that in a little more detail.

Programmatic DOOH is DOOH improved by data

  • Programmatic DOOH uses data analytics to provide detailed insights into campaign performance, including audience engagement and effectiveness. 
  • Traditional DOOH campaigns typically rely on less granular data, such as general traffic patterns and location demographics, limiting the ability to tailor and optimize campaigns effectively.

While traditional DOOH relies on more general metrics and lacks the granular data needed for in-depth analysis, programmatic DOOH uses data analytics to provide detailed insights into campaign performance, including audience engagement and effectiveness. This helps advertisers optimize their strategies and improve ROI.

The key to understanding programmatic DOOH is this: programmatic transactions allow you to set specific conditions based on external data that will trigger a DOOH ad slot purchase. The fun thing is that there are virtually no limits to the kinds of data that can be used to trigger content.

There are simple options, like having different creatives delivered based on the time of day. There are also slightly more advanced options, like the weather, daily market performance, or the ongoing results of a sporting event. You can even use live audience information to trigger content that is ideal for the majority of people at a location at any given time.

And, of course, you can use multiple triggers based on multiple data sources to get really granular with your targeting.

This all leads to great things. Using one or more data triggers to drive a programmatic DOOH campaign can open the door to creative and memorable campaigns. Better still, it helps ensure your audience sees your ads at the most relevant times.

Example: See how foodora used weather, time of day, and location data to drive a creative, effective, and very relevant programmatic DOOH campaign.

Programmatic DOOH is faster and more flexible

  • Programmatic DOOH allows advertisers to purchase ad space in real-time through automated bidding platforms, allowing advertisers to adjust their campaigns based on performance, availability, and changing conditions.
  • Traditional DOOH often requires pre-booking ad space, limiting flexibility and responsiveness.

Unlike classic or directly purchased DOOH, pDOOH allows advertisers to buy inventory in near real-time without needing upfront commitments or predefined schedules. This provides a high degree of flexibility and responsiveness, minimizes lead times, and makes optimizing ad placements and adjusting spending on the fly easier. 

Survey results from IAB Australia’s 2024 Attitudes to Programmatic DOOH report show that just over half (52%) of advertisers see programmatic DOOH as a significant or regularly considered part of their activity, and a further 36% have experimented with it. Flexible buying is a key factor, with 68% of agencies and 55% of brand marketers and advertisers citing programmatic flexibility as a major driver for usage. 

Strictly speaking, programmatic doesn’t enable anything that can’t be accomplished with a direct buy. The difference programmatic makes is in terms of speed and efficiency. You can deliver relevant messaging much more quickly and without making repeated direct buys.

In the foodora example above, audiences were delivered different messages at lunch and around dinnertime. They were prompted to go for a nice walk to pick up their food if it was sunny and to treat themselves to delivery when it was raining. The restaurants suggested to them differed depending on where they were located when seeing the ad. All of this was accomplished without additional input from foodora once the campaign had been set up.

Programmatic can help you accomplish similar results for whatever conditions you want to set. As soon as the time is right, you can automatically deliver the right message to the right screen to reach your audience, whoever they are.

Programmatic DOOH is easily accessible through leading DSPs

More and more DSPs are getting on board with programmatic DOOH. It’s making adding DOOH to multichannel campaigns much more straightforward, and we’re already seeing buyers use this opportunity significantly. 

Existing content can often be easily adapted to suit a digital out-of-home display. The medium’s support for dynamic DOOH and adaptive HTML5 formats, in particular, can greatly help buyers reuse existing content from an online and/or mobile campaign in a programmatic DOOH campaign.

As a bonus, programmatic allows you to buy across multiple publishers simultaneously. It’s much quicker and easier to build a programmatic campaign targeting screens across various networks than reaching out to each business individually to coordinate your buy.

As more DSPs begin to support programmatic DOOH and more buyers start incorporating the medium into their campaigns, the format will likely become an integral part of most mainstream media buys.

Measuring the effectiveness and ROI of programmatic DOOH campaigns

Many brands approach DOOH expecting a measurement standard equivalent to the online impression or gross rating point (GRP). However, DOOH media is different. It spans a variety of display types, not just browsers, TVs, or apps, which presents challenges in creating fully standardized metrics. 

Another key difference is that ads are served in a one-to-one environment when you load a web page, so ‘one ad served’ equals ‘one impression.’ By contrast, DOOH advertising is served in a one-to-many environment. A single DOOH ad has the potential to achieve hundreds of impressions. But how can we really know that? And what does a DOOH impression look like anyway? 

Fortunately, several reliable and rigorous measurement methods are available to help make a strong case for DOOH, and these have been bolstered even further in recent years through the growth of programmatic transactions in the DOOH space. 

Key performance metrics to measure the success of pDOOH

OOH is fundamentally a brand awareness medium. There’s lots of evidence that OOH campaigns can have a significant positive impact on metrics such as brand awareness and brand recall. However,  marketers likely also want to measure the impact of adding DOOH to their other channels. 

Technological advancements are now making it possible to obtain reliable, trustworthy, and privacy-compliant data to analyze campaign performance. Understanding which specific metrics you want to track and measure ahead of time will make it easier to design and evaluate the campaign’s overall success.

Some of the top measurement solutions for direct attribution include:

  • Brand lift: Often conducted via surveys broadcasted in geo-locations within a specific zone of the exposed DOOH screens, brand lift studies seek to measure a DOOH campaign’s effect on overall brand metrics like ad recall, awareness and perception, consideration, and intent.
  • Foot traffic attribution: Commonly used by brands with physical locations to measure a lift in store visits post-DOOH exposure, foot traffic studies provide insights into immediate attribution by mapping audience travel patterns before and after they pass specific screens or points of interest.
  • Mobile retargeting/mobile ID passback: Including mobile retargeting in your omnichannel strategy is one of the best ways to amplify your campaign. Data experts specializing in device ID passback capture device IDs when audiences enter defined location boundaries. This data is then analyzed and translated into qualified audience profiles, which can later be retargeted with mobile ads via your DSP. Capturing exposed device IDs can enable additional measurement of how your DOOH campaign impacted other media channels.
  • QR code attribution: QR codes on DOOH ads offer an interactive and accurate way to measure engagement by tracking the number of codes scanned and sequential offers delivered based on interactions. They also allow for A/B performance testing and help measure converted sales that can be directly attributed to each campaign. 

For more expert insights and campaign planning tips, check out our actionable guide, 6 steps for integrating DOOH in your omnichannel marketing strategy.

Examples of pDOOH in action

Looking for inspiration? Here are two programmatic digital out-of-home advertising examples that show how different agencies and brands have leveraged the medium.

Holt Renfrew: Driving in-store foot traffic & boosting intent

With Nordstrom closing its doors in Canada, Holt Renfrew, the country’s largest fashion and lifestyle retailer, wanted to capitalize on the shutdown of its competitor to regain market share in key customer demographics. More specifically, it wanted to boost consideration and drive consumers to its brick-and-mortar stores nationwide. 

The retailer did so by simultaneously launching two large-scale programmatic digital out-of-home campaigns promoting its ‘Holts <3’ sale event, partnering with Havas agency to launch the campaign via the Broadsign Ads DSP in major Canadian cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.

WATCH: See how Holt Renfrew’s large-scale programmatic campaign boosted brand KPIs

Read the full Holt Renfrew case study to learn how the luxury retailer drove 400,000 store visits and a +500% lift in purchase intent with its programmatic digital OOH campaign.

Sea-Doo: Increasing Purchase Consideration in Florida

Sea-Doo, a brand of personal watercraft and boats manufactured by Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), recently sought to strengthen brand recognition, purchase consideration, and share of voice in its primary market of Florida. 

To reach its core audience of personal watercraft, pontoon, and fishing enthusiasts, the brand turned to programmatic DOOH — its first experience with the medium. Launched in collaboration with Touché! agency and Broadsign Ads DSP, the DOOH campaign ran alongside other channels like search and social media and resulted in a +144% lift in purchase consideration. The campaign also provided a major boost in brand perception, creating a +130% lift in positive brand image

WATCH: See the behind-the-scenes of Sea-Doo’s campaign with Touché agency

Read the full Sea-Doo case study to learn how the brand’s first digital OOH campaign increased purchase consideration in key cities like Orlando, Jacksonville, and Tampa.

Educational resources for programmatic DOOH

Though programmatic DOOH has come a long way, even in the past couple of years, the industry still needs to overcome some challenges.

According to new research from JCDecaux UK, most people buying DOOH advertising programmatically (over three-quarters, or 77%, of UK pDOOH marketers) are always directly involved in planning or buying at least one other channel. That means most teams tasked with buying programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH) media today are not made up of dedicated OOH specialists but broader digital buyers who are now including DOOH in their programmatic planning mix.

While these findings indicate the increased accessibility of programmatic DOOH, they also hint at the growing need for integrated omnichannel teams to gain the OOH expertise required to incorporate pDOOH successfully and productively into their cross-channel planning.

We’ve compiled some resources to help you learn more about programmatic DOOH:

Programmatic DOOH is still relatively young, but it’s also an exciting playground for digital newcomers. Take it for a spin and see how it enhances your existing campaigns. You might be surprised by just how much it helps!

Learn how to plan, trade, and succeed in pDOOH in our specialist doohx course designed for those on the buy-side of programmatic DOOH. Upskill your knowledge or build a team ready to take advantage of the latest innovations, technologies, and opportunities pDOOH offers.

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

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.
COVERGIRL’s OOH ad showcases its retail store in the iconic Times Square.

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.
Capture commuter attention with DOOH ads at subway entrances.
DOOH ad displayed on a LinkNYC urban panel in a high-traffic area.

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:

  1. Brand Lift Studies: This study measures the impact of your campaign on brand metrics like brand image, preference and consideration. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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!