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?
pDOOH vs DOOH: Why programmatic digital out-of-home is even better
Examples of pDOOH in action
Measuring the effectiveness of programmatic DOOH campaigns
Educational resources for programmatic DOOH

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

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.