Product News | October 11, 2021

Digital out-of-home strategies for travel and tourism marketing

Travel demand continues to grow, with air passenger volumes and hotel revenue per available room now exceeding 2019 levels. Despite broader economic uncertainty, spending on travel is projected to rise by 7% annually over the next decade, and 76% of travellers say they plan to spend the same or more on trips in 2025.

To seize the moment, travel and tourism brands need to get creative in how they connect with today’s travellers. Personalization and customized experiences are key, and that’s where digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising truly shines.

Why travel and tourism marketers are investing in digital OOH

In an era where digital fatigue and ad blindness plague many channels, DOOH offers unique advantages for travel campaigns:

Content that can’t be skipped: Unlike digital ads that can be easily bypassed, the medium commands attention in the physical world
Cost-effective reach: With CPMs ranging from $2-$9 USD, OOH delivers mass reach at a fraction of digital costs (Solomon Partners and WOO)
Action-oriented: 76% of consumers took action after seeing a DOOH ad

As travel surges, DOOH advertising has emerged as one of the most effective ways to reach travellers at the right moment. This isn’t just theory—Broadsign data reveals travel’s share of DOOH ad spend has increased dramatically from 3.8% in 2023 to 5.7% in 2024, reaching 8% in early 2025, making it the top-performing OOH vertical this year.

Major brands recognize this value—Hotels.com, Expedia, and VRBO ranked among the top OOH advertisers in 2024, leveraging the channel to capture attention as travel demand surged.

Boost impact with strategic ad placement

The most effective DOOH strategy begins with understanding the traveller’s physical journey and identifying high-value touchpoints:

1. Tap into captive audiences at travel hubs

Airports and travel terminals offer the perfect advertising environment:

Extended dwell time: Travellers have limited distractions and higher attention spans
Premium demographics: Airport audiences contain significantly higher proportions of high-earners
Purchase mindset: Travellers are actively making decisions about their experiences
Brand elevation: 63% of consumers associate airport ads with high-quality brands
Action-oriented: 77% of viewers take action after exposure to airport advertising

Pro tip: Maximize exposure by placing your ads in high-traffic areas within terminals where travellers naturally look for information—near gates, security checkpoints, and baggage claim areas.

2. Capture audience attention along the open road

Airport ads aren’t the only way to capture attention. With domestic travel on the rise, 2025 is shaping up to be the year of the road trip. The U.S. Travel Association is projecting a 3.9% growth in domestic leisure travel for 2025, which equates to over $1 trillion in spending.

Memorial Day travel, for example, is expected to reach a 20-year high, with 45.1 million Americans planning to travel at least 50 miles from home—87% of them by car.

With so many travellers hitting the road, it’s a prime opportunity to use OOH to get their attention and prompt them to take action. According to the OAAA, 51% of people who saw directional digital OOH (DOOH) ads later visited the business, and 93% of them made a purchase.

Here’s how you can make the most of their journey:

Billboards along key routes: Target major highways leading to popular destinations
Rest stops: Even the toughest road warriors need to recharge and refuel. Service stations and rest stops are the perfect opportunity to make your mark

Pro tip: Map your OOH placements to match travel patterns during peak seasons, focusing on routes with the highest tourism traffic. Consider high-traffic intersections where pedestrians are likely to be crossing and cars are forced to come to a stop.

Air Transat advertises on a roadside billboard via Pattison.

3. Engage travellers at holiday hotspots

Once travellers arrive, strategically placed OOH ads continue to inform their experience:

Tourist attractions: Promote complementary experiences near major sites
Hotel lobbies and elevators: Guide guests toward local experiences
Shopping areas: Influence purchase decisions at retail locations

Segment by travel persona

To maximize impact, travel and tourism campaigns should align messaging and placements with the needs of specific audience segments. Here are a few high-value traveller profiles and where DOOH can most effectively reach them.

Business travellers and frequent flyers

Demographic profile: Predominantly 25-54 years old with average household income of $75k+
Behavioural insight: Often dining out with clients and partners, often on the road
DOOH placement: Airports, office buildings, transit hubs, lounges
Message focus: Convenience, airline and loyalty rewards, productivity amenities

British Airways targets business professionals with its “out of office” campaign (via Famous Campaigns).

Family vacationers

Demographic profile: Diverse age range with household incomes typically $60k+
Behavioural insight: Working professionals seeking escape from routine
DOOH placement: Malls, entertainment complexes, quick-service restaurants
Message focus: Value, experiences for all ages, convenience

Leisure travellers

Demographic profile: Predominantly 25-54 years old, varied income levels
Behavioural insight: Cost-conscious and experience-focused
DOOH placement: Gyms, universities, casual dining, bars
Message focus: Unique experiences, authenticity, memory-making

WeRoad travel brand promotes its once-in-a-lifetime adventures across Manchester (via Marketing Report).

Drive contextual relevance

Timing and relevance are critical in travel advertising, and DOOH offers powerful tools for both. Strategic timing is one of the most underleveraged aspects of travel campaigns, even though planning behaviours follow predictable patterns:

Early planning phase: Many consumers begin researching destinations 2–3 months in advance
Booking windows: Peak booking periods often align with post-holiday seasons and tax refund cycles
Seasonal inflection points: School breaks, long weekends, and major events create natural surges in travel interest

At the same time, the shift to digital out-of-home (DOOH) and programmatic buying has opened the door to smarter, more responsive targeting strategies:

Real-time targeting: Adapt messaging based on factors like weather, flight delays, and local events
Dynamic content: Swap creative assets by time of day, audience composition, or commute patterns
Location-specific messaging: Deliver tailored creative across airports, transit hubs, and destination points

Together, these capabilities help brands engage travellers at precisely the right moment, with messages that match their intent, environment, and journey stage.

Aruba Tourism Authority runs dynamic DOOH ads on Intersection screens to remind audiences that sunny skies are just a flight away.

Understand the ROI of digital OOH campaigns

With DOOH advertising, travel marketers can move beyond standard metrics to track key actions like flight bookings, hotel reservations, and app downloads, offering a clearer view of how OOH influences the travel journey from planning to purchase. Attribution helps connect these insights to broader media performance, revealing how OOH works with other channels to drive conversions, foot traffic, and brand impact.

Modern OOH in the travel sector comes equipped with powerful tools, like:

Mobile location data: Track how travellers engage with OOH ads and follow their movements to your destination or website.
Sales lift studies: Measure the increase in revenue driven by targeted OOH campaigns.
Brand lift studies: Gauge the impact of OOH ads on travellers’ decision-making process and recall of your travel brand or destination.

For example, a hotel chain aiming to drive bookings during peak travel season might set KPIs such as increased website traffic and higher booking conversion rates and implement attribution methods like foot traffic analysis and web/app lift to measure the impact of the OOH campaign.

By connecting with travellers at the right moment with the right message, advertisers can transform OOH from a simple awareness channel into a powerful driver of consideration and conversion.

Ready to maximize your digital out-of-home investment? Explore curated audiences in our Travel & Tourism package here!

Product News | October 11, 2021

Cotswold Outdoor Group Expands Retail Media Strategy to In-Store with Broadsign and IUF

Exterior view of a Cotswold Outdoor store in a shopping centre, featuring a large digital display in the storefront showing an outdoor campaign.

Collaboration delivers scalable display network infrastructure, creating new omnichannel opportunities for advertisers and driving measurable results

MONTREAL – (October 6, 2026) – Retail media technology provider Broadsign and in-store media integrator IUF announced a collaboration with UK retailer, Cotswold Outdoor Group, to expand its retail media network (RMN) with a new scalable in-store advertising infrastructure. The upgrade provides a unified workflow that streamlines media planning, management, and measurement in-store and across onsite and offsite channels. It enables Cotswold’s brand partners to seamlessly execute omnichannel ad campaigns that engage shoppers at the point of purchase and beyond.

Broadsign, Cotswold Outdoor Group, and IUF designed the network with long-term growth in mind. It presently includes 149 till, shelf, totem, large format, and front-of-store displays across 23 stores, which are powered by the Broadsign Platform (specifically the Broadsign CMS and Ad Server) and support a range of media.

The Broadsign Platform is helping to streamline operations and centralize content management and network health monitoring. The technology is also advancing screen monetization opportunities by scheduling ads, automating yield, and balancing complex campaign rules to help Cotswold Outdoor Group capture optimal revenue. With IUF’s ongoing deployment and support, the infrastructure allows the retailer to manage and scale in-store media operations efficiently while maintaining a reliable shopper and advertiser experience.

Through Broadsign’s omnichannel integration with Zitcha, Cotswold Outdoor Group’s retail media platform, brand partners, and agencies can easily extend omnichannel strategies into the physical store environment. The network is already delivering measurable results for participating brands, like HOKA, ASICS, and Nike. Most recently, a targeted HOKA campaign combining onsite and in-store media placements delivered a 13 percent lift in units sold per store, demonstrating the value of reaching shoppers at multiple touchpoints on the path to purchase.

In-store shoe display featuring running footwear from HOKA, ASICS, New Balance and other brands, with a digital screen showing a HOKA advertising campaign.

“At Cotswold Outdoor Group, we’re passionate about helping people get closer to the outdoors — and that starts with creating inspiring moments. Our brand partners are a big part of that journey, and this collaboration with Broadsign and IUF offers a powerful new way to connect with our customers in-store, alongside our onsite and offsite media channels,” explained Mary Antieul, Head of Commercial, Cotswold Outdoor Group. “It means we can bring the right messages to shoppers at the right moment, with less friction for brands and a more connected experience for customers. The early results have been really encouraging, and we’re excited to build on that momentum as we expand the network and explore future programmatic opportunities.”

“Retail media is evolving fast, and partnering with IUF, we’ve delivered an in-store media infrastructure for Cotswold that can scale rapidly. Together, we’ve designed a network that makes it easy for its team to add, manage, control, and monetize new screens and integrate programmatic trading capabilities down the line,” explained Frank Vallenga, Vice President, Platform Sales, EMEA and SEA, Broadsign. “By leveraging our integration with Zitcha, Cotswold has been able to connect audiences across their various retail media channels, which is a challenge many retailers have yet to solve.”

“This project went from tender to a live network generating revenue within twelve weeks which demonstrates the expertise of all of the technical partners involved,” said Josh Bunce, CEO, IUF. “Together we were able to deliver a cohesive customer journey so that Cotswold Outdoor Group can maximize its in-store retail proposition today but also ensure that it can scale easily into the future. The in-store channel is proving to be a competitive differentiator when advertisers start mapping out budgets with brands already seeing impressive results from the in-store activations.”

About Broadsign

Broadsign develops the leading global platform for managing and monetizing out-of-home (OOH) media. The company, which also operates Place Exchange by Broadsign, the largest independent SSP for Digital OOH, empowers media owners, media buyers, and retailers to harness the power and reach of out-of-home to connect with audiences in ways unlike any other advertising channel. More than 2.8 million static and digital signs along roadways and in airports, shopping malls, grocery and convenience stores, health clinics, transit systems, and more run on Broadsign.

About IUF

Making spaces perform, IUF is a leading technology solutions partner that delivers seamless, future-ready digital solutions across retail, stadiums, transport, DOOH, live events, attractions, workplaces and more. IUF designs, delivers and manages end-to-end digital signage, experiential and large-scale LED, transforming physical environments into intelligent, revenue-driving destinations. Founded in 2008 in Bristol UK, IUF is now active in over 30 countries.

Product News | October 11, 2021

A conversation with JB Hi-Fi: Why the future of in-store retail media is hyperphysical

Panel discussion at Mumbrella REmade 2026, with five speakers seated on stage in front of a blue REmade backdrop.

In-store retail media is moving beyond screens.

At Mumbrella’s REmade event in Australia this month, Broadsign joined JB Hi-Fi, a leading Australian consumer electronics retailer, Retail Media Works, a retail media consultancy, and Criteo, a global commerce media company, on stage to unpack what it takes to build a retail media network that connects the physical store with the wider shopper journey.

With more than 200 stores forming its retail media network, JB Hi-Fi is taking a distinctly “hyperphysical” approach, exploring how its stores can create value for shoppers, suppliers and advertisers while staying true to the experience that makes the retailer unique.

The conversation offered a look at where in-store retail media is heading, and more importantly, what retailers need to consider as they build and grow their networks.

Start with the shopper

For JB Hi-Fi, retail media starts with the store itself. Scott Browning, General Manager, Strategy & Insights at JB Hi-Fi, spoke about the role the physical store has always played in the brand and the importance of keeping the customer experience at the centre of its retail media strategy.

“The store has always been the face of the brand. The website is actually the hidden face of the brand because you actually don’t see it in the real world until you arrive.”

That perspective is central to how JB Hi-Fi approaches retail media. The opportunity isn’t simply to add advertising to an existing retail environment. It is to understand how media can work within that environment in a way that feels natural to the shopper and stays true to the brand.

As Scott put it: “The way in which we position our brand, the way in which JB Hi-Fi is famous for what it does, we have to make sure that authenticity still comes through.”

That means thinking about the store as more than a collection of screens. It is a physical environment with its own customer journey, context and moments where media can add value. For JB Hi-Fi, retail media needs to build on that experience, not compete with it.

The screen is only the starting point

One of the key themes from the discussion was that creating an in-store media network requires more than installing digital screens. As Ben Allman, VP Platform Sales at Broadsign, explained, the physical screen itself doesn’t necessarily need to change. What changes is what happens behind it.

For a retailer operating hundreds of stores, that means having the infrastructure to manage inventory, campaigns, priorities and reporting across the network, while also being able to tailor content and campaigns to different locations and audiences. All while supporting the day-to-day needs of the retail business.

For JB Hi-Fi, the Broadsign Platform provides the technology to manage its in-store media environment across more than 200 stores. This allows the retailer to build on its existing digital footprint and bring those screens into a broader retail media network, rather than treating retail media as a completely separate business.

Measurement is key to making in-store a media channel

Another major theme of the conversation was measurement. As in-store media continues to grow, retailers need to give advertisers greater visibility into what they’re buying and how their campaigns deliver. That means bringing more accountability and measurability that advertisers expect from other media channels into the physical store.

The panel discussed the opportunity to make the store increasingly behave like a digital environment from a measurement perspective, while recognizing that measuring physical environments comes with its own considerations.

For JB Hi-Fi, this is part of building a network that can offer meaningful value to suppliers and advertisers while creating a better understanding of how media performs within the shopping environment.

Retail media goes beyond digital screens

The conversation also expanded beyond digital signage. Static placements, physical store assets, sponsored search, online channels and off-site media can all play a role in the broader retail media ecosystem.

That creates an important opportunity for retailers: rather than defining their media network around a particular format, they can think about how different touchpoints work together across the shopper journey.

For JB Hi-Fi, its physical footprint is a significant part of that opportunity. The store can work alongside digital channels to create a more connected experience for shoppers and more opportunities for brands to engage them.

Build, test and learn

Perhaps one of the most practical takeaways from the discussion was that retail media networks don’t need to be built perfectly from day one.

The panel spoke about the importance of testing, learning what works in the physical environment and evolving the offering based on shopper and advertiser needs. That mindset is particularly important as retailers continue to establish what in-store retail media looks like within their own businesses. Every store environment is different, and the most effective approach needs to reflect the retailer, its shoppers and its commercial model.

JB Hi-Fi’s approach is a strong example of this in action: taking an established physical network and building the media capabilities around it, while continuing to learn and evolve.

Looking ahead to the next phase of in-store retail media

The conversation at REmade made one thing clear: the future of retail media isn’t about choosing between physical and digital. It’s about connecting the two.

JB Hi-Fi is showing what that can look like in practice by bringing its physical stores into a broader retail media strategy, while keeping the shopper experience at the centre.

For Broadsign, we’re proud to support that journey by providing the technology infrastructure behind JB Hi-Fi’s in-store network and helping bring its vision for retail media to life across its stores.

Interested in turning your in-store environment into a measurable media channel? Connect with our team to see how Broadsign helps retailers grow their in-store media networks while keeping the shopper experience front and centre.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Context Networks Selects Broadsign to Scale Contextual Advertising Across Display Networks

A person plays a slot machine in a casino, with a digital ad displayed on the machine’s lower screen.

Broadsign Platform to unlock programmatic demand and scalable OOH operations across Context Networks inventory, with gaming environments a launch focus ahead of G2E

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – September 24, 2026 – Context Networks, a contextual advertising and monetization platform for gaming and network digital display environments, today announced a collaboration with Broadsign, the leading global platform for managing and monetizing out-of-home (OOH) media, to support the next phase of growth of Context Networks’ Contextual Promotions Media Network™ (CPMN™). As a result, Context Networks now has a unified foundation for managing, delivering and monetizing screen-based media as the company expands across gaming and other controlled display environments.

Through the collaboration, Context Networks is connecting eligible CPMN™ inventory to the Broadsign Platform, the company’s complete, reliable Ad Server and Content Management System (CMS). This will enable Context Networks to manage business-critical content and advertising across its network of displays as well as the Place Exchange supply-side platform (SSP), Broadsign’s programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH) SSP.

Context Networks brings contextual intelligence, a monetization model designed for controlled screen environments, specialized integrations, and operator and reseller relationships that can help extend Broadsign technology into non-traditional screen environments as the network grows. It introduces a differentiated source of digital inventory and vertical expertise for Broadsign in environments where customer attention, dwell time and operator-controlled screens create a distinctive media opportunity. Broadsign delivers enterprise network management, campaign automation, reporting and established programmatic demand connectivity.

While gaming is Context Networks’ immediate launch focus ahead of Global Gaming Expo (G2E), taking place September 28 through October 1 at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, the collaboration is designed to support its broader display network strategy. Context Networks’ business model extends beyond casino floors to operator-controlled environments that include distributed gaming, ATMs, kiosks, gift-card kiosk networks, digital faucets, hotel concierge apps and other connected screens.

The company’s current footprint spans 14 states and 23 designated market areas, with advertising and operator-owned content already running in distributed gaming environments. Broadsign provides Context Networks with a more scalable way to onboard additional screen networks and reseller partners while maintaining consistent campaign logic, delivery and reporting.

“Broadsign gives us a proven infrastructure to scale our model without losing what makes it valuable: contextual relevance, operator control and measurable monetization,” said Matthew Olden, Founder, COO & Executive Chair of Context Networks. “Gaming is an important launch market for this work, but the underlying opportunity is broader. Across network digital display environments, operators already control valuable screens and audience relationships. Our job is to help turn those assets into new commercial value while giving advertisers a better way to reach qualified audiences in the moments and environments that matter.”

For operators and media owners, the combined model creates a path to turn existing digital displays into measurable new revenue without requiring them to build a separate advertising technology business. Operators retain governance over eligible inventory, campaign rules, house content and the customer experience, while CPMN™ creates a new commercial layer around screens and systems they already own or manage.

Brands and agencies can now access differentiated inventory in high-attention environments that traditional media plans might miss. Contextual signals can help align advertising with place, activity, timing and audience value, while the Broadsign Platform makes eligible inventory easier to access through familiar OOH and programmatic workflows. As a result, advertisers get a stronger contextual fit, more relevant delivery and clearer performance feedback.

“Context Networks is opening a compelling category of inventory that fits naturally with the continued evolution of out-of-home,” said Robert Loftus, VP of Platform Sales at Broadsign. “By connecting Context Networks’ operator relationships and specialized integrations with the Broadsign Platform and Place Exchange SSP, we can help make these screens easier for buyers to access while giving operators the control, transparency and flexibility they need to participate with confidence.”

Operator control is particularly important in gaming environments, where security, regulatory oversight, and operational continuity are central considerations. Rather than asking operators to introduce an isolated advertising stack, the Context Networks model uses established digital signage and programmatic infrastructure while preserving operator control over what appears on each participating screen. Existing promotions and operational content can continue to run alongside paid advertising based on rules set by the operator.

During G2E, Context Networks will demonstrate how the combined technology stack can connect gaming and other operator-controlled digital screens to the broader advertising ecosystem, while meeting with operators, integrators, resellers, advertisers and agencies about opportunities to activate new screen inventory.

About Broadsign

Broadsign develops the leading global platform for managing and monetizing out-of-home (OOH) media. The company, which also operates Place Exchange by Broadsign, the largest independent SSP for Digital OOH, empowers media owners, media buyers, and retailers to harness the power and reach of out-of-home to connect with audiences in ways unlike any other advertising channel. More than 3 million static and digital signs along roadways and in airports, shopping malls, grocery and convenience stores, health clinics, transit systems, and more run on Broadsign. For more information, visit https://broadsign.com.

About Context Networks

Context Networks is a contextual advertising and monetization platform for gaming and network digital display environments, helping brands deliver more relevant, personalized messages in high-attention moments enabling operators to turn existing screens into measurable new revenue. By combining contextual intelligence, secure marketplace infrastructure, real-time buying, and operator-controlled delivery, Context makes emerging screen inventory easier to access, buy, measure, monetize, and scale. The result is a marketplace that helps advertisers improve campaign relevance and performance while helping operators create new commercial value without compromising the player or customer experience. For more information, visit https://www.contextnetworks.net.