Product News | October 11, 2021

Meet Ari Buchalter, Broadsign’s new Chief Strategy Officer

As Broadsign enters its next phase of growth and transformation, we’re excited to welcome Ari Buchalter as Chief Strategy Officer. Ari joins the team at a pivotal moment, focused on aligning strategy, platform direction, and growth priorities as Broadsign and Place Exchange move forward as a more unified organization.

Ari brings a long track record of building and scaling technology at the intersection of media, data, and automation. As the founder of Place Exchange, he helped advance programmatic buying in out-of-home and has spent his career in leadership roles across out-of-home (OOH) and programmatic advertising, focused on making complex ecosystems more connected, accessible, and effective.

We sat down with Ari to talk about the year ahead, how the platform is evolving, and his perspective on bringing Broadsign and Place Exchange together under a shared vision.

As Broadsign and Place Exchange come together, how would you describe your role and main areas of focus across the combined organization?

As Chief Strategy Officer for the combined entity, I’m excited to explore the many areas where we can create and capture value from the combination of these two incredible organizations. Some of the opportunity areas I’m keen to focus on include leveraging our leading global supply footprint to unlock more demand for programmatic DOOH, accelerating growth in emerging markets, and delivering innovative offerings that complement existing buyer and seller tools with more data, analytics, and insights. Additional opportunities include:

Combining our industry-leading monetization and technology solutions to unlock more value for media owners
Expanding our PerView offering to new markets and customers
Simplifying how buyers and sellers can layer the benefits of programmatic onto direct buys
Technical innovations that open up new sources of demand for DOOH inventory

What excites you most about joining Broadsign at this moment, and how do you see our combined strengths accelerating innovation in DOOH?

This is a fascinating moment in the industry. What was once a market made up largely of independent players has shifted, with many of those companies now having been acquired by larger players. Those new partnerships have manifested different strategies and challenges: some players are now focused on building omnichannel advertising platforms, drawing their focus away from OOH. Others face the challenge of being owned and controlled by a large publisher, which can pose a potential conflict of interest in the eyes of other publishers.

The combination of Broadsign and Place Exchange creates the most comprehensive solution in the industry for managing and monetizing OOH inventory, instantly amassing the largest global aggregation of programmatic supply and demand, and bringing together the two most talented and respected teams in the industry. Those “raw ingredients” alone are extremely compelling. But unlike our competitors, we are the only company that is both focused solely on OOH and not owned or controlled by a large publisher. I think that focus, independence, and objectivity put us in a unique position to succeed if we can deliver what our clients and partners need.

What are the biggest opportunities ahead as we work toward a unified SSP for media owners and buyers?

The media landscape is not just fragmenting in terms of the number of channels; it is becoming more advanced (and complex) in terms of the technical capabilities and consumer experiences that each channel can deliver. Think of CTV, with innovations like shoppable overlays, pause ads, and product placements; or gaming with in-world ads, branded skins, and rewarded video – those are just a few examples of how individual channels are transforming. With location data, real-time dynamic creative triggers, anamorphic ads, augmented reality, and more, OOH is no different.

To me, that means the role of SSPs will need to evolve beyond a connection pathway between supply and demand, towards the development of channel-specific technology that helps media owners and buyers ideate, develop, scale, monetize, and optimize consumer experiences that deliver growth for publishers and results for advertisers. In other words, a strategic technology partner to navigate the complex new landscape that is emerging. That is the real opportunity of the “new SSP,” and our combined business puts us in a strong position to deliver against it.

As we look to unify our SSP technology, what guidance can you give customers on what to expect?

If you are already integrated with Place Exchange – on the supply side or the demand side – expect the same, but more. The same high-performing technology, but with more ideas and innovations to grow your business. The same excellent service, but with even more tools and resources to support you. The same level of premium demand and supply, but more of it.

If you are a partner of the Broadsign SSP that will be migrating to Place Exchange, expect the best of both worlds – to keep the features and benefits you have today, while opening up new opportunities for innovation and growth. We will provide a glide path for our partners to deliver a smooth and seamless transition, along with the chance to explore how we can open up your integration to even more scale.

Programmatic DOOH has undergone significant shifts over the past few years. What trends do you think will define 2026 and beyond?

There are three interesting trends that I think will shape 2026 and beyond, all of which saw seeds planted in 2025.

First, I think OOH media owners will increasingly embrace programmatic across their business. Historically (in all channels), the push for programmatic was usually led by the buy-side, given the massive buyer benefits it brings in terms of targeting, measurement, and efficiency. As traction grows, the benefits to the sell-side become more apparent: programmatic is not just a sales channel but a technology that can deliver benefits across all sales channels, including direct. In other channels, programmatic started off focused on non-guaranteed buying, but over time, the hybrid benefits of programmatic guaranteed (PG) buying became evident. In 2025, we saw forward-leaning publishers embrace buyer demand for PG with tremendous success, and I think PG / in-advance buying will cross the chasm in 2026. While it may take a few years to overtake non-guaranteed buying, I think that will happen in the not-too-distant future.

Second, I think we will see a lot more intentional demand for DOOH inventory coming from other media channels. By that, I mean CTV buyers looking to buy CTV inventory in public places (for example, during live events), retail media buyers looking to buy retail media in stores at the point of decision-making purchase, and audio buyers looking to buy broadcast audio inventory heard by many people instead of a single person on a personal device. The challenge, however, is that a “regular” programmatic DOOH integration won’t cut it; to meet the needs of these CTV or retail or audio buyers, we have to instrument the connections to DOOH inventory differently and with full transparency across the value chain. We spearheaded innovations in all of these areas in 2025, proving the revenue potential is there, and I think 2026 will begin to see these new demand sources scale.

Lastly, I think a lot of focus in 2026 will go towards understanding exactly how AI interacts with programmatic. The initial hype cycle has (naturally) focused on the many opportunities, which are likely to be fundamentally transformative for the industry. But what’s received less attention thus far are the many challenges and risks that AI-driven media buying could bring. I think 2026 will be the year where important work gets done, rolling up sleeves to build, test and learn where, when and how AI can go beyond press releases and snazzy demos and begin to come up alongside billions of dollars of ad spend to add real value to the business of advertising.

What data advancements or opportunities are you most optimistic about as we start 2026?

We’ve proven that the impact of OOH – at any stage of the funnel – can be measured like any other channel. That’s a big deal and leaps ahead of where the industry was not too long ago. The challenge is that measurement still requires separate, siloed data, systems, and processes (e.g., one-off measurement studies).

Programmatic has already unified targeting, creative, and execution of OOH with other channels – measurement is next. Imagine if you could report on the impact of an OOH campaign without having to set up and run a separate measurement study; instead, what if OOH performance just automagically showed up in the systems and methods buyers use to measure the performance of every other channel they buy? The ability to unify the data and measurement for OOH with other channels is probably the last major hurdle to OOH capturing a larger share of ad spend. I don’t think we’ll get to that endgame in 2026, but I believe we’ll make some big moves in that direction.

Stay tuned for more news and insights from Broadsign and Place Exchange on the Broadsign blog.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Cinema advertising is back. Here’s why it’s more valuable than ever

Moviegoers seated in a cinema watching a film on a large theatre screen.

If you’ve been following the box office lately, you’ve probably noticed that movie theatres are packed again. Cinema is on track for its strongest year since before the pandemic, fueled by a steady stream of blockbuster releases and renewed demand for premium movie-going experiences.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is the latest example, generating more than $264 million globally during its opening weekend. More than half of its domestic box office revenue came from premium large format theatres, while IMAX alone generated over $51 million worldwide. And The Odyssey is just one of many films driving cinema’s resurgence. This year’s strong lineup of releases, including The Mandalorian and Grogu, Toy Story 5, Project Hail Mary, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is bringing audiences back to theatres and keeping the momentum going.

The numbers reinforce the trend. Cinema attendance has reached 154 million tickets sold across the U.S. and Canada this year, up nearly 16% over 2025. Domestic box office revenue is also running 23% ahead of last year and is on pace to surpass $10 billion for the first time since 2019.

For advertisers, the resurgence represents more than a box office success story. It signals the return of a premium, high-attention environment where brands can reach large, engaged audiences at scale—and, thanks to programmatic buying, more easily integrate cinema into modern omnichannel campaigns.

Today’s cinema experience extends beyond the big screen

Many cinemas now offer luxury seating, expanded dining options, full-service bars, and upgraded lobby spaces, encouraging visitors to arrive early and stay longer. Reserved seating has also shifted more of the experience outside the auditorium, giving audiences additional time to browse concessions, socialize, and engage with digital screens before the movie begins.

For advertisers, that means more opportunities to connect with moviegoers beyond the big screen. According to the Fortune Business Insights Movie Theater Market Report, multiplexes account for 72.94% of the global cinema market. Because these large-format theatres are typically located in regional shopping malls and lifestyle centres, brands can extend their campaigns beyond the auditorium and engage consumers throughout high-traffic retail environments.

Cinema advertising opportunities

From arrival to concessions to the auditorium, advertisers can engage audiences through multiple formats that work together across the cinema journey.

Lobby and digital displays reach moviegoers as they arrive and move throughout the theatre. Digital posters, 6-sheets, video walls, and foyer screens capture attention while audiences wait, browse concessions, and socialize before the film.

On-screen pre-show advertising remains the flagship format. Played on the main screen before the feature begins, these ads deliver full-screen, distraction-free attention with no skipping or muting. Many cinema networks now make this premium inventory available through programmatic DOOH platforms.

Experiential activations take engagement even further through branded installations, concession takeovers, standees, product sampling, and other interactive experiences that connect brands with audiences in memorable ways.

Megaplex Entertainment movie theatre screen in Utah, USA

Premium audiences with undivided attention

In an era of endless scrolling and shrinking attention spans, cinema offers something increasingly rare: an audience that’s fully engaged. Moviegoers aren’t skipping ads, checking notifications, or flipping between channels—they’ve chosen to be there. Combined with large-format screens, immersive audio, and a distraction-free environment, that level of attention helps brands create stronger ad recall and deeper emotional connections than many traditional TV or mobile formats.

Beyond attention, moviegoers also represent a highly valuable audience. They tend to skew younger, more affluent, and more likely to spend on entertainment and experiences. Gen Z continues to lead attendance, with 87% having attended a movie in the past year and 41% going six or more times. For advertisers looking to reach younger consumers beyond increasingly crowded digital channels, cinema offers a rare combination of premium audiences and premium attention.

Cinema belongs in the modern media mix

Cinema’s resurgence is happening alongside a broader shift in the OOH industry. Advertisers are investing more heavily in digital, screen-based environments that deliver the flexibility, measurability, and automation expected from today’s media channels. According to the OAAA’s Q1 report, digital OOH now accounts for 36% of all OOH revenue, while digital place-based media grew 17% year over year—making premium environments like cinemas an increasingly important part of the media mix.

As more theatre inventory becomes available through pDOOH, cinema is no longer a standalone buy. Advertisers can activate campaigns alongside roadside DOOH, retail media, transit, display, CTV, and mobile using the same buying workflows, with unified reporting, attribution, and cross-channel measurement.

That opens up new possibilities for campaign planning. Rather than relying solely on a pre-show ad, advertisers can connect with audiences throughout the theatre experience—from digital screens in parking areas and lobbies to concession spaces and the auditorium—creating a more cohesive brand experience across multiple touchpoints.

Through Broadsign’s Place Exchange SSP, advertisers can access the largest movie theatre network in the U.S., reaching more than 65,900 screens and 1.6 billion four-week impressions. Whether extending an existing DOOH campaign or building a broader omnichannel strategy, cinema is now easier to access, easier to measure, and better connected to the rest of the media plan than ever before.

Ready to plan your next campaign? Access the largest programmatic DOOH network today.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Dynamic creative optimization (DCO) in DOOH: What marketers need to know before launching their first campaign

A busy New York City sidewalk with pedestrians walking past a LinkNYC digital kiosk displaying a Corona beer advertisement. The kiosk stands prominently in the foreground against a backdrop of bright city lights, storefronts, and traffic, illustrating digital out-of-home advertising in a high-footfall urban environment.

Dynamic creative optimization (DCO) is changing what’s possible with digital out-of-home (DOOH), giving advertisers the ability to automatically adapt creative elements — including copy, imagery, and featured products or offers — based on real-world context.

As brands look for new ways to engage audiences with contextually relevant messaging, advertisers are increasingly turning to programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) and dynamic creative to bypass digital ad fatigue and reach target audiences in the physical world. However, while they’re often discussed together, DCO in DOOH introduces its own set of considerations: Which DOOH campaigns are best suited for dynamic creative? How does DCO change the way you approach campaign planning and creative production? And what do you need to launch a dynamic campaign successfully?

Whether you’re experimenting with dynamic DOOH for the first time or exploring how DOOH fits into your broader omnichannel strategy, here’s what to consider before getting started.

When should you use dynamic creative optimization (DCO) in a DOOH campaign?

Use dynamic creative optimization in DOOH when real-time context — like location, weather, time of day, traffic conditions, or product availability — can influence which creative message will be most effective for your campaign goal.

Instead of telling the same story everywhere, all the time, DCO can dynamically tailor your messaging—an approach that has been shown to increase overall campaign effectiveness by 17% and drive returns up to 2.5x higher.

For example:

A QSR brand could promote iced drinks when temperatures rise, then automatically switch to warm beverages when colder weather hits.
A retailer could feature products based on what’s currently in stock at nearby locations.
A car brand could showcase different financing offers or messaging based on current interest rates.
A sports brand could update creative with live scores, game results, or messages celebrating key moments in real time.
A travel brand could adjust featured destinations based on current deals, availability, or local weather.

While contextual and audience targeting decide which ad to serve and where, DCO changes the ad itself in real time—delivering more relevant creative without building and trafficking hundreds of manual variations.

What creative considerations go into planning a dynamic DOOH campaign?

Planning a dynamic DOOH campaign involves identifying the creative elements that will adapt, defining the triggers and logic that determine when they change, and designing a modular HTML5 template that brings those elements together to create variations based on real-world context.

This changes the way buy-side teams approach DOOH creative planning and production. With DCO, instead of producing separate creative assets for every possible scenario, you design a flexible creative system that adapts messaging based on changing conditions and delivers more relevant variations at scale.

Which creative elements should change?

In DOOH, the best candidates for dynamic creative are the elements whose relevance changes in response to real-world conditions. Depending on your campaign objectives, dynamic elements might include:

Text (headlines, messaging, calls to action, etc.)
Imagery or video
Featured products, services, or offers
Location-specific information
Live updates (scores, countdowns, availability, wait times, etc.)

Not every creative element needs to be dynamic. Starting with a focused set of dynamic elements keeps your setup simple, while adding more variables creates more possible creative combinations to account for.

READ ALSO: Great dynamic DOOH starts with great creative. Explore our best practices for high-impact OOH creative.

What real-time data triggers should drive creative changes?

The best real-time data triggers for dynamic DOOH campaigns are those that meaningfully influence when a different message is likely to resonate more strongly with the viewer — and, in turn, be more effective in achieving your campaign objective.

For example, food delivery service foodora used multiple dynamic triggers, including weather, time of day, and proximity to restaurants, to tailor its DOOH creative to what was most relevant to consumers in each moment.

What does building a modular HTML5 template involve?

Dynamic DOOH relies on a modular template, typically in HTML5, composed of interchangeable components that can be assembled into different variations based on predefined triggers and rules.

Instead of producing dozens or even hundreds of separate finished ads, the template serves as a master creative asset, combining your chosen dynamic elements and predefined logic to generate multiple creative variations without requiring separate files for every possible scenario. This allows scaling creative variation without increasing production at the same rate.

The more creative variations your campaign requires, the greater the value of a modular production approach.

READ ALSO: Preparing creative for your campaign? Check out our DOOH creative specifications guide for media buyers and planners.

What else should you confirm before committing to a dynamic DOOH campaign?

Creative planning is only one part of a successful dynamic DOOH campaign. Before investing in dynamic creative production, it’s equally important to think through both the capabilities required from your media partners and technology and how you’ll measure the performance of different creative variations.

Do your media partners and technology support dynamic DOOH creative?

Not every media partner and technology solution supports the same dynamic DOOH capabilities.

Do media partners and technology solutions support the data sources, triggers, creative formats, and activation approach your dynamic DOOH campaign requires?
What creative approval workflows are available?
Are there any technical or implementation limitations that could affect your campaign design?
Does your SSP platform support dynamic creative campaign reporting, including detailed data on creative variations, impressions, spend, and more?

Support for DCO in digital OOH can also vary depending on how a campaign is bought: some setups only enable dynamic creative through programmatic activation, while others can also support it on direct-bought inventory. Understanding these capabilities early can help you identify potential limitations before launch and choose partners and technology that align with your campaign goals.

Can your measurement setup prove which creative variations worked?

One of DCO’s biggest advantages is the ability to test the effectiveness of different creative variations under different conditions — meaning success should be measured at the variation level, not just overall campaign performance.

Do certain messages perform better in specific contexts?
Do some creative variations drive stronger outcomes than others?
Which triggers produce the greatest lift?

The DOOH metrics you prioritize should reflect your campaign goals, and they should also influence the partners and technology you choose. Confirm that your planned setup can provide the reporting and insights needed to answer those questions once your campaign is live.

Does running dynamic creative cost more than a standard DOOH campaign?

Not necessarily. While more advanced dynamic campaigns can involve additional production considerations — including template development, data integrations, or support from a dynamic creative technology partner — DCO can also reduce the need to manually create and manage large numbers of individual creative variations.

The key is using dynamic creative when the added relevance and flexibility support your campaign goals — not adding complexity where a single strong message already does the job.

Ready to explore more? Browse our inventory catalog to discover premium digital screens worldwide.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Broadsign x ALOOH 2026: Insights from Leading LATAM OOH Media Owners

ALOOH 2026 x Broadsign Webinar insights from leading LATAM media owners

Ahead of the 2026 ALOOH annual forum happening in Lima in September, Broadsign held a webinar in partnership with ALOOH Latam, inviting out-of-home (OOH) media owners of the region to learn how they can turn their static and digital OOH assets into a unified revenue engine. Broadsign’s Sales Director, Jose Delgado, and Head of Sales for Latin America, Manuel Ameneiros, provided a comprehensive overview of the Broadsign Platform and how it can help media owners grow their network and scale their revenue across static, digital and programmatic OOH.

The session was followed by a customer panel, moderated by Jacobo Gomez, Sr. Account Manager at Broadsign, with guest speakers Paulo Cesar Queiroz, Chief Executive Officer at RZK Digital, and Andrea Mereghetti, Chief Technology Officer at Proxymo. They answered questions about how they grew their revenue across direct and programmatic OOH channels, simplified network and inventory management, and seamlessly scaled their network with Broadsign. Read the summary of the customer panel below.

How RZK Digital is driving digital innovation in Brazil’s OOH landscape with Broadsign

Founded in 2021, RZK Digital has achieved a 54% annual growth rate by focusing exclusively on urban bus terminals in Brazil. With the Broadsign Platform, the company efficiently manages 850 synchronized digital screens across 54 terminals, reaching nearly 3.2 million people daily. This streamlined operational model enables a team of just two people to maintain high-impact advertising campaigns across their entire network.

What strategic value does your network hold for your advertisers? What would be your elevator pitch to advertisers?

In Brazil, the OOH market has long been dominated by established giants with massive networks. In a highly regulated city like São Paulo, outdoor advertising in public spaces is subject to strict regulations. Access to advertising spaces at transportation terminals is granted through public concessions, which are long-term contracts. We focused our growth on bus terminals, which was the first time such a large-scale initiative had been undertaken here in Brazil.

However, we quickly realized that the true value wasn’t in the screens themselves, but in the audience. Our challenge was to shift the market mindset from ‘buying screens’ to ‘buying audiences.’ To achieve this, Broadsign’s partnership with Quividi was essential, as the use of Broadsign’s proof-of-play and Quividi’s computer-vision cameras’ real-time measurement capabilities enabled us to offer advertisers real-time outdoor advertising audiences across countless bus terminals. Audience data is also audited by a national agency, the IVC (Instituto Verificador de Comunicación), which is directly connected to RZK Digital’s systems, enabling it to monitor the collected data in real time.

The first-party data we’ve structured became our key differentiator. By offering free public Wi-Fi at our terminals, we have built a massive data taxonomy. When people connect to the Wi-Fi, they answer three or four questions that help us determine how often they return to bus terminals, allowing us to build a comprehensive understanding of their habits. By automating the collection of this information, we were able to gather data from 1.5 million respondents.

This data advantage, paired with Broadsign’s technology, gives our clients unmatched operational agility. They don’t face restricted launch dates; they can pivot instantly, run dynamic creative tests, or adapt campaigns based on real-time factors like weather. We’ve effectively brought best practices from technologically advanced markets like London, Singapore, and Hong Kong to Brazil, making data-driven advertising our core differentiator.

Could you tell us about the complex Casas Bahía use case and how Broadsign helped facilitate the deployment?

Casa Bahía is a major brick-and-mortar retailer with stores across Brazil. To build greater loyalty with them, we pushed the boundaries of our network capabilities, and the Broadsign Platform proved to be the ideal partner to help us do so. On the day of a new Casa Bahía store’s opening, we broadcast the live event in which company executives presented details about the new store via the terminals in our network. Following this success, another large retailer, Magalu, requested a similar live commerce activation via YouTube, which we executed with equal ease. These innovations and the simplicity with which Broadsign enables them have become powerful tools for captivating new and existing clients.

How Proxymo is scaling and monetizing digital OOH with Broadsign

Founded in 2008, Proxymo is one of the largest digital media companies in Mexico, with over 1,200 digital screens nationwide, distinguishing itself through a unique blend of media reach and technological innovation. With the Broadsign Platform, they deliver cutting-edge solutions and engaging experiences for their diverse audience.

What are your biggest technical challenges in integrating and, above all, monetizing a network as large and diverse as Proxymo?

The biggest challenge is having the right tool to integrate the different formats. We are constantly expanding our digital presence, from our well-established kiosks in shopping malls to our new Smart City kiosks with 4K resolution and LCD screens on public streets. To scale efficiently, we focused on finding a solution, such as Broadsign, that made managing varying graphic resolutions seamless and eliminated the friction of manual creative adaptation. Another key factor was access to a supply-side platform (SSP) that offers a holistic view of our inventory and the flexibility to integrate either third-party metrics or our own data.

How does Broadsign help Proxymo optimize operations and ensure transparency in the delivery of its campaigns to its clients?

The primary advantage is the platform’s exceptional flexibility and stability. With a CMS that integrates seamlessly across Linux, Windows, and IoT environments, we can scale confidently without worrying about system failures. Additionally, Broadsign’s Proof-of-Performance (PoP) data, which we cross-reference with our internal audience measurement, allows us to deliver highly reliable reports. On top of that, there are incredible API integrations. I believe Broadsign is one of the few platforms that offer all these capabilities in addition to an incredible Support team that is very attentive to its customers.

Proxymo has a clear vision of how programmatic advertising is a sales channel that complements direct sales. What advice would you give other media owners in the region looking to balance their strategy across both revenue streams?

The primary challenge for many media owners is internal education. Sales teams must understand that not only are the budgets for programmatic and direct sales different, but so is the approach to selling them. Direct sales requires a high-touch, consultative approach to deliver maximum value, while programmatic enables you to capture omnichannel budgets, such as those originating from TV and radio. Educating your sales team on how to leverage both channels strategically ensures that you don’t miss out on these revenue opportunities. Another aspect is investing in a robust SSP that simplifies technical connections and provides access to a large demand ecosystem.

Discover the platform that powers out-of-home here.

Product News | October 11, 2021

Insights from CSP’s At Your Convenience Podcast: Building a retail media network that actually performs

Retail media networks are expanding rapidly, with retailers investing in in-store digital infrastructure to create new revenue opportunities and influence shopper decisions closer to the point of purchase. However, deploying screens is only the first step. As the industry matures, retailers face a larger challenge: building networks designed for monetization, measurement, and long-term scalability.

In the latest episode of CSP’s “At Your Convenience” podcast, Drew Walls, Sales Director of Retail Media at Broadsign, joins CSP Vice President of Content Strategy Abby Lewis to discuss what it takes to move beyond infrastructure and build retail media networks that deliver measurable value for retailers, advertisers, and shoppers.

From monetization strategy and ecosystem flexibility to the importance of in-store relevance, Drew shares the operational realities behind building retail media networks that can scale successfully.

Let’s dive in.

Moving beyond screens: Selling the shopper moment

One of the biggest opportunities for in-store retail media is changing how inventory is valued and packaged. Many networks continue to treat screens as standardized placements, applying consistent pricing regardless of shopper context.

However, in-store environments are dynamic. Drew highlighted that the industry needs to move beyond pricing the screen itself and focus on understanding the value of the shopper moment behind it.

“We are still pricing the screen and not necessarily the moment. My 7 a.m. coffee run looks very different from a cold vault visit after I get off work at 5:30. Those media units are very different because my mission is different.”- Drew Walls, Sales Director of Retail Media at Broadsign

These moments reflect different shopper behaviours, purchase intent, and advertiser opportunities. To capture their value, retailers need the right technology foundation to package and activate inventory based on real-time signals such as location, time of day, and shopper context. By turning these moments into measurable media opportunities, retailers can move beyond generic screen placements and deliver more relevant value to advertisers.

Building the right foundation: Control, flexibility, and monetization

As retailers build their media networks, one of the biggest strategic decisions is determining what they should own versus where they should leverage specialized partners.

The conversation is often framed as a choice between closed ecosystems and fully open models. However, Drew explained that the right approach depends on the retailer’s goals, maturity, and ability to scale over time. Fully closed systems can limit flexibility by tying retailers to a single vendor roadmap, while fully in-house approaches require significant resources, expertise, and operational investment. A hybrid approach allows retailers to maintain control over critical assets while leveraging specialized partners across areas such as technology, infrastructure, and demand access.

For retailers looking to build a true media business, the technology foundation matters. Hardware and content management systems may enable screen deployment, but they are not designed to manage the complexities of monetizing media inventory. An ad server provides the capabilities needed to manage campaign delivery, pacing, advertiser commitments, and multiple demand sources, helping retailers turn available inventory into measurable revenue opportunities.

When evaluating partners, Drew noted that retailers should consider whether their technology ecosystem can grow alongside the business. “The real question for a retailer is: will my partner grow with me, or am I eventually going to outgrow my partner?”

A regional retailer launching its first network will have different needs than a national retailer managing thousands of locations. The right architecture should provide flexibility as the business evolves without creating unnecessary constraints.

Defining control: What retailers must own

As retail media networks scale, maintaining control over critical components becomes essential to long-term success.

Three areas, in particular, should remain firmly within the retailer’s control:

Audience data forms the foundation of targeting, personalization, and performance insights. Retaining ownership ensures that retailers can fully leverage their unique customer relationships.
Direct advertiser relationships are central to revenue growth and margin expansion. These relationships enable retailers to build demand strategically and sustain long-term investment from brand partners.
Measurement methodology plays a decisive role in establishing credibility. Whether through closed-loop attribution, lift studies, or control-store testing, the ability to define and validate performance metrics is critical. Retailers must ensure that measurement frameworks are transparent, trusted, and not solely controlled by platform vendors.

Other components, including hardware, content management systems, and ad tech infrastructure, can be effectively managed through external partners, provided they are integrated in a way that preserves flexibility and interoperability.

Designing for monetization from the start

One of the biggest misconceptions in retail media is that monetization can be addressed after a network is deployed. In reality, the foundations for revenue generation are established much earlier.

Many retailers begin with infrastructure because screens are the most visible first step. However, building a successful retail media business requires investment beyond hardware, including sales capabilities, advertiser relationships, measurement frameworks, and operating models.

Drew highlighted that monetization should be considered before deployment, not added later as a layer on top of an existing network. Retailers that design their networks around demand generation and measurable outcomes from the beginning will be better positioned to build sustainable revenue streams.

Unlocking demand through relevance and access

Inventory alone does not create a successful retail media network. Retailers must also build accessible pathways for advertisers and ensure their inventory is valuable, measurable, and easy to buy.

Direct sales remain an important foundation, allowing retailers to build relationships with endemic advertisers and demonstrate value. At the same time, programmatic access should be considered early to support future scalability. Drew encouraged retailers to build direct relationships today while ensuring their networks are positioned for future demand opportunities.

Beyond demand access, retailers must also consider how they create relevance inside the store. Unlike onsite or offsite media, in-store media reaches shoppers at a unique point in the journey: when decisions are actively being made.

The unique value of in-store relevance

In-store media offers a different type of value than onsite or offsite channels because it operates at the intersection of shopper mission, physical context, and purchase intent.

Drew explained that in-store relevance is not simply about better measurement. It is about reaching shoppers closer to the decision point. “Someone is three feet from a shelf, not three clicks and a day away from making that decision.” This proximity creates a powerful opportunity for retailers and advertisers, but unlocking that value requires stronger measurement, more thoughtful inventory packaging, and a better understanding of shopper behaviour.

What does this mean for retailers?

Building a retail media network that performs requires more than deploying infrastructure. It demands a deliberate approach to monetization, control, and relevance, supported by an architecture that can evolve over time.

As the industry continues to mature, the distinction between networks that scale and those that plateau will become increasingly clear. The most successful retailers will be those that design for performance from the outset, align their operating models with demand, and fully leverage the unique advantages of the in-store environment.

Screens create the opportunity. Strategy, data, and technology turn that opportunity into revenue. Retailers building in-store media networks need more than digital displays. They need the right tech foundation to manage inventory, unlock demand, and deliver measurable value for advertisers.

Ready to move beyond screens? Connect with our team to see how Broadsign helps retailers transform in-store media into scalable revenue-generating networks.