| October 11, 2021
How Reklam Istanbul is building Turkey’s largest digital OOH network with Broadsign
The global out-of-home (OOH) industry is having a standout year, with the medium expected to reach $49.7B globally. Istanbul, Turkey’s vibrant economic and cultural hub, is no exception, reflecting this impressive momentum as the local market experiences substantial growth.
OOH advertising makes up 4% of Turkey’s total media spend, with digital out-of-home (DOOH) contributing 32% of that figure. DOOH ad spend has surged over the past few years, particularly across sectors like retail, entertainment, cosmetics, personal care, public institutions, and political parties. Leading the charge is Reklam Istanbul, a key player in the country’s OOH digitization. Founded in 2018, the media owner is at the forefront of digital innovation, operating two major networks, Yovi Metro and Seaplay, which together reach over 12 million people monthly.
Premium screens in prime locations
The Yovi Metro network features over 2,000 screens spread across Istanbul’s vast transit lines, offering brands and advertisers unmatched visibility to engage commuters throughout their daily journeys. Seaplay, meanwhile, consists of digital screens located in 47 ship ports across the city, including a striking 138-square-foot L-shaped LED screen that showcases 3D content in the popular tourist hotspot.
This year, Reklam Istanbul is poised for further growth, with plans to increase its digital display count to nearly 12,000. The company takes a strategic approach to screen placement, emphasizing a diverse mix of screen types and locations rather than concentrating on similar displays. By expanding into underserved areas, it aims to provide advertisers with full citywide coverage, enabling them to reach audiences across Istanbul with a one-week campaign.
Bringing advanced DOOH technology to Istanbul
Anamorphic 3D billboards have become a standout feature in outdoor advertising, appearing in major cities across Europe and beyond. To bring this cutting-edge experience to its home market, Reklam Istanbul installed its striking L-shaped LED screen at Kadiköy Port, a bustling tourist hub, in early 2024.
Given the novelty of the technology in Turkey—and the time-consuming nature of outsourcing 3D content production—Reklam Istanbul took a proactive approach. It established an in-house creative studio dedicated to producing 3D visuals for its screens. All 3D productions are created by Artesda Studio. With plans to expand its network of L-shaped 3D billboards, it is positioning itself at the forefront of the local market’s digital transformation.
Recently, Reklam made some of its inventory available via programmatic transacting, making this savvy media owner one of the first to do it in the Turkish market. Brands and advertisers can launch highly targeted, contextual campaigns in minutes, with access to extensive audience data that allows for more precise audience targeting.
How the Broadsign Platform is helping Reklam Istanbul broaden its reach
With a growing network and plans to adopt further technological advancements, Reklam knew it needed the support of an industry leader. So, the media owner adopted the Broadsign Platform to manage and automate its digital signage operations. “Trust is very important for brands in Turkey, and working with a global, reputable technology provider like Broadsign goes a long way, especially for brands interested in getting started with programmatic DOOH (which we anticipate will be very big next year),” says Utku Şahin, Head of Digital at Reklam Istanbul.
Now, scheduling and running campaigns across its Yovi Metro and Seaplay networks can be performed effortlessly with proof-of-play reports, ensuring screens are continuously monitored. Should any issues arise, the team can troubleshoot swiftly, minimizing any potential for concerns. The entire network is visible via Broadsign’s user-friendly, centralized hub.
As Reklam Istanbul continues its growth, it leverages Broadsign’s scalable solutions to simplify expansion. Adding new screens to the inventory is seamless, allowing for quick and efficient growth. Currently, Broadsign powers 2,000 of Reklam’s screens, with plans to scale that number to 10,000 as the company invests in new installations across the city. This expansion will be easily managed through the Broadsign platform, according to Şahin.
Looking ahead
So, what’s next for the media owner? Big plans are in the works for 2025 and beyond. Beginning next year, the company will continue to expand its growing inventory, looking at adding screens of varying sizes and venue types—including installing at least one other large-format 3D LED screen.
Investing in emerging technologies to make DOOH more attractive and accessible to media buyers is a key priority for the media owner. Improving audience insights with advanced measurement technology is also a major focus, especially as their network continues to expand. “We plan to offer measurable, data-driven targeting to brands’ outdoor and digital teams. For this reason, we are closely following emerging technologies and are looking forward to integrating features like dynamic capabilities that will enable our team to change creatives based on data feeds like weather,” shares Şahin. “Combined with Broadsign’s reporting features, brands and advertisers can feel confident in running their ads on our network.”