By Tom Barbour, Sales Director UK at Vistar Media
We’ve all seen countless ‘revolutionary’ advertising technologies come and go. But programmatic digital out-of-home (prDOOH) represents something fundamentally different – and the measurement capabilities it unlocks justifies every penny invested.
Let me be clear: we need to stop thinking about programmatic as a separate channel. It’s a buying mechanism – one that transforms how we approach OOH advertising. When I look at current brand strategies, I see a troubling pattern: over-investment in social and display advertising without realising the massive opportunity sitting right in front of consumers on huge, engaging outdoor screens.
Whether it’s Oxford Circus, Times Square or any major digital billboard in Singapore, these global premium locations are now accessible through programmatic buying. You’re not just buying a static placement anymore; you’re buying into a dynamic, data-driven ecosystem that can adapt in real-time to drive better results.
The value exchange: flexibility for results
Yes, prDOOH involves additional fees compared to traditional direct buying. But here’s what critics miss: you’re not paying more – you’re driving significantly more value and creating efficiencies. The flexibility alone changes everything. Instead of accepting whatever roadside placement happens to be available, you can handpick specific screens that align with your strategy.
This democratisation is crucial. Brands that previously couldn’t access premium DOOH inventory due to budget constraints or buying complexities can now participate dynamically. The data integration capabilities – live sports scores, flight information, weather conditions and more – all allow for creative executions that were simply impossible with traditional buying methods.
Measurement that actually matters
The real shift lies in measurement capabilities that span the entire marketing funnel. We’ve moved beyond the limiting ‘clicks and performance’ mindset that has unfortunately become synonymous with programmatic buying. In DOOH, we’re measuring what actually drives business results.
At the top of the funnel, brand lift studies provide qualitative insights into awareness and purchase intent increases. But where it gets exciting is the sales uplift measurement which enables the business to measure the impact of these campaigns using brand lift studies and sales uplift measurement.
Otrivine is a great example of ways to diversify prDOOH. We drove purchase intent and awareness for the brand using a weather and behaviour-based strategy. By combining symptom-based targeting, real-time weather triggers and proximity to retail, the campaign successfully reached congested shoppers in the moments that mattered, driving meaningful shifts in awareness, preference and intent. Overall, the campaign saw +23% lift in awareness, +18% lift in consideration, +14% lift in purchase intent and +11% uplift in brand preference.
Technology that builds trust & value
One persistent challenge with programmatic buying has been trust. With display advertising, you serve billions of impressions to laptops and hope the ad server reports are accurate. DOOH eliminates this uncertainty. Through Vistar Media’s Spot Stream technology, clients can see in real-time exactly where their ads are displaying on a live map. This transparency is revolutionary for programmatic buying.
Our creative analysis tool takes this further, using eye-tracking technology to optimise creative elements based on where attention naturally flows. We’re not just buying placements; we’re optimising every aspect of the campaign based on measurable consumer behaviour.
Here’s where many marketers go wrong: they apply the same benchmarks across all programmatic channels. An impression from a massive digital billboard isn’t equivalent to a display banner impression. The attention scores, the engagement levels, the brand impact – everything is different. Smart marketers are learning to evaluate DOOH impressions within the context of the channel’s unique strengths.
During Christmas, arguably the noisiest time in advertising, a Rituals campaign demonstrated that proper measurement could prove top-of-mind awareness even when consumer attention was minimal. The campaign drove strong lifts in brand awareness, consideration and purchase intent, effectively capturing luxury shoppers with targeted, high-impact placements during the holiday season. This kind of proof point is invaluable when justifying budget allocation to leadership.
Three prDOOH recommendations
First, always add measurement to your prDOOH campaigns. The additional cost is minimal compared to the insights and optimisation opportunities you’ll gain.
Second, abandon the assumption that all impressions are created equal. DOOH impressions deliver fundamentally different value than other programmatic channels.
Third, evaluate your results within the context of the channel. DOOH serves different objectives compared to display or social, and your measurement approach should reflect that.
PrDOOH isn’t just about buying digital billboards more efficiently, it’s about unlocking a measurable, optimisable and scalable approach to one of advertising’s most impactful formats. The additional investment pays for itself through better targeting, reduced wastage, real-time optimisation, and most importantly, the ability to prove value to your business.
Tom Barbour is Sales Director UK at Vistar Media. For more information visit: vistarmedia.com
