Philip O’Ferrall is a visionary leader at the intersection of media, technology, and culture. Formerly Executive Vice President, Managing Director at Viacom, where he spent over 15 years shaping digital strategy across global brands like MTV and Nickelodeon, he is now the CEO of Outernet Global, the immersive media district in London that has quickly become the UK’s most visited attraction.
Looking back at launching Outernet, what stands out as the biggest lesson?
Everything starts with the audience. Technology is important, but it’s only ever an enabler. From the beginning, the priority was understanding how people wanted to experience content and creating something that genuinely added value.
During COVID that became even more relevant, because we knew people would eventually want places where they could come together again.
It was also about building the right partnerships from the start, working with organisations such as the Brit School, the Royal College of Art and the wider creative community. Just as importantly, we wanted Outernet to become part of the fabric of Denmark Street rather than simply arriving as another commercial development. Respecting the area’s heritage was every bit as important as the technology itself.
Experiential media has become central to many campaigns. Why do you think brands are embracing it?
People naturally want shared experiences. Whether it’s live entertainment, gaming or immersive events, there’s something fundamentally different about experiencing content together rather than individually.
That’s something agencies increasingly recognise. Experiential isn’t just an activation anymore, it’s becoming part of long-term media planning.
Brands have realised that when people are actively choosing to spend time in an environment, they’re far more receptive to advertising than when they’re simply being interrupted. The opportunity is to create meaningful engagement rather than just impressions.
Measurement is always a challenge for experiential campaigns. How do you demonstrate ROI?
Coming from television and digital media, measurement has always been non-negotiable. We initially relied on camera technology to understand audiences, but as visitor numbers increased we developed much more sophisticated ways of analysing behaviour through partnerships with Virgin Media O2 and Mesh.
Today we’re able to understand not just how many people visit, but how long they stay, how they interact with content and how campaigns perform in real time.
We also conduct post-campaign research with advertisers to measure shifts in awareness and purchase intent. That combination of live reporting, interaction data and brand studies gives advertisers confidence that they’re seeing measurable commercial outcomes, not simply footfall.
We have also created a system called Public Immersive Audience Measurement System (PIAMS) which means we can deliver audience insights for brands above and beyond current industry norms. We built this all in house.
Where does AI fit into the business?
AI is another tool, not a strategy in itself.
Internally we use secure AI environments to protect company information, while creatively it helps us produce content, particularly for charity campaigns or public sector organisations that don’t necessarily have the budgets for large productions.
Beyond that, our R&D team continually tests new AI applications to see whether they genuinely improve audience experiences.
The approach is to experiment quickly, learn what works and move on if it doesn’t. That’s exactly how we’ve approached previous technologies as well.
We are always looking to find the best way to blend advancing technology for greater efficiency and impactful audience experiences in the most sustainable ways.
How does Outernet fit into a wider media strategy for brands?
We see ourselves as complementing other channels rather than replacing them. Traditional advertising creates awareness, while immersive experiences create emotional connection.
Whether it’s launching a car, promoting a fragrance or introducing a new product, people can interact with brands in ways that simply aren’t possible through conventional advertising.
Those experiences then become part of a much broader campaign, supported by social media, digital activity and traditional media.
How do you balance commercial partnerships with protecting the visitor experience?
The audience always comes first. From day one we decided to operate our media environment much like a television channel, with editorial standards, scheduling principles and careful consideration of who’s visiting at different times of day.
That means not every campaign is right for the space. We have experienced scheduling teams who carefully manage what appears and when.
Technology supports that process, but programming remains something of an art. Protecting the overall experience is essential because that’s ultimately what keeps audiences coming back.
You’ve spent much of your career in television. Which lessons have proved most valuable?
The fundamentals haven’t changed. Whether you’re producing television, mobile content or immersive experiences, success still depends on understanding audiences and telling compelling stories.
We’ve also brought across expertise in rights management, talent relationships and content planning. Storytelling is especially important.
Even across multiple giant screens, every piece of content still needs a clear beginning, middle and end. Technology evolves constantly, but people still respond to well-crafted narratives.
How do you stay relevant to younger planners and buyers?
The key is embracing the platforms they already use. We integrate social media into experiences, develop interactive content and allow audiences to become part of what they’re seeing through new technologies.
Just as importantly, we encourage agencies to experience the space themselves. It’s very difficult to understand immersive media from a presentation deck. Once people visit and see how audiences behave, they immediately appreciate why brands are increasingly making experiential campaigns part of their long-term planning.
Purpose is clearly important to the business. How does that influence your commercial strategy?
Purpose and commercial success don’t have to be separate objectives.
Some of our most successful partnerships have been with organisations like the National Trust, helping them reach younger audiences through immersive storytelling.
We also work closely with charities and community organisations because we have a responsibility to use our platform positively. Ultimately, the best campaigns are those where the content genuinely resonates with audiences first.
If people connect emotionally with the experience, commercial results tend to follow naturally.
Finally, what’s next for Outernet?
The immediate focus is on strengthening the UK operation before looking internationally. We’ve spent the last few years refining the model, improving the visitor experience and integrating our venues more effectively.
Once that foundation is fully established, expanding becomes much easier. The ambition remains significant, but the priority is getting the model exactly right before taking it to new markets.
