Programmatic Digital Out of Home (DOOH) is transforming how brands connect with audiences in the physical world. But buying DOOH programmatically isn’t just about flipping a switch - it requires smart planning to unlock its full potential. The IAB New Zealand Programmatic DOOH Working Group has identified five golden rules to make sure you get the most out of the buying process.
Photo Credit: LUMO
1. Get a clear understanding of publishers and their networks first. Match the screen size, type and location to your campaign objectives.
Understand what you are buying. It sounds obvious, but it's not always done with audience buying. It pays to familiarise yourself with the screens or publishers involved in the buy to ensure alignment with your campaign objectives. Assess factors like screen locations, buying method, screen types, (e.g., roadside, transit, retail), and publisher capabilities (such as real-time data integration or programmatic/ tech compatibility). By doing so, you can make well-informed decisions that enhance the effectiveness of your campaign.
2. Plan realistically: Triangulate budget, impressions and duration to best balance coverage and visibility.
It's crucial to understand how your investment translates into visibility, and ensure that your budget matches the scale of your objectives. Longer campaigns require proportional investment to maintain momentum. Understand when and where your target audiences are most concentrated to maximise campaign relevance and effectiveness.
3. Understand when and where your audiences are most concentrated, to maximise the relevance and effectiveness of your campaign.
This will ensure that your screens light up with your ad only when your desired audience is present. Overlay data to better reach key audience demographics, interests, and those who have exhibited specific location-based behaviours (i.e. store visitation). Also take into account contextual cues that help signal audience presence. For example, DOOH locations near schools during pick-up and drop-off times can be an effective way to reach household shoppers. Be careful not to over engineer your buy though by making your targeting too niche. It’s a one to many medium after all.
4. Maximise creative impact with dynamic templates and contextual messaging. Tailor ad delivery with real-time triggers like location, time, weather and events.
Deliver relevant, dynamic, and contextual messaging - tailor ads to real-time triggers like location, time, weather, and events for maximum impact. Leverage dynamic creative optimisation to adjust messaging based on these contextual factors and enhance audience engagement.
5. Re-engage exposed audiences in other channels and track footfall to measure and improve conversion.
Track advanced metrics such as footfall lift and brand lift, to assess campaign effectiveness. Reengage audiences exposed to DOOH ads through complementary channels like programmatic display, video, or social media to amplify impact and nurture the customer journey.
In summary, keep in mind both how your audience is being reached and what message you’re reaching them with.
- While DOOH is an effective broadcast channel, it typically reaches audiences passively. Message frequency can be just as critical as trying to reach as many people as possible.
- Sustain message frequency by appropriately weighting investment across the full campaign period. Select screens based on audience insights, proximity, or contextual relevance, and consider time-of-day targeting to maximise opportunities for repeated exposure.
- Let the strength of your offer and the level of consideration required for your product or service inform your balance between reach and frequency.
Thank you to the following members of IAB New Zealand’s Programmatic DOOH Working Group for developing this resource:
Ash Houghton, VP Sales NZ, Perion
Richard Pook, Co-Founder, Productify Media
Sandra Scott, Sales & Partnerships Director NZ Vistar Media
For further information or to become an IAB New Zealand Member, please get in touch.
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