Digital out-of-home advertising has crossed a threshold in New Zealand. According to the newly released 2026 DOOH Market Barometer Survey from the IAB New Zealand Programmatic DOOH Working Group, 68% of industry professionals now say DOOH is a significant part of their media mix, and programmatic buying has firmly moved from experimental to mainstream. But there is still more work to be done. Find out more in the fourth edition of the survey report.
Now in its fourth year, the survey gathered responses from industry professionals across media agencies, media owners, brands, and technology platforms, most of them planners, buyers, or strategic decision-makers with real day-to-day experience trading DOOH inventory. The picture they paint is one of a channel that has matured quickly but still has room to grow.
Nearly half of respondents say they now regularly consider programmatic DOOH when planning campaigns, and 54% run OOH, DOOH, and programmatic DOOH through the same team, a sign that the channel is being absorbed into standard media planning rather than treated as a separate specialism. On the creative side, static image remains the dominant format at 92% usage, but contextual and triggered creative (60%) and video (52%) show buyers are increasingly using DOOH's dynamic capabilities, not just its reach. Brand awareness continues to dominate campaign objectives at 91%, followed by brand perception and consideration (64%) and foot traffic or store visits (51%).
AI is also starting to earn its place in the programmatic DOOH toolkit, with audience segmentation (35%), automated reporting (33%), and campaign optimisation (32%) the leading use cases under exploration.
But there is still work to be done. Buyers consistently point to a gap between cost and benefit clarity, inconsistent measurement, and a limited understanding of the value DOOH delivers. Better measurement standards and lower CPMs top the list of what would unlock further investment, and views are split on whether New Zealand's programmatic DOOH scale is currently sufficient (55.7% say yes, 22.6% say no). Sustainability is also emerging as a consideration, with 38% of respondents citing reduced carbon emissions as a strategic focus.
This year’s survey was conducted at a time of consolidation for the industry, after a sustained period of growth. DOOH has firmly established itself as an essential part of the media mix, with programmatic buying now mainstream. However, despite this progress, there is still work to be done - buyers want more education and better measurement to understand the value DOOH delivers - Richard Pook, Founder Youdooh & Chair IAB New Zealand Programmatic DOOH Working Group Chair.
The takeaway for the industry right now is that DOOH has earned its seat at the table. The next phase of growth depends on giving buyers the education and measurement tools they need to back that confidence with bigger budgets.
The full 2026 DOOH Market Barometer Survey, including detailed breakdowns by audience, creative format, and regional planning, is available to download at the link below.
Acknowledgements
IAB New Zealand acknowledges all contributors to the Programmatic DOOH Market Barometer Survey, who through feedback and input continue to shape the growth of the channel.
The 2026 Attitudes to DOOH & Programmatic DOOH was updated and created by:
Kevin Van Wyk | Programmatic Director, Go Media
Lohnȇt Waugh | Group Business Director, VAST Billboards