By Dom Dunne, Commercial Director, Programmatic & LaunchPAD at Bauer Media Outdoor Europe
One of the main reasons that digital advertising became popular among marketers is that, when compared to traditional media, the impact of digital campaigns is often easier to measure and quantify. Consumers’ online behaviours (clicks, views, downloads, etc.) serve as a proxy for buying intent, enabling marketers to inform their media activities and deliver tailored campaigns at the right moment via the most effective channels.
Nevertheless, the challenge facing marketers right now is not an easy one. The digital media marketplace is complex, diverse and very, very fragmented. Attention is a hot commodity, but consumers are being bombarded with notifications across multiple screens, making it difficult for advertisers to cut through.
What’s more, many of the key moments that shape consumer decisions happen outside the digital sphere – on high streets, at train or bus stations, at sports or entertainment venues or along daily commutes. Fortunately for advertisers, digital Out of Home (DOOH), and specifically programmatic Out of Home (prOOH), is quietly transforming these fleeting moments into measurable ones, with the ability to reach an estimated 78% of the UK population.
The amplification effect
Once valued mainly for broad reach and brand-building, prOOH is now proving its value in priming audiences, reinforcing messaging and, crucially, amplifying the performance of other digital channels.
In the race for attention, this is hugely important. PrOOH reaches audiences in the real world with impact, ensuring brand messages cut through and stay top of mind – while also amplifying effectiveness across the wider media mix.. Outdoor engagement reinforces the impact of digital touchpoints and actually enhances cross-channel performance when integrated with other media such as audio and CTV.
Recent research found that campaigns combining DOOH with other channels deliver 1.5x higher persuasiveness and achieve 1.4x attention than disconnected multichannel efforts. So, for brands navigating fragmented attention and fierce competition online, prOOH is not only a privacy-safe, attention-rich channel; its inclusion as part of an omnichannel also significantly boosts the performance of other elements of the campaign.
Data-powered creative
Creativity is also key to the success of DOOH campaigns. The capabilities of prOOH open up a host of new opportunities for creative marketers to explore. Campaigns can be made more addressable with the use of data to appeal to particular audiences at particular times in specific locations, e.g. a fast food chain may want to push its breakfast menu on screens near their restaurants before 10 am, then swap the creative to focus on lunchtime options.
Other brands may leverage DOOH creative that reacts to real-time events, such as live sports scores or stock availability, in their bid to capture consumer attention. There’s no doubt that creative integration based on live data can make campaigns more engaging and memorable.
To provide a real-world example from last year, Heinz Soup activated a prOOH campaign for its Tomato Soup, designed to drive sales during the colder months. Heinz’s creative was triggered only when the temperature dropped below 10°C, with a second creative option available for especially frosty days. By buying programmatically, Heinz ensured their ads only appeared when the weather matched the moment, maximising both relevance and efficiency.
According to Circana, the campaign (delivered in association with Perion, Posterscope, dentsu and Bauer Media Outdoor) resulted in a +2.5% uplift in sales for the featured product, with a positive media ROI over the six-week burst.
With new UK legislation coming into effect on how foods high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) can be advertised online and on TV, omnichannel brand marketers will be exploring how PrOOH can play an enhanced role in their media plans.
An essential component
In 2025, DOOH has solidified its position within the programmatic ecosystem and the broader omnichannel landscape.
DOOH brings dynamism while programmatic execution makes campaigns flexible and data-driven. Audience targeting, real-time triggers and integration with consumer data and other datasets make prOOH incredibly adaptable. This level of responsiveness enables brands to remain culturally and contextually relevant to their chosen audiences.
As commerce and retail initiatives take centre stage, PrOOH is uniquely placed to drive measurable outcomes – whether that’s influencing purchase intent, reinforcing key messages close to point of sale, or boosting ROI when paired with other channels. For brands facing fragmented attention and heightened online competition, prOOH has become an essential component of any omnichannel marketing campaign. So, while it may still seem like the unsung hero of omnichannel marketing, it’s increasingly emerging as one of the most effective.
