Marketers' Biggest Misconception About Billboards

# n

Introduction

# Digital out of home (DOOH) advertising is experiencing a renaissance, with 34% of out of home ad spend now coming from digital screens—a figure that grew 9% last year. Alex Weinberger, General Manager of Digital Out of Home at AdRoll, reveals why programmatic buying, advanced targeting, and measurable attribution are transforming what many marketers still think of as static billboards into a sophisticated, full-fu el marketing cha el that delivers both brand impact and performance results.#n#n1

The Digital Transformation of Out of Home

# The shift from traditional billboards to digital screens represents more than just a technology upgrade—it's a fundamental change in how out of home advertising operates. "Going back to 10, 15 years ago, the out of home space was really the real estate space. It wasn't media, it was real estate," Weinberger explains. Today's digital out of home encompasses every digital screen outside your home, from roadside billboards to screens in gyms, restaurants, airports, and retail locations. This proliferation of screens creates opportunities to reach consumers throughout their daily journey, not just at single touchpoints.#n#n1 The programmatic revolution has brought sophisticated targeting capabilities to a traditionally broad medium. Marketers can now select specific screens, implement real-time bidding, and achieve the kind of efficiency previously reserved for digital cha els. This means brands no longer need massive budgets or hundred different contracts with media owners—they can be "everywhere all at once" through programmatic platforms.#n#n1

Beyond Billboards: Understanding the Full DOOH Ecosystem

# One of the biggest misconceptions about digital out of home is that it's limited to roadside billboards. The reality is far more diverse, with what Weinberger calls a "taxonomy" of screen types that includes urban panels, digital bus shelters, and place-based screens in locations like gyms, bars, restaurants, malls, and entertainment venues. This granular categorization enables precise targeting—marketers can choose to advertise specifically at airport baggage claims versus departure gates, or target gym-goers versus restaurant patrons based on campaign objectives.#n#n1

Strategic Targeting for B2B Marketers

# For B2B marketers wondering how to reach specific decision-makers, DOOH offers surprisingly sophisticated targeting options. Weinberger outlines two primary strategies: event support and headquarters targeting. "We know that the buyers of a specific industry or specific category or vertical, they're all going to be in Dallas, Texas for this conference," he notes. Marketers can surround conference areas with ads in hotels, restaurants, and transportation. Additionally, they can target company headquarters with dayparted campaigns that reach executives during commute times, lunch breaks, and evening departures.#n#n1

Measurement and Attribution in the Physical World

# Perhaps the most significant evolution in digital out of home is the ability to measure and attribute results—addressing the age-old challenge of proving ROI for out of home advertising. Modern DOOH platforms offer multiple attribution methods including foot traffic analysis, sales lift studies, brand lift surveys, app downloads, and web conversions. The technology works by understanding which anonymized mobile devices were within viewing distance of screens when ads were displayed, then tracking subsequent actions.#n#n1 "Media without measurement doesn't really matter today," Weinberger emphasizes. This measurement capability transforms DOOH from a pure awareness play into a performance cha el. Marketers can understand not just who saw their ads, but whether those exposures drove store visits, purchases, or digital actions. The ability to retarget exposed audiences through other digital cha els further enhances the cha el's performance potential, creating true omnicha el campaigns.#n#n1

Creative Strategies for Maximum Impact

# With only seconds to capture attention, DOOH creative requires a different approach than other digital formats. Weinberger's advice is bold: "Take your biggest swing, let it rip." He recommends using bright, contrasting colors that stand out against urban environments, dedicating 40-50% of the creative to logos or product shots, and limiting copy to three to seven words maximum. One creative director even found success by displaying ads upside down to force double-takes—the kind of attention-grabbing tactics that work when you have mere seconds to make an impression.#n#n1

The Future of Full-Fu el DOOH

# Looking ahead, Weinberger predicts that place-based screens in retail environments will gain outsized importance as major retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Albertsons invest billions in in-store digital signage. This creates opportunities for brands to influence consumers from initial awareness through to point of purchase. He also believes that within five years, digital formats will surpass static billboards in media spend, driven by media owners investing $500,000-750,000 per billboard conversion.#n#n1 For marketers ready to test DOOH, Weinberger recommends starting with conference and event support—a focused way to reach known audiences and measure impact. As the cha el continues to evolve with better targeting, measurement, and creative capabilities, digital out of home is proving that the oldest advertising format might just be one of the smartest investments in an increasingly digital world.#n#n1