Digital Out-Of-Home (DOOH) is reaching people when they are off-line going about their daily business (shopping, dining out, getting gas, at an ATM, in an elevator, at a movie).  It’s about getting your message to people wherever they are and whenever, across public digital screens, on a local level.

Key takeaways from this article:

  • DOOH is an advanced version of traditional Out-Of-Home (OOH) advertising that leverages digital screens in public places. It offers dynamic, real-time content updates and is highly effective at reaching consumers in their daily routines.

  • DOOH advertising is projected to grow at a 49.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2024 to 2028, showing its increasing popularity.

  • DOOH ads have the highest favorability of any advertising medium.  73% of consumers view DOOH ads favorably, and 76% take action after seeing them, demonstrating its effectiveness in driving engagement.

  • DOOH ads can be displayed in a vast range of locations, including airports, gas stations, grocery stores, gyms, restaurants, and even military bases. 

Why does Digital Out-of-Home matter? No media is immune to the disruptive force that is the internet. Some are just disrupted later than others. The real question here is not in the headline, it’s…do you want to skate to where the puck is, or where it is going?  Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising is forecasted to grow at a 49.4% compound annual growth rate from 2024 to 2028, according to BIA’s 2025 Local Advertising Forecast.  That tremendous growth show the faith that local advertisers have in this digital medium.

Do you know when the first billboards were monetized for advertising purposes? It was in the 1830s by Jared Bell in New York. Bell used the large, colorful posters to advertise the Barnum & Bailey Circus.  I find it interesting that in 2025 we are talking about technology disrupting a legacy media, like Out-Of-Home, and the first monetization of that medium took place almost 200 years ago, advertising something most of us still recognize today, P.T. Barnum. And what worked for P.T. Barnum can work for you – with a digital twist!

DOOH advertising is out-of-home ads on steroids—it’s a powerhouse, driving real consumer action. It’s the same out of home we have known for over two centuries but with more placement variety, size, targetability, favorability and action among consumers! The Out-Of-Home Advertising Association of America study conducted by The Harris Poll in 2024 found that:

  • 73% of consumers view DOOH ads favorably.
  • 76% take action after seeing a DOOH ad.

Unlike traditional Out-Of-Home (OOH) advertising, DOOH leverages digital screens to provide dynamic content that can be updated in real time. DOOH is a modern way to reach audiences outside their home through digital screens in public places, in just the geographies you want.

We place across all types of venues, not just a few. Here are some of the venue placements that can be included:

  • Airports
  • Buses
  • Taxi & Rideshare TVs
  • Taxi & Rideshare Tops
  • Subways
  • Train Stations
  • Ferrys
  • Fueling Stations
  • Convenience Stores
  • Grocery Stores
  • Liquor Stores
  • Malls
  • Cannabis Dispensaries
  • Pharmacies
  • Parking Garages
  • Billboards
  • Urban Panels
  • Bus Shelters
  • Military Bases
  • Post Offices
  • Gyms
  • Salons
  • Spas
  • Doctor’s Offices
  • Veterinary Offices
  • Schools
  • Colleges and Universities
  • Office Buildings
  • Recreational Locations
  • Movie Theaters
  • Sports Entertainment Centers
  • Bars
  • Casual Dining Restaurants
  • Quick Service Restaurants
  • Hotels
  • Night Clubs
  • High-end Dining
  • DMVs
  • Banks
  • Apartments and Condos

How do we target your Digital-Out-Of-Home Ads?

  1. Define the Geography
    • This can be DMAs, cities, zip codes, a radius around a location, or political districts.
  2. Set your Venue Targeting parameters
    • You’re not able to pick and choose types of venues where your ad appears, but you can exclude venues. Selection is determined by targeting the people who are in your specified geography in whichever formats are available.
    • Your ads will be a mixture of the following and can be display or video.

Large format: billboards, urban panels and transit shelters.

Place-based: malls, gas stations, restaurants, taxis, gyms, hotels, sports complexes, salons, movie theaters, parking garages, and offices.

Point-of-purchase: convenience stores, grocery stores, and retail stores.

  1. Set your Weather Triggers, if applicable
    • You can select a weather event you are interested, such as temperature, rain, snow, thunderstorms, etc. When the weather event happens, your ad is triggered to run in the geographic targeting area you have selected.
    • Weather Trigger Campaigns could run all at once or not at all depending on the weather event chosen and the geo. Ads are served when the weather event happens – not when it is forecasted. You can choose more than one Weather Trigger.

Picture this – it starts raining, and suddenly your ad for roofing repair leaks pops up on digital screens in that area. With Weather Triggered DOOH, ads run only when specific conditions occur—rain, snow, extreme heat, you name it, within the local geographic area you specify up front.  If PT Barnum were here, I think he would introduce this razzle dazzle advertising tactic as, “Mother Nature, meet marketing! Buy before we sell out!”

The combination of high visibility, geotargeting, and venue targeting Vici offers along with flexible messaging makes DOOH an essential tool in a marketer’s arsenal.

Because DOOH is a relatively new product, let’s address frequently asked questions.

Does our DOOH have fraud protection?

Yes! All of our DOOH is integrated with DoubleVerify, a sophisticated technology we use across all digital buys, that filters out invalid traffic and checks for brand safety protection, offering an added layer of security for advertisers.

Do I have to run both video and display?

You can run video, display, or both.  Running both will get you the largest inventory.

Do we create the normal digital ad sizes for DOOH display?

No, DOOH has its own display creative sizes that you need to provide. The most common ad sizes are:

    • 1920×1080
    • 1080×1920
    • 1280×960

But if in addition to that you also give us the following it opens inventory including billboards & movie theaters:

    • 1400×400
    • 840×400
    • 1000×400
    • 1600×400
    • 1200×400
    • 600×600
    • 990×495
    • 806×390
    • 3840×1080
    • 1024×576

What length video do I provide for DOOH?

We must have either a :15 (preferred) or :30. You can also provide :6s, :8s, :10s, and :60s to reach additional inventory.

What if my client doesn’t want to run in a particular type of venue, like bars?

We can “blacklist” a type of venue and exclude it, as long as that leaves enough inventory available to serve.

Can I run Restricted Verticals with DOOH?

Yes, but not in all venues.   Often Restricted Verticals (cannabis, fireworks, adult content, gambling, political) run in bars, cannabis dispensaries, and casual dining. Venues available change by state law. Here are the common restricted verticals:

    • Beer, wine, hard liquor – Yes
    • Cannabis and CBD – yes
    • Tobacco – needs pre-approval
    • E-cig – yes
    • Casinos – Yes
    • Gentlemen’s clubs – needs pre-approval
    • Guns, Weapons, Fireworks – NP
    • Supplements – yes
    • Weight loss – yes
    • State lotteries – needs pre-approval
    • Political – yes
    • Medical procedures – yes
    • Short term or high interest loan – needs pre-approval
    • Housing, real estate – yes
    • Recruitment – yes
    • Cryptocurrency – needs pre-approval
    • Loans and credit – yes
    • Bail bonds – yes

What does reporting look like for DOOH?

    • Ads served – performance by day, week, and month
    • Creative performance – file names, and types, display vs video, etc.
    • Venue type performance – breaking out impressions served by venue
    • Geo performance – breaking out impressions served by zip codes or cities. You can request exact locations of the venues where impressions were served as well.

DOOH Success Stories and KPIs

Brands across industries are seeing the benefits of DOOH, from retail to entertainment to tech.

  • Retailers leverage DOOH for in-store promotions, driving foot traffic.
  • Streaming services use it for dynamic countdowns leading up to big releases.
  • Car dealerships place ads at gas stations, catching potential buyers at just the right moment.
  • Restaurants & coffee shops use DOOH for time-based promotions—imagine seeing a fresh burger ad just as your lunch break starts.

How to Get Started with DOOH

  1. Define Your Goals: Are you driving brand awareness? Promoting an event? Boosting local foot traffic?
  2. Choose Your Locations: While you can’t pick exact screens, you can select target areas and exclude certain venue types.
  3. Design Your Creative: Make sure your visuals are high-contrast, easy to read, and tailored for DOOH formats.
  4. Consider Dynamic Triggers: Weather-based triggers, time-of-day shifts, and location-based targeting make your ads more relevant.
  5. Launch & Optimize: Our team of professional experts will monitor your campaign’s performance, make weekly optimizations and reach out for adjustments to messaging as needed.

The Future of DOOH

As technology evolves, expect even more advancements in DOOH:

  • Programmatic Buying: Automated, data-driven ad placements will continue to improve targeting and efficiency.
  • More Interactive Screens: Expect touchscreen capabilities and even AI-driven content adjustments.
  • Augmented Reality (AR) Integration: Some brands are already testing AR-enabled DOOH for immersive experiences.
  • 5G Expansion: Faster data speeds will make real-time updates and high-res video ads even more seamless.
  • Personalized DOOH Experiences: AI-driven customization will allow ads to adapt to real-time audience demographics.
Source:  https://www.smartbrief.com/original/future-of-dooh-predictions-for-2024-and-beyond

The Bottom Line on Digital-Out-Of-Home

DOOH is just as big and bold as the PT Barnum days with new efficiencies and better targeting. It reaches consumers in high-traffic areas, drives engagement, and leverages smart targeting like weather-based triggers.  So, if your brand is still stuck in the online only ad game, it’s time to step outside. Literally. And if you don’t, your competitors definitely will.