3 Steps to Grow In-Mall Revenue with Programmatic DOOH

Key Takeaways

• Digital screens in malls are high-value media assets that remain under-monetized.
• Retail media ad spend is accelerating, with shopping malls well-positioned to capture this spend.
• Programmatic DOOH allows malls to automate ad sales, attract premium advertisers, and increase recurring revenue.

Turning Foot Traffic into Advertising Revenue

Shopping malls are experiencing a resurgence. As consumers return to in-person experiences, mall owners must re-evaluate how to optimize the productivity of every square foot—not just for tenants but for their own long-term revenue.

Digital screens placed within shopping malls represent an overlooked yet powerful asset. Originally installed for navigation, ambience, or tenant promotions, these displays are ideally positioned to become monetizable media surfaces that brands are actively looking to utilize.

Source: AdTelligent.com 

Retail media spending is forecasted to exceed $177 billion globally by 2025. While much of this has gone to online storefronts and apps, over 80 percent of purchases still happen in physical retail. This means malls are naturally aligned to become part of the retail media ecosystem, provided they have the tools to do so.

The question is no longer if you should monetize your screens, but how fast you can start.

The New Strategic Role of In-Mall Media

Shopping malls deliver what advertisers want most: high-intent audiences, long dwell times, and real-world influence. Every shopper is a potential buyer, and every step they take is an opportunity for targeted messaging.

With the right platform, your screen network can:

• Deliver contextual, real-time messages
• Increase brand visibility near purchase points
• Drive footfall to specific stores and categories
• Provide measurable results tied to actual consumer behavior

Image Source: Moving Walls

Step 1: Inventory Audit and Digitization

Begin by auditing and organizing your screen network. This includes:

• Mapping all digital assets (entrance displays, atrium screens, kiosks, food court signage, etc.)
• Standardizing screen specs and locations
• Ensuring all screens can support digital ad playback
• Consolidating fragmented operations under a single content and inventory management system

This foundational step gives mall operators full visibility and control of their media assets—critical for scalable monetization.

Step 2: Connect to Programmatic Infrastructure

Once your screens are digitized, the next step is enabling automated monetization through programmatic platforms.

With platforms like Moving Walls, malls can connect their inventory to a global programmatic marketplace via a SSP (Supply-Side Platform). This platform:

• Exposes your inventory to premium global advertisers
• Enables real-time bidding and dynamic pricing
• Automates scheduling, campaign delivery, and reporting
• Allows for contextual targeting based on time, location, and audience data

No more relying solely on local direct sales teams. With programmatic DOOH, you gain exposure to a wider demand pool, including top-tier brands with larger budgets.

Step 3: Optimize for Advertiser Performance

Advertisers demand measurable outcomes. To attract and retain high-value clients, mall media must deliver metrics they can trust.

Using MW Measure, Moving Walls equips you to report on:

• Impressions and reach by time, screen, and location
• Footfall attribution—how many shoppers visited a store after seeing an ad
• Brand lift, purchase intent, and campaign impact
• Digital conversions linked to in-mall exposure

This data not only validates media value but enables strategic pricing, stronger partnerships, and repeat business.

How Brands Are Driving Measurable Impact with In-Mall DOOH

Image Source: Neutrogena Uses Premium Placed–Based Screens in India To Build Awareness for New Product Launch

Programmatic DOOH has proven itself to be a performance engine. These campaigns demonstrate how brands are leveraging high-traffic environments like malls and transit hubs to move consumers through the funnel and achieve tangible marketing outcomes.

The Neutrogena Bright Boost campaign at Mumbai Airport serves as a prime example of achieving top-of-funnel impact in a high-dwell-time environment. By activating 38 digital screens in a key transit hub, the brand generated 2.45 million impressions in just 15 days.

High-traffic transit and retail locations are ideal for product launches and awareness campaigns. The key is securing massive reach among a relevant audience. For Neutrogena, the airport provided a captive audience of consumers, including affluent travelers, driving recognition for a new product in a competitive market. 

Image Source: PepsiCo boosts brand lift with programmatic DOOH

In Malaysia, PepsiCo used programmatic DOOH to raise awareness and impact within the competitive RTD market. The campaign resulted in a 19% increase in brand awareness, proving the channel’s effectiveness in building brand recognition and consideration. The ability to use real-time audience data allowed them to optimize the campaign on the fly, ensuring maximum impact.

Why Partner with Moving Walls

Moving Walls is Asia’s leading programmatic DOOH platform, offering centralised inventory management, global advertiser access, campaign automation, and advanced measurement tools. Our platform empowers malls to operate like media networks, delivering data-driven, scalable outcomes for advertisers and tenants alike.

Source: Moving Walls – MW Measure

Moving Walls delivers the full infrastructure needed to operate your mall like a media network. Our platform includes:

• Centralized screen inventory and booking management
• Global ad demand through MW Reach
• Content scheduling and creative approval tools
• Deep analytics and attribution reporting via MW Measure

More than just a tech provider, we act as your strategic partner—helping you set pricing, package offerings, and go to market with confidence.

Image source: Stepping up the retail game – why you should consider Programmatic DOOH to drive footfall to your venues

Capture Your Share of the Retail Media Boom

Retail media is not just for online stores. Shopping malls have the foot traffic, attention, and screen infrastructure to compete at scale. With programmatic DOOH, your property can unlock recurring, high-margin revenue while offering tenants and advertisers a better way to engage consumers.

You already own the space. Now it’s time to own the media opportunity.

Ready to monetize your mall’s screen network and build a future-proof revenue stream?

Schedule a complimentary strategy session with Moving Walls. We’ll assess your inventory, show you what’s possible, and create a roadmap to launch and scale your in-mall media business.

Let’s transform your screens into a dynamic, data-driven profit center—one step at a time.