Programmatic DOOH Explained: How Smart Outdoor Ads Drive Better Results

Why It’s Time for Brands and Agencies to Embrace Smarter Outdoor Advertising

Key takeaways:

• Programmatic OOH (pDOOH) automates the buying of digital out-of-home inventory with real-time targeting.
• More brands are going programmatic due to its flexibility, efficiency, and omnichannel integration potential.
• Success in pDOOH requires context-aware creative and measurement aligned with digital KPIs.
• Lancôme’s campaign shows how data and design can transform outdoor media into a performance channel

The OOH Revolution Has Begun

The world of out-of-home (OOH) advertising is evolving rapidly, and programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH) is leading the charge. Once considered static and broad, outdoor advertising has now entered the era of automation, data, and precision targeting. 

If you’re a brand marketer or agency professional seeking innovative ways to engage your audience, programmatic OOH advertising offers the best of both worlds—instant visibility and impact of traditional out-of-home, combined with the precision, targeting, and convenience of digital advertising.

What is Programmatic OOH?

Programmatic OOH refers to the automated buying and selling of digital advertising space on public screens – like digital billboards, transit displays, and screens in malls or office buildings. 

Rather than booking media deals manually weeks in advance, marketers use real-time bidding and targeting data to serve ads based on: 

• Location 
• Time of day 
• Audience demographics and behavior
• Weather or contextual signals.

It’s a smarter, more dynamic way to reach people in the real world—combining the impact of outdoor ads with the agility of digital marketing.

Why More Brands Are Going Programmatic

Image Source: IAB UK

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) forecasts, DOOH is projected to account for 75% of the total OOH market while programmatic OOH is set to capture16% of all OOH ad spend by 2027. Why? Because it brings a range of benefits that traditional OOH simply can’t match:

Flexibility: Launch, pause, or tweak your campaign in real time—no long lead times or locked-in buys.

Targeting: Show your ad only when certain conditions are met—specific times, locations, audience types, or even weather changes.

Smarter Spend: Optimize your budget with real-time bidding, ensuring you only pay for the most valuable impressions.

Speed: Automation simplifies the process, saving time and resources across planning, execution, and reporting.

Data-Driven Insights: Get live performance tracking that matches your digital KPIs.

Omnichannel Integration: Seamlessly align pDOOH with mobile, social, and display campaigns for a cohesive brand experience. You can even re-target audiences you have reached through OOH!

Image Source: Canva AI 

The Technology Behind the Scenes

To make pDOOH work, several key platforms come together:

DSP (Demand-Side Platform): Lets advertisers buy ad space in real time across many screens, targeting based on data, budget, and objectives.

DMP (Data Management Platform): Gathers and organizes data from various sources to help segment audiences and target them effectively.

Creative Tips for pDOOH

Outdoor ads need to be simple, bold, and quick to grasp—viewers typically have just a few seconds.

• Use large fonts and minimal text.
• Make sure your branding is always visible.
• Tailor creatives to the environment (time of day, weather, or location).
• Add QR codes or hashtags to drive engagement and track results.
• Please try to avoid trying to force fit your ATL ad creatives to OOH.

Image Source: MW Measure 

Measuring What Matters

The biggest advantage of pDOOH is accountability. With real-time data, you can:

• Prove ROI through foot traffic, scans, and conversions.
• Adjust campaigns on the fly based on what’s working.
• Align OOH metrics with your digital dashboard.
• Have pre-campaign estimates and compare with post campaign analytics.

Real Results: A Lancôme Success Story

Image Source: Moving Walls

Luxury beauty brand Lancôme launched a programmatic campaign in partnership with Moving Walls to promote their limited-edition serum during the Chinese New Year. Lancôme strategized their campaign by:

• Targeting high-footfall malls in premium neighborhoods.
• Running ads during peak visitation windows.
• Using real-time footfall and audience data to optimize screen selection.

The result?

• 107% higher impressions than pre-campaign estimates.
• 105% better audience match
• 78% of viewers were repeat mall visitors—right in the brand’s target zone

The outcome: strong visibility and high alignment with premium skincare buyers—all trackable, verifiable, and repeatable.

Ready to Try Programmatic OOH?

Programmatic OOH is no longer just the future—it’s happening now. With the right strategy and technology, your brand can stand out in the real world with precision and power.

Try it today with Moving Walls—the global leader in programmatic DOOH. Whether you’re launching your first outdoor campaign or looking to level up your media mix, we’ll help you plan, activate, and measure smarter campaigns.

Contact us to get started with your first programmatic OOH campaign – and see how outdoor advertising can finally work as smart as your digital media.

Also, read: The Benefits of Programmatic DOOH