Virginie Chesnais, Chief Marketing Officer at Happydemics, explores the strategic role of DOOH in the media mix and its impact on campaign performance. Backed by extensive brand lift studies, this blog highlights how measurement helps drive better marketing outcomes.
Digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising is reshaping the advertising landscape, blending the physical and digital worlds to deliver memorable brand experiences. While traditional out-of-home formats have always excelled in visibility, DOOH takes this to the next level by integrating data, dynamic creativity, and omnichannel synergies.
As a global solution for measuring advertising effectiveness across all online and offline media, including measuring the effectiveness of DOOH campaigns for companies like Broadsign, Happydemics delivers actionable, full-funnel metrics collected among targeted audiences, and offers one of the most comprehensive industry benchmarks to enable advertisers to compare to industry standards and optimize strategies.
With over 1,050 DOOH brand lift studies across 27 countries since 2022, we’ve seen firsthand how this medium enhances campaign performance. In this post, we’ll explore DOOH’s evolution, its strategic role in the media mix, and how marketers can leverage it to drive results at every stage of the funnel. We’ll also discuss how brand lift measurement helps demonstrate DOOH’s effectiveness, refine offerings, and deliver better outcomes across the board.
The evolution of DOOH: A must-have medium
Once viewed as a traditional and static format, DOOH has undergone a dramatic transformation. It has transformed the way we experience public spaces, blending cutting-edge technology with the pulse of urban life. Over the past decade, it has evolved into immersive displays that seamlessly integrate into our environments. No longer just an advertising medium, DOOH has become a storyteller, using motion, data, and real-time information to engage with us in the most relevant and meaningful ways. It now stands at the intersection of technology, creativity, and strategy, making it a vital part of omnichannel marketing.
Why DOOH matters more than ever
- From visibility to engagement: DOOH’s evolution from static billboards to dynamic, interactive formats has expanded its capabilities. Advertisers can now deliver real-time updates, location-specific messages, and interactive campaigns.
- Shaping consumer behavior: Positioned in urban centers, transportation hubs, and retail environments, DOOH captures attention where people make decisions. This strategic placement bridges offline and online, influencing both immediate actions and long-term brand perceptions.
In today’s media-saturated world, DOOH excels at cutting through the noise. Its bold, large-scale visuals and dynamic content are not only eye-catching but also foster deeper emotional connections. As part of omnichannel strategies, DOOH strengthens cross-channel message consistency and creates seamless consumer journeys.
DOOH’s strategic role in omnichannel campaigns
DOOH is highly effective at showcasing creative content and enhancing ad perception compared to other media. Its large, dynamic formats are not only clearer and more engaging but also provide a strong platform for sophisticated brand image building.
The medium excels in delivering clear messages and shaping brand positioning, making it a powerful tool for highlighting key aspects of a brand’s identity. When integrated with other channels, DOOH becomes even more powerful at driving action—like purchases, inquiries, or recommendations—creating a compelling force for influencing consumer intent. Its visual dynamism, large-scale formats, and real-time adaptability make it effective across awareness, consideration, and conversion, solidifying its value for both brand building and consumer engagement.
This graph is based on the Happydemics benchmark, which includes 6,500 Brand Lift studies. The “+Xpts” value represents the performance difference from the benchmark, showcasing how this media surpasses the average of all other media for this specific KPI.
- Upper section: DOOH performance by funnel phase compared to the average of all media.
- Lower section: Best-performing media by funnel phase compared to the average of all media.
When integrated into a broader omnichannel strategy, the medium amplifies impact by working in synergy with other media channels. A successful multichannel approach relies on consistency and relevance, and DOOH strengthens this by extending reach and maximizing engagement.
It also pairs exceptionally well with digital channels. For example, combining DOOH with social media elevates brand visibility, with both channels reinforcing each other’s messages. DOOH enables the delivery of contextually relevant content to targeted audiences. After viewing a DOOH display, consumers are more likely to search for the brand or engage with mobile ads. This connection between the physical and digital worlds ensures that the brand message stays top-of-mind across all touchpoints.
During the consideration phase, DOOH continues to build on brand awareness, reinforcing messages and showcasing localized offers. Its flexibility allows for dynamic, contextually relevant content, ensuring ads remain timely, engaging, and persuasive, nudging audiences closer to decision-making.
Moving down the funnel, leveraging in-game advertising, where context is crucial, can further drive consumer intent. As part of a full-funnel strategy, DOOH works seamlessly with OOH, social media, and in-game ads to drive specific consumer actions. This combination ensures that every stage of the journey is optimized—whether building awareness, enhancing brand image, sparking curiosity, or driving conversion. With DOOH at the core, brands can create campaigns that deliver precise messaging and maximize impact at every stage.
Campaign types that benefit most from DOOH
- Product launches: DOOH is particularly effective for showcasing new products, delivering high ad recall, and building awareness in saturated markets.
- Seasonal promotions: Time-sensitive campaigns leverage DOOH’s flexibility to adapt messaging in real-time, ensuring maximum relevance.
- Service-based industries: Our analysis shows that service brands see the highest ad recall uplift with DOOH, making it a top choice for industries like travel, finance, and healthcare.
Measurement: The key to optimizing the media mix
In today’s fragmented and competitive advertising landscape, measurement is essential for campaign success—especially in DOOH, which operates in diverse, high-saturation environments. With a 135%+ increase in DOOH measurement activations on the Happydemics platform from 2023 to 2024, the industry is increasingly recognizing measurement as a necessity. By comparing ad recall, brand preference, or purchase intent between exposed and control groups, advertisers can determine the true impact of their campaigns.
Making the medium work for you
With tools to measure uplift and track performance, brands can now optimize DOOH’s placement in campaigns and refine their media strategies to deliver greater impact. The lesson is clear: the key to success lies in working across the funnel, ensuring every medium contributes to a cohesive, high-performing campaign.
As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, DOOH will remain a must-have medium—not as a standalone solution, but as a vital piece of the omnichannel puzzle.
