How Simon Property Group’s DOOH Network Fuels Consumer-Brand Connections

December 14, 2021Kayla Caticchio

It’s no secret that mall-based digital out-of-home advertising packs a significant punch when it comes to efficiently driving brand awareness, engagement, and sales. With Simon Property Group — the world’s largest retail real-estate company — the reach of its media network empowers brands to make the right impressions at the right times.

Where Real-Estate and Media Converge

Renowned for bringing the biggest and best shopping destinations to life, Simon Property Group owns over 200 locations consisting of luxury malls, regional shopping centres, and premium outlets. Its properties, which house the most sought-after brands and provide unparalleled lifestyle experiences, collectively generate over 2 billion visits per year from crucial shopper segments. 

Driven by quality, location accuracy, and innovation, Simon Property Group’s elaborate place-based DOOH network offers the ideal medium through which brands get noticed. Though retailers make up its most significant client segment, the group also caters to automotive, wine and spirits, banking and finance, travel, tech, telecommunications, and entertainment brands. By partnering with Simon, its advertisers instantly benefit from high-profile, efficient, and scalable programmatic advertising displayed across its many properties. For example, CPG brands have noticed considerable success in advertising with Simon Property Group as parents — in particular, moms — tend to visit grocery stores shortly after their mall visits. 

Best-In-Class Hardware that Creates Impactful Experiences

The company clearly understands the value of investing in the right locations and brands to create world-class shopping environments, and it applies this same logic to its DOOH network. Simon’s programmatic inventory consists of state-of-the-art HD digital spectaculars and HD digital ad panels. From size and brightness to general architectural aesthetics, every one of its screens makes a statement. 

Both digital screen types can accommodate full-motion video, allowing media clients to extend the value of their assets beyond the online sphere. While digital spectaculars display large-scale premium video content, digital ad panels come equipped with proximity awareness technology, digital assistants, universal search, mobile connectivity, and of course, integrated advertising. Additionally, all of Simon’s screens boast two cameras, providing elevated onscreen experiences and precise audience measurement.

Location, Location, Location

Not only is Simon Property Group’s DOOH network present in the most popular shopping destinations across the U.S., but the company owns all of these locations as well. Unlike other media network operators or owners, this gives the group the added advantage of maintaining full control over screen placement. As such, its teams position each screen purposefully, in the most high-profile locations, to ensure maximum visibility. 

Innovation at its Core

After experimenting with digital out-of-home in the early 2000s, the company opted for a “slow and steady” approach, waiting until the market was ready before making its next move. Starting with a single LED spectacular in the Houston Galleria in 2013, Simon began adding spectaculars and eventually, digital ad panels, mall by mall. It has since grown its network from a single screen to over 60 digital spectaculars and over 1,175 digital ad panels, with plans to integrate additional screens into more properties beginning in 2022.

From an analytics standpoint, the company has recently partnered with Geopath — a leading audience location measurement provider — making Simon the first shopping centre-based media network whose assets will all be Geopath-rated. 

On the real-estate front, not only is the company actively entering new markets through new acquisitions, but it also makes significant annual investments in renovations and expansions. From hotels and office towers to condominiums and fitness facilities, its ultimate goal is to extend traditional 12-hour shopping centre experiences into 24-hour experiences. 

Simon Property Group & Broadsign

To ensure that its DOOH network runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible, and is accessible to the right buyers and advertisers, Simon relies on a powerful combination of solutions. Broadsign Control’s CMS provides the flexibility and scalability the company requires to maintain full control of content distribution and scheduling across its vast and growing network. Broadsign Reach enables the right kind of network access, allowing programmatic clients to better target and tap into key audience segments in real-time. 

As Simon Property Group continues to expand its properties in the years to come, its reliance on Broadsign’s solutions and integrations will ensure that its DOOH network continues to foster the most valuable connections between brands and shoppers.

Kayla Caticchio
Kayla Caticchio

Content Marketing Manager

Kayla has been a part of Broadsign’s marketing team since 2021, where she specializes in creating content on all things OOH, DOOH, and pDOOH. She spends her free time reading and trying new restaurants.