Beyond proximity: Unlocking the power of pDOOH

We've all heard the predictions for 2025, but this isn't about predicting the future of pDOOH - this is about shaping it. Let’s be honest, programmatic out-of-home burst onto the scene with the promise of mirroring the precision and audience-centricity of programmatic digital advertising. However, many campaigns still seem intent on prioritising location-driven strategies like proximity over audience, a legacy and hallmark of traditional OOH planning and buying.

This location-centric approach holds back pDOOH's growth and inadvertently creates a system that's incompatible with the data-driven, audience-centric mindset of digital buyers. While proximity has historically been a dominant factor in OOH planning, it shouldn't be a defining factor for pDOOH campaigns. To unlock its full potential, we must start to prioritise audience > proximity and acknowledge that pDOOH offers a sophisticated targeting ecosystem that extends beyond mere proximity.

At its core, traditional OOH has been location-centric. Advertisers select billboards based on proximity, with the goal of connecting with a desired audience. While programmatic DOOH has taken geo-contextual targeting to a more intelligent level, it offers little differentiation to a marketer from a traditional OOH buy.

It's my view, that to truly succeed, pDOOH must speak the language of digital buyers. This means shifting our focus from location to audience. We need to demonstrate that pDOOH can deliver on the core principles that drive digital success: audience-first targeting, flexible buying, real-time optimisation, and seamless integration within the digital ecosystem. By prioritising audience data and leveraging the power of technology to reach specific segments with relevant messages, regardless of their physical location, we can unlock new opportunities, drive measurable results and firmly establish pDOOH as a complimentary and valuable channel for digital buyers.

Now, I'm not saying planners and buyers aren't using audience data to inform buying decisions. In fact, the opposite. 2024 saw a real explosion in quality audience data sources, and with 2025 starting the same way with the likes of T-Mobile acquiring Vistar Media, and Bauer Media buying Clear Channel Europe things are only going to improve. According to VIOOH, a remarkable 91% of UK advertisers expressed a preference for pDOOH solutions that prioritise reaching their target audience over specific locations. Yet many campaigns still seem over-focused with proximity overlays. This begs the question: Are we truly prioritising advertiser preferences? Or is the relentless pursuit of proximity overshadowing the effective use of high-quality audience data in pDOOH campaigns?

This location-centric bias not only limits reach but also stifles innovation. Imagine a luxury car brand focusing solely on high-end neighbourhoods, missing out on engaging affluent professionals during their commutes. By prioritising audience data and throwing off the shackles of proximity-based targeting, the brand could identify and reach these high-value individuals across a wider range of underexposed environments. This audience-first approach, honed in the display world, has driven significant success and is a key factor in the channel contributing the largest share of programmatic revenue.

Many industry veterans, particularly those with a background in early programmatic DOOH platforms, might argue that this is how it's always been done. They might point to the need to maintain a sense of familiarity with traditional OOH buying practices when programmatic DOOH first emerged.

However, this over-reliance on proximity in pDOOH campaigns has hindered the true potential of programmatic DOOH. In an effort to make the transition smoother, the industry inadvertently inherited a legacy of location-centric thinking, failing to fully embrace the data-driven, audience-first principles that differentiate true programmatic from its traditional counterpart. We need to break down data silos & embrace an audience-first mindset.

It's not my opinion that there is no place for proximity in programmatic. It’s certainly a strategy particularly driving foot traffic to stores or local events. However, it should not dictate all pDOOH campaigns. Let's not forget that data is the lynchpin of every successful programmatic campaign – it's our universal language. So, what’s the solution? We need to break down data silos and embrace an audience-first mindset, leveraging the wealth of quality audience data available. By sharing this data openly, we can break free from the shackles of location-centric thinking and unlock the true potential of programmatic out-of-home.