The Growth of Programmatic DOOH in the UK

The adoption of programmatic DOOH has been the fastest in the US, but now UK advertisers are also coming around to the benefits and efficiencies of pDOOH. 

In a recent survey, 70% of UK advertisers asked said they plan to prioritise integrating prDOOH more closely in multi-channel campaigns. 

So, we can confidently state that things are looking good for programmatic DOOH growth across the United Kingdom.

Keep reading as we explore the key reasons behind the shift towards programmatic Digital Out-of-Home advertising and discuss why more and more advertisers and brands are convinced it’s a worthwhile investment that yields results.

How Will Programmatic DOOH Growth Continue in the UK? 

There are clear indicators of the UK programmatic DOOH advertising adoption rate catching up with the US, and of programmatic media buying becoming a more mainstream choice for UK media planners. 

An industry report into the global programmatic DOOH industry conducted in September 2023 forecast that programmatic advertising spend worldwide would grow by 32% in the 18-month period between September 2023 and March 2025.

Using Unmissable High-Impact Formats 

High-impact DOOH formats that maximise visibility will make the greatest impact. 

The simple speedy nature of programmatic media buying for unmissable high-impact formats is one of the key driving forces behind the programmatic DOOH growth in the UK. 

Digital billboards, bus stops and street-level advertising are all common digital Out-of-Home formats that you see in most UK cities these days. But transit media is a DOOH format that is even better at maximising your brand visibility and connecting effectively with hard to reach audiences in bustling cities.

At Drovo, we offer programmatically-activated  on-vehicle high-definition screen campaigns in London that respond to real-world triggers, such as: 

• Changes in weather conditions
• Changes in temperature
• Changes in local footfall
• Changes in location

We are the first to market in the UK offering OOH transit media screen campaigns.

Leveraging Enhanced Audience Targeting Capabilities 

Another reason behind programmatic DOOH’s growth in the UK is that advertisers have been impressed by its data-driven approach to targeting audiences. 

You might be looking to focus on targeting outdoor audiences with specific characteristics, likes, interests, and consumer habits in your Digital Out-of-Home campaigns. 

Behavioural targeting in programmatic advertising enables you to display creatives to outdoor audiences who best fit a specific profile of behaviour. 

Behavioural targeting can also be based on the application usage of audiences, targeting them according to the sorts of apps they regularly use.

Reducing Lead Times Thanks to Fast Campaign Activation with Programmatic DOOH

Out-of-Home advertising is as competitive as ever given that the rise of digital technology has made setting up large-scale campaigns that much easier. 

Another benefit of launching Programmatic DOOH campaigns is that they only take a matter of minutes to set up and schedule on a programmatic DSP. 

Are you an advertiser looking to serve ads to outdoor audiences which are in line with the latest industry trends? 

The fast activation capabilities and short lead times of programmatic advertising will work wonders when you need to get your DOOH campaign on the road ASAP. 

Retargeting Outdoor Audiences on Digital Devices 

In 2024, the conversation doesn’t have to end when outdoor audiences see your DOOH ads. 

Leveraging retargeting technology available in programmatic DOOH campaigns today means brands and advertisers are able to retarget their consumers also on their digital devices.

The shadowfencing technology feature we offer at Drovo for on-vehicle campaigns delivers complimentary digital ads to the mobile devices of outdoor audiences in close proximity to the vehicle.

In a test run of shadowfencing’s capabilities in the US, its retargeting ads saw an uplift in Click-Through Rate performance of 40%, showing how this technology drives up engagement on digital devices when linked to DOOH campaigns.

Through shadowfencing and retargeting audiences, we are bridging the gap between offline OOH and digital advertising. 

Serving Audiences with Contextually Relevant Ads

An advertising industry study by IAS in 2021 found that contextually relevant ads were up to 40% more memorable for audiences. 

Programmatic technology increases your brand exposure and serves audiences with contextually relevant ads that intrigue them into interacting with your brand and finding out more about what you offer.

Brands are able to amplify the power of their DOOH messaging by providing audiences with contextually relevant ads. 

Serving outdoor audiences contextually relevant ads which correlate to their immediate location and the current weather etc allows you to advertise to audiences that are more likely to be interested in the product(s) or service(s) featured in your campaign. 

Providing Insightful Accurate Campaign Data Analytics

Programmatic DOOH today is able to provide brands and advertisers with accurate campaign data and analytics to measure impressions, footfall traffic, and online conversions from campaigns. 

This data allows you to monitor campaign performance more effectively, and to produce better quality in-depth reports to show what your programmatic DOOH campaign efforts achieved.