Collaboration over competition: the key to unlocking UK prDOOH potential

While programmatic digital out-of-home prDOOH spend is predicted to increase by 46.1% to $229.7M this year according to Emarketer, the reality is that growth could be even more dramatic if we addressed the fundamental barriers media owners face.

The biggest obstacle isn't technical - it's building trust with the media owners that their inventory will be handled correctly. Media owners in the UK are struggling with a fundamental loss of visibility and control that can come with programmatic buying. Out-of-home (OOH) is one of the oldest and most trusted mediums, and media owners are accustomed to having significant input into campaigns. In the programmatic world, all the planning and data application happens on the demand-side platform (DSP), leaving media owners feeling disconnected from the process. 

This visibility gap creates a trust deficit that permeates every aspect of programmatic adoption. When I speak with media owners, their primary concern isn't whether programmatic works, it's whether they can trust that their premium inventory is being utilised effectively. They want assurance that campaigns are set up correctly and that the technology protecting their brand reputation is robust enough to prevent inappropriate ad serving.

The education challenge 

Perhaps the most pervasive barrier is education, or rather, the lack of it across the entire ecosystem. People don't know what they don't know, and this applies equally to media owners, DSPs, buyers and media agencies. The goal is to build trust on all sides and automate processes as much as possible to enable accelerated revenue growth. 

PrDOOH creates the illusion of being more complicated to plan and buy in the programmatic space. This can be dispelled by working with partners to debunk any myths and misconceptions, to define where a buy is programmatic versus where it should be a traditional buy. 

Technology and standardisation hurdles 

When you integrate one of the oldest media channels into programmatic systems, significant technological adaptation is required. The technology must continuously evolve to accommodate out-of-home's unique characteristics while remaining compatible with other digital channels across omnichannel campaigns. 

The lack of standardisation throughout the ecosystem creates additional friction. Each media owner operates differently, making it challenging for DSPs to provide consistent signals for fair comparisons. This fragmentation compromises buyer confidence and slows adoption rates. 

The benefits of collaboration  

Collaboration is essential to overcoming fragmentation. Media owner screens exist in a range of environments - gyms, offices, shopping centres, roadside, bus stops - each offering distinct advantages and unique contextual value. These screens shouldn’t be siloed or seen as competitors. When buyers can access and combine this diverse inventory programmatically, the result is a more impactful campaign. By aligning on standards and working together to support unified access, the ecosystem becomes easier to navigate, encouraging investment and increasing the overall value of DOOH. 

Overcoming these barriers 
 

1. Education and training: Education across the whole ecosystem, including internal teams, is essential so the understanding of programmatic versus traditional media buying is clear. This includes utilising resources like Vistar Academy courses and participating in industry training sessions. Education builds the trust necessary for programmatic adoption
2. Embrace automation: The key to growth lies in trusting automated systems to deliver results. Everyone should resist the urge to micromanage every campaign detail and have a focus on continual development of robust technology frameworks that protect their inventory while allowing campaigns to flow naturally
3. Leverage technology to build trust: Work with partners in the ecosystem to continually offer feedback and develop technological features that build trust for all stakeholders. This will help build campaign effectiveness without compromising the automated nature of programmatic buying
4. Foster transparent collaboration: Growth in prDOOH relies on a more connected ecosystem. Media owners and technology providers must work together to simplify the landscape, share best practices and standardise data signals. By fostering open, transparent partnerships and understanding each other’s requirements, we can remove friction, build trust and give buyers the consistency they need to plan confidently
5. Focus on incremental revenue: The goal of programmatic is to build incremental value on top of the £1.6 billion OOH spend that already exists and tap into the larger £32 billion programmatic advertising market

The obstacles preventing prDOOH growth in the UK are surmountable. By embracing education, automation and collaboration while leveraging technology to build trust, we can unlock the channel's full potential.  

The strongest commitment to programmatic, combined with trust in the technology and processes, will drive the growth this dynamic channel deserves and, ultimately, benefit the entire advertising industry.