The proliferation of digital in out-of-home (OOH) advertising across the globe has driven the need for data. Reliable data has driven the ability to plan and buy digital OOH (DOOH) by impressions. The ability to plan and buy by impressions has driven the growth of programmatic DOOH.

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But where are we, the UAE, in this timeline? Well, we’re at the start, the middle and the end at the same time. The proliferation of digital in OOH across the globe has driven the need for data. There has been a boom across the globe in LED conversions and builds, driven mainly by the UK and Australia, with 59 per cent and 56 per cent respectively of the total out of home revenue attributed in those markets to digital, according to PWC’s estimates. In comparison, in the UAE only 11 per cent of the overall outdoor spend is represented by digital, according to Ipsos.

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Clive Humby coined the phrase, “data is the new oil”, and although we’re in the Middle East, the phrase is still relevant when analysing the growth of audience-led, data-driven OOH campaigns. Data alone isn’t the answer, though. Like oil, if unrefined it can’t be used; it needs to be broken down and analysed for it to have value. Right now, data is still in its infancy in the UAE, but there are many new companies offering solutions, with different and alternative systems for measurement and aggregation.

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Reliable data has driven the ability to plan and buy DOOH by impressions. With the increased availability of data and the launch of our new Digital Icons on Sheikh Zayed Road, we have seen a surge in dialogue around impressions-based, audience-first campaigns. The ability to pick the hours of activation, to target a specific moment in time, to react to external factors has piqued the interest of many clients and agencies. Only through the use of digital can you bring these campaigns to life. The leading example of data use so far this year was the campaign for YSL – Libre, using Sheikh Zayed Road, targeting specific hours of the day to capture an affluent retail audience outside of the peak commuter hours. This campaign was activated programmatically by The Trade Desk, via Broadsign Reach.

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The ability to plan and buy by impressions has driven the growth of programmatic DOOH. With the launch of The Triple Crown – three prominent digital billboards on Sheikh Zayed Road near Mall of the Emirates – we have seen an unprecedented rise in demand for digital, but the requests and activations can still be very linear. To truly take advantage of this great product, we need to see more dynamic campaigns activated with a more audience-first mentality. Of course, OOH will always be a one-to-many mass audience solution but the more relevant the message, the more effective your message will be.

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For programmatic out-of-home to truly flourish in this market we need to define the currency; we need to establish one data source as the benchmark for the region. With BackLite Intelligence, we aggregate data from multiple sources then analyse it with custom algorithms, generating insights around traffic flows and audience demographics, to ensure a transparent and robust measurement. Still, this solution is only available for BackLite customers; for the wider industry to adopt programmatic DOOH there needs to be greater collaboration. Programmatic DOOH is still at its infancy and will evolve alongside technology and data measurement to realise its true potential.
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