Retailers urged to use programmatic OOH for Black Friday boost

Retailers are facing heightened competition to capture shopper attention in the lead-up to Black Friday, with programmatic out-of-home advertising being highlighted as a strategy for driving both brand recall and in-store sales.

OOH's role in peak season

As intense marketing activity surrounds one of the busiest shopping periods of the year, brands are being encouraged to reconsider the allocation of their advertising budgets beyond traditional digital channels. Ben Baker, Managing Director for APAC at Vistar Media, argues that out-of-home (OOH) advertising, and particularly its programmatic variant (pDOOH), remains underused during critical retail events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Baker states, "Black Friday has evolved into one of the most competitive periods in the retail calendar. Every brand wants attention, every channel is crowded, and every marketing dollar is under pressure to perform. Yet as the noise across digital platforms intensifies, marketers often overlook the channel that can create real-world impact: out-of-home (OOH)."

He points to research and industry experience indicating that OOH is effective at driving both awareness and physical action, especially during short, high-intensity campaigns. "For years, OOH has proven its ability to drive brand recall and prompt physical action. During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, that influence becomes even more valuable. Shoppers are already in buying mode, and decisions are being made in minutes rather than days. OOH reaches them in those crucial final moments, close to stores and on the paths that lead directly to purchase. Despite this, the medium continues to be underused compared with digital channels that are often over-saturated and increasingly expensive during peak shopping periods."

Strengthening the path to purchase

Baker observes that while the popular narrative centres on online deals and eCommerce, a significant proportion of Black Friday purchases still happen in physical stores.

"While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are often thought of as digital phenomena, a large share of purchases still happens in-store. OOH excels in driving those visits - reaching consumers at the right time and in the right mindset, while influencing them on the journey between browsing online and buying offline. Yet many brands still allocate the bulk of their budgets to online ads, missing the opportunity to connect that last step between awareness and action."

He suggests that retailers should consider adjusting their media spend to bridge the gap between online marketing and offline shopping behaviour.

"This season, marketers have an opportunity to rebalance. Instead of funnelling all spend into digital, brands should secure their core traditional placements and use programmatic OOH to intensify activity during key shopping windows. Programmematic technology allows budgets to flex around those moments that matter most, increasing investment by 20, 30 or even 40 per cent when competition for consumer attention is at its peak. This approach turns OOH into a performance driver rather than a static backdrop."

Real-time adaptability

Traditional OOH advertising is often locked into fixed schedules, which can limit a brand's ability to respond to rapidly changing market conditions. Baker advocates for the flexibility offered by programmatic OOH, which uses live data for real-time campaign adjustments.

"Traditional OOH campaigns are typically sold in fixed packages that last a month or more. That model offers stability, but it can limit responsiveness during fast-moving retail periods. Programmematic OOH changes that dynamic. Campaigns can be switched on, paused, or shifted in real time based on live data such as weather, store traffic, stock levels or even competitor activity. This flexibility ensures every dollar is directed to where it will have the greatest effect."

This model gives retailers the capacity to target high-traffic areas with tailored messaging at specific times. "Digital screens near shopping centres, transport hubs or busy retail strips can spotlight limited-time offers, count down to major events, or trigger creative based on real-time cues. These targeted bursts of activity generate urgency, build momentum and drive shoppers through the door."

Blending channels for impact

Baker emphasises that the aim should not be to replace digital media, but to use programmatic OOH to amplify moments when shoppers are most receptive and ready to act.

"Programmematic OOH does not replace digital advertising. It strengthens it. Lock in the traditional placements that maintain brand presence throughout the season, then use programmatic to amplify that presence when consumers are most ready to spend. The result is a strategy that combines long-term consistency with short-term intensity."

Baker concludes, "Black Friday is about standing out when every brand is shouting. Programmematic OOH allows marketers to do exactly that by connecting digital speed with physical impact. It gives brands the control to act on real-time insights, the flexibility to respond to market conditions, and the reach to drive measurable results.

As retailers prepare for another record season, the smartest move is not to pour everything into online. Lock down your traditional OOH and blitz the biggest shopping moments with programmatic. That is how to turn awareness into action and make the most important retail week of the year work even harder."