How do you purchase digital out of home (DOOH) advertising?

Short answer

To purchase DOOH advertising, select screens that match your audience, develop concise motion or video creative, then buy either directly through a media owner or programmatically via a demand-side platform. Set targeting parameters, launch, and optimize using impressions, foot-traffic lift, and conversion data.

What programmatic DOOH actually clears at

EV charging screens have no transacted marketplace volume to report. Roughly a third of DOOH spend on the AdQuick marketplace transacts programmatically.

Source: AdQuick marketplace programmatic transactions (completed plans), July 2025 to June 2026. CPMs are delivered-impression CPMs computed from delivered ad plays, not full-loop traffic, and are not directly comparable to advertiser-share CPMs on directly booked digital inventory.

The four core steps of buying DOOH

Buying DOOH typically follows four stages regardless of which channel or platform you use.

Inventory selection. Identify screens and networks that fit your campaign objectives. Inventory varies by venue type (transit, retail, gyms, billboards), geography, and screen prominence. Platform tools and media owner guidance can help narrow choices based on audience, traffic volume, and environment.

Creative development. Design assets in accepted DOOH formats: static images (JPEG/PNG), motion graphics, or video (MP4). For roadside placements, aim for seven words or fewer, bold high-contrast visuals, and immediate logo visibility. Dynamic creative that pulls live data, such as weather-triggered messaging or countdowns, can improve relevance.

Choosing a buying method. Decide between a direct buy negotiated with a media owner or a programmatic buy placed through a demand-side platform (DSP). Direct buys offer fixed pricing and personal service; programmatic buys offer automation, granular targeting, and flexibility to adjust mid-flight.

Measurement and optimization. Track impressions, reach, frequency, foot-traffic lift, and conversions using mobile location data, unique URLs, or promo codes. When buying programmatically, use real-time performance data to refine targeting and creative during the campaign.

Direct vs. programmatic buying

Direct buys involve negotiating with a media company's sales team. They work well for campaigns focused on one or two markets or specific premium locations, and they offer greater creative control and fixed pricing. The trade-off is longer lead times and less schedule flexibility.

Programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) uses DSPs to bid on digital inventory automatically, similar to online display buying. It enables targeting by venue, location, time of day, and audience segment, and it supports three main transaction types:

• Open Exchange (real-time bidding): Bid on available inventory across a broad supply pool.
• Private Marketplace: Access invitation-only curated inventory at negotiated rates.
• Programmatic Guaranteed: Reserve specific screens at a fixed price with automated delivery.

pDOOH is well suited to multi-city campaigns that need dynamic scheduling or frequent creative updates. Traditional direct buys typically require 7 to 10 business days for creative approvals and inventory confirmation; programmatic buying can allow faster launches.

Self-serve platforms let advertisers pick screens on maps, schedule by hour, upload creatives, and launch without negotiating with sales reps, lowering the barrier for smaller budgets.

Pricing and budgets

DOOH pricing depends on market size, screen type, location quality, and buying method. Most inventory is priced on a CPM basis, but hourly or per-play buying is also common on self-serve platforms.

Hourly or per-play buying can reduce costs by roughly 30% compared to fixed-flight packages by concentrating spend on high-value time slots. Industry practice suggests a minimum of $10,000 per city for a meaningful test campaign. Additional costs include creative production, platform fees, and measurement services. Multi-market bundles, leftover inventory, and longer contract commitments can yield discounts in the range of 5 to 20%.

Targeting, measurement, and best practices

Effective DOOH planning starts with clear objectives: brand awareness, foot-traffic lift, sign-ups, or direct sales. Venue selection should align with audience behavior (pharmacies for health products, bars for younger audiences, for example), and high-traffic locations with strong visibility and dwell time tend to perform best.

For targeting, programmatic platforms allow parameters across geography, venue type, time of day, and audience segment. Dynamic creative further sharpens relevance by responding to real-time conditions.

Campaign durations of one to four weeks are common. Longer flights suit brand-building; shorter bursts work for launches or events.

On measurement, location-based mobile data is the most widely used method for attributing offline visits to DOOH exposure. Cross-channel analytics help isolate DOOH impact across regions and timeframes. Key metrics include effective CPM, cost per outcome (visit or lead), and frequency alongside reach.

How AdQuick handles DOOH purchasing

programmatic DOOH on AdQuick gives buyers access to a consolidated inventory marketplace where screens can be browsed by location and venue type, creative uploaded, and campaigns launched without going through individual media owner sales teams. The platform supports both direct and programmatic buying methods, lets advertisers set granular targeting parameters, and provides measurement tools including mobile attribution to track foot-traffic lift and conversions. For teams running multi-market campaigns or testing DOOH for the first time, this consolidation reduces lead times and simplifies the process of comparing inventory across markets.