You have been referring to Digital Out-of-Home as a “launchpad of innovation”. What do you mean by that?

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Some people are surprised when I describe Out-of-Home, arguably the world’s original advertising medium, as a launchpad of innovation. But today, that statement is more accurate than ever.

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At DPAA, our mission is centered on the digitization, growth, and innovation of the industry, and our members continue to redefine what is possible through Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH). The medium has evolved into one of the most technologically dynamic and creatively flexible channels in advertising, delivering not only extraordinary brand visibility, but increasingly measurable business outcomes and ROI.

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Our members are embracing advancements across AI, dynamic creative optimization, contextual targeting, 3D executions, augmented reality, holograms, drones, QR integration, and interactive experiences that connect physical and digital environments in powerful ways.

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What makes DOOH especially exciting is that innovation is not theoretical, it exists in the real world, at scale, in consumers’ daily journeys. As technologies like autonomous vehicles, connected mobility, smart cities, and location intelligence continue to evolve, DOOH is uniquely positioned to capitalize on these shifts, from in-car advertising ecosystems to responsive roadside experiences triggered by consumer behavior and proximity. In many ways, DOOH has become the bridge between digital precision and real-world impact.

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What other innovations should brands and agencies look to DOOH to power?

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I may be biased, but I believe DOOH has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary ability not only to drive innovation, but also to adapt to and even benefit from technological disruption.

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When consumers began skipping television commercials and viewing shifted toward streaming, marketers quickly realized something important: you cannot skip the advertising messages consumers encounter in the physical world. DOOH became increasingly valuable because it reaches audiences in moments where attention and context matter deeply. Today, as ad-supported streaming continues to grow and consumer journeys become more fragmented, DOOH is once again proving uniquely effective as both a brand-building and performance-driving medium.

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What makes DOOH particularly powerful is its ability to influence consumers throughout the entire path to purchase, whether that’s in a 2026 FIFA World Cup host city, near a retail environment, within transit ecosystems, around entertainment venues, or in proximity to major industry events and conferences.

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DOOH exists at the intersection of physical presence, cultural relevance, and technological sophistication, and that combination is increasingly valuable in today’s media landscape.

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AI tends to dominate the conversation around innovation, but what does the industry need to take away from that trend?

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Artificial intelligence, especially generative AI, is reshaping virtually every aspect of media and marketing, and what excites me most is how rapidly the DOOH industry is embracing and operationalizing these advancements.

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Our members are leveraging AI to improve measurement, optimize ROI, streamline planning and buying, enhance audience targeting, and unlock new levels of creativity and personalization within campaigns.

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But there is another equally important trend emerging alongside AI: consumers’ growing desire for authentic, real-world experiences.

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As screen fatigue and digital overload continue to intensify, people increasingly want moments that feel tangible, human, and connected to the physical world. That creates a tremendous opportunity for Out-of-Home media.

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DOOH is inherently rooted in real-life environments and shared public experiences. It reaches consumers as

they move through cities, transportation systems, retail environments, entertainment districts, and everyday life. It can surprise, delight, inform, and inspire people in ways that purely digital experiences often cannot.

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In a world where consumers increasingly question what is real, what is manipulated, and what can be trusted, brands benefit from existing visibly and credibly in public spaces. Out-of-Home media carries an inherent authenticity because it lives openly in the real world, in full view of communities and consumers alike.

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That authenticity, combined with the scale, creativity, precision, and innovation now possible through DOOH, is one of the medium’s greatest strengths and one of the reasons its future is so extraordinarily bright.