OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location, and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. This scale provides brands with national ubiquity and targeted local relevance.
We spoke with Stephanie Gutnik, VP of Digital Strategy & Programmatic Sales at OUTFRONT.
What are some recent company highlights?
OUTFRONT recently activated an API integration with Place Exchange, meaning the majority of our roadside digital billboards can be transacted in a non-guaranteed fashion and provide buyers with the flexibility to revise, optimize, start and pause campaigns as desired. We have also onboarded our above-ground transit assets to Place Exchange’s platform for guaranteed programs. Our New York digital urban panels are situated at subway entrances, reach pedestrian passers-by and are video-enabled, which is attractive to buyers looking to reallocate some of their TV and OTT video budgets to reach light TV viewers.
What’s differentiated about OUTFRONT’s inventory?
OUTFRONT is distinguished by its coverage of the Top 50 markets in the US and equally impressive presence in Canada. OUTFRONT’s digital billboards are situated in prime locations and contexts that make it easy for brands to reach premium audiences; from the West Side Highway in New York to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The same can be said for our above-ground transit displays.
OUTFRONT’s quality screens are not only well-situated, but their size gives creatives the opportunity to really make an impact. Unlike most other media channels, ads played on OUTFRONT displays cannot be blocked, skipped or switched off. Brands have the opportunity to create meaningful connections with audiences at scale and “in real life”. Moreover, most assets are purely focused on ads, meaning a brand’s message is the sole focus and is not accompanied by additional content or subject to brand safety concerns.
What kind of data points do you have on the OUTFRONT audience?
OOH gives a level playing field to reach consumers by its “one to many” approach of targeting audiences based on location and context. Campaigns, such as Postmates and The Grinch can be personal and resonate with audiences when creative is custom to cities and areas within them.
OUTFRONT uses a variety of data sources including our internal data management platform focused on audience and journey patterns, as well as syndicated resources such as MRI-Simmons, Scarborough, and Claritas, in addition to Geopath, an OOH industry standard, to support audience targeting. Collectively using a variety of data sources based on the client needs as they look to both plan and execute gives us a unique vantage point to understand audience, journey, and location from a variety of perspectives.
How have you seen the digital OOH landscape change over the last few years?
I joined the industry just under a decade ago, when a leading topic of controversy was the conversion of static assets to digital. Publishers feared cannibalization of revenue and clients didn’t quite know how to approach digital in real world settings. Look how far we’ve come! Creatives are flocking to DOOH for its simplicity and boundless dynamic content opportunities. Meanwhile, buyers across the media landscape have easier access to DOOH supply, along with sophisticated audience planning and measurement options. Proof of DOOH effectiveness has surfaced through this data to coincide with the experience and gut-knowledge of DOOH’s ability to resonate with audiences at scale.
What do you value most in your partnership with Place Exchange?
The Place Exchange team exhibits a high level of professionalism and dedication to growing OOH’s presence in omnichannel campaigns. We feel confident that Place Exchange represents OUTFRONT’s supply to buyers unfamiliar with OOH in a way that makes them understand the value of our screens, locations, and creative potential to ultimately deliver an incredible experience to a brand’s target market (and everyone else lucky enough to view a well-executed OOH activation).
What are you up to outside of work?
I live and breathe OOH these days – when work is done, I transition attention to the OOH-focused doctorate I am pursuing! Work and studies aside, I spend as much time as possible outdoors, laughing with family and friends, and eating carbs.