OOH vs DOOH: Key Differences and When To Use Each

When it comes to reaching people in the real world, outdoor advertising (OOH) has long been a powerful tool for building visibility and driving awareness. But with the rise of digital screens and data-driven targeting, Digital OOH (DOOH) is rewriting the playbook.

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If you’ve ever wondered whether to stick with traditional billboards or go digital with dynamic digital displays, you’re not alone. In this post, we break down the key differences between OOH and DOOH—and help you decide which is right for your next campaign.

Before we explore the key differences, it’s important to first understand what Out-of-Home (OOH) Advertising and Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising actually are.

What is Out-Of-Home Advertising?

Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising refers to any form of advertising that reaches consumers when they are outside of their homes. This includes static billboards, posters, transit ads, and street furniture placements designed to capture attention in public spaces. Old school OOH is all about placing bold, memorable messages where a large and diverse audience naturally passes by.

Want a deeper breakdown of OOH advertising formats and examples? [Check out our complete guide to Out-of-Home Advertising here.]

What is Digital Out-Of-Home Advertising?

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising takes traditional OOH formats and upgrades them with digital screens, dynamic content, and real-time flexibility. Whether it’s digital billboards, transit displays, or interactive kiosks, DOOH allows advertisers to deliver more targeted, timely, and engaging campaigns across physical locations using automated and data-driven technology.

Curious about how DOOH works and why it’s growing so fast? [Read our complete guide to Digital Out-of-Home Advertising here.]

Difference between OOH Advertising and DOOH Advertising

When it comes to outdoor advertising, both traditional out of home (OOH) and digital out of home (DOOH) formats are designed to capture attention in public spaces. However, the way they deliver content, target audiences, and measure success is very different. Each approach has its own unique benefits, depending on your marketing goals, consumer behavior, and campaign strategy.

Let’s break down the key differences between traditional OOH and DOOH advertising formats:

1. Format

Traditional OOH advertising relies on static formats like printed billboards, posters, and bus wraps. These are physically installed at selected ad placements and remain unchanged throughout the campaign.

In contrast, Digital OOH (DOOH) advertising uses digital screens, LED displays, and high-definition panels. These digital formats allow for greater creative freedom, rotating multiple ads in real time across out of home spaces.

[To learn more about our various advertising formats check out: OOH Advertising Formats]

2. Content Delivery

Traditional outdoor ads features fixed creative that stays the same from the start to the end of a campaign. Once the billboard or poster goes up, you’re locked into that single message.

With programmatic DOOH advertising, content can be dynamic, changing throughout the day based on time, audience demographics, weather, or even live data feeds. Brands can show dynamic content that adapts instantly, keeping campaigns fresh and with relevant content.

3. Buying Process

In OOH advertising, buying media involves manual negotiations with media owners. Advertisers must book ad space weeks or months in advance, typically paying flat fees for set durations.

With programmatic advertising buying in DOOH, advertisers use demand side platforms (DSPs) and supply side platforms (SSPs) to automate and optimize the buying process. This automated process allows brands to launch campaigns faster and more flexibly, without manual back-and-forth.

4. Targeting Capabilities

OOH targeting is primarily location-based. The idea is simple: place a billboard where your target audience is likely to pass by. However, it lacks precision beyond broad geographic selection.

Programmatic DOOH campaigns offer much deeper audience targeting.

Using mobile data, real-time location data insights, and behavioral triggers, advertisers can deliver personalized ads based on who is nearby, not just where the screen is located.

5. Interactivity

Static OOH offers no interactivity—viewers simply pass by ooh ads without the ability to engage further.

DOOH introduces interactive elements like QR codes, touchscreens, motion sensors, and mobile-triggered actions. These tools transform passive viewing into active engagement, making the ad campaign more memorable and actionable.

6. Measurement and Attribution

In traditional OOH, performance is measured using broad estimates based on foot traffic and vehicle counts, offering limited granularity.

Programmatic digital advertising provides advanced measurement options. Using real-time data, footfall tracking, mobile retargeting, and attribution models, brands can tie exposure to real-world actions, website visits, and store traffic—similar to online advertising standards.

7. Flexibility

Once booked, traditional OOH campaigns are locked into fixed schedules and static creatives. Changes mid-campaign are costly and logistically challenging.

DOOH’s automated buying allows brands to launch, pause, adjust, or even swap creatives mid-flight based on performance metrics or changing conditions. This kind of agility is critical for modern advertising strategies.

8. Creative Capabilities

Traditional billboards and posters offer space for just one message per ad unit. If you want to communicate multiple promotions, you need multiple ad buys.

Digital OOH advertising allows for multiple creatives per screen. Brands can rotate promotions, adapt messaging based on external factors, or run sequential storytelling using video ads and animation—enhancing the overall consumer journey.

9. Scalability

Scaling the OOH campaigns is labor-intensive. It requires coordinating physical installations, printing materials, and securing additional ooh space manually.

Programmatic DOOH campaigns are easily scalable. Advertisers can access multiple publishers and different locations nationwide through a single platform, enabling massive scale without operational headaches.

10. Cost Structure

Traditional OOH generally operates on a flat-fee basis—you pay for a set amount of time regardless of audience size or engagement.

DOOH operates more like digital advertisements, using a CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) model or real-time bidding via open auction or private marketplace deals. Advertisers only pay for verified impressions, optimizing every dollar of ad spend.

Marketing Strategy Matters When Choosing Between OOH and DOOH

When building an effective marketing strategy, it’s not just about choosing between static or digital formats—it’s about matching the right tool to the right goal.

Traditional out of home advertising is ideal when you want to deliver a broad, consistent message across a large population without the need for constant updates. Think brand's visibility and awareness campaigns, product launches, or large-scale image building formats where outdoor advertising excels in reaching a diverse audience with high impact.

Meanwhile, digital out of home shines when your marketing strategy requires more agility, personalized messaging, real-time updates, or data-driven targeting. DOOH allows brands to adapt quickly to changing conditions, integrate seamlessly with online advertising, and create engaging journeys that move audiences across multiple channels.

Choosing between the two isn’t about which is better—it’s about which one aligns with your campaign objectives, your target audience, and how dynamic your messaging needs to be.

When to Choose OOH vs DOOH Advertising

Choosing between OOH and DOOH formats depends on your campaign objectives, audience behavior, and how dynamic your message needs to be. Both options offer many benefits, but they serve different roles in a modern advertising strategy. The right fit often depends on how and where you want your advertisements to show up in people’s daily lives.

Choose OOH When…

• You need broad exposure across various locations. Traditional OOH is perfect for campaigns aiming to reach a wide audience across shopping centers, highways, or transit routes. These placements leave a lasting impression through scale and repetition.

• Your message is simple and long-lasting.For campaigns that don’t require frequent updates, like awareness efforts or evergreen promotions, static placements still work well. They offer great ad inventory for brands that want reliable, long-term visibility.

• You want a strong presence in iconic or high-traffic areas. Physical billboards in areas like Times Square, or static posters at bus stops continue to be effective at driving brand visibility in the physical world.

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Choose DOOH When…

• You need dynamic advertising that can adapt in real-time. DOOH ads shine when your campaign relies on live updates, time-of-day scheduling, or targeted messaging. Thanks to digital signage and smart content delivery systems, your brand can remain highly relevant at every moment.

  
  

• You’re working with programmatic ad buying. If your strategy involves automation, real-time bidding, or scaling across digital networks, DOOH offers access to flexible ad inventory through a connected digital infrastructure.

  
  

• You want measurable impact and audience engagement. From in-store promotions to interactive displays in shopping centers, DOOH ads give you the tools to track performance, retarget users, and create experiences that connect offline touchpoints with online behavior.