Montreal, Que.—Broadsign has launched Broadsign In-Advance, a new platform feature that automates digital out-of-home (DOOH) transactions and aims to reduce the manual steps involved in campaign planning and buying.

With Broadsign In-Advance, programmatic media buyers can now secure guaranteed DOOH inventory months before campaign delivery using existing automated trading tools. The feature also helps direct buyers streamline the traditionally time-consuming process of finding, curating, and reserving inventory. Broadsign plans to add support for static OOH transactions in a future update.

Since most OOH and DOOH transactions still happen manually, Broadsign designed this tool to help both programmatic and traditional buyers shift to automated workflows. The company says the tool reduces the need for back-and-forth communications with media owners, improves planning flexibility, and simplifies campaign changes. It also gives traditional buyers access to data-driven targeting tools used in programmatic buying, enabling more informed decision-making.

DOOH media owners can use Broadsign In-Advance to automate bookings for selected inventory based on business rules they define. This approach allows them to reach new buyers and expand their revenue opportunities. Demand partners who activate the tool through Broadsign’s Supply-Side Platform (SSP) can access previously unavailable inventory and support new campaign types.

Increased efficiency

WPP Media Netherlands (formerly GroupM Netherlands) has already used the new tool to secure DOOH campaigns in the Netherlands via OutMoove, the first demand-side platform (DSP) to integrate with Broadsign In-Advance.

“We see the potential of Broadsign In-Advance to increase efficiency for media buyers for standalone direct buys or in the mix with programmatic activation,” said Noella Klein Ikkink, practice lead OOH at WPP Media Netherlands. “It could also facilitate more streamlined, packaged buys alongside current buying methods and open up more opportunities to determine the best path forward, depending upon our planning strategy and budget.”

John Dolan, Broadsign’s vice president and global head of media sales, said the broader OOH market still faces transaction complexity, with programmatic representing less than 10 per cent of global DOOH buys. “Booking OOH and DOOH ads today should be as easy as securing a hotel or flight, and automation is the key to making this possible,” Dolan said. “Broadsign In-Advance is the next step in facilitating an industry-wide transition to more automated transactions.”

Broadsign has made the tool available for early adoption through its latest platform update. SSP users and demand partners can now activate the capability by contacting a Broadsign representative or consulting with their preferred demand partner.