DOOH terms, explained simply

Audience

Audience is the group of people with a real chance to see an ad. How out-of-home audiences are estimated without clicks, with a worked example.

CPM (cost per mille)

CPM (cost per mille) is the price an advertiser pays for one thousand impressions. Plain-language definition with the formula.

DCO (dynamic creative optimization)

DCO (dynamic creative optimization) automatically adapts an ad's content from a template and live data: location, weather, time. Plain-language definition.

Digital billboard

A digital billboard is an advertising screen that plays several ads in rotation. How the loop works, and what to check before you book one.

Direct buying

Direct buying is booking ad space straight from the screen owner, with guaranteed slots and a price agreed upfront. How it compares with programmatic.

DOOH (digital out-of-home)

DOOH (digital out-of-home) is advertising on digital screens in public places: streets, malls, stations and shops. Plain-language definition.

DSP (demand-side platform)

A DSP (demand-side platform) is software advertisers use to buy ad space automatically from many sellers. How it works for DOOH screens, with an example.

Frequency

Frequency is the average number of times one person sees your ad. How it is calculated, a worked example, and why repetition matters on screens.

Impression

An impression is one opportunity for a person to see an ad. In out-of-home, impressions are estimated from audience and traffic data. Plain-language definition.

Impression multiplier

The impression multiplier is the number of people who can see one ad play on a DOOH screen. How it is estimated and how it changes your CPM.

Inventory

Inventory is all the advertising space available on a screen network: screens, hours and free airtime. How it works, and what to look for as a buyer.

OOH (out-of-home)

OOH (out-of-home) is any advertising that reaches people outside their home: billboards, posters, transit ads and digital screens. Plain-language definition.

Programmatic DOOH

Programmatic DOOH is buying digital out-of-home screen time automatically through software instead of manual contracts. Plain-language definition.

Reach

Reach is the number of different people who saw a campaign at least once. How it is estimated for public screens, and how it relates to frequency.

RTB (real-time bidding)

RTB (real-time bidding) is an automated auction where buyers bid for an ad play just before it airs. How it works on DOOH screens, with a worked example.

Share of voice (SoV)

Share of voice (SoV) is the portion of advertising presence one brand holds compared with everything else in the same space. Plain-language definition.

SocialDOOH

SocialDOOH is putting content a brand already made for social media on street screens. How the recycling works, and why it matters for a local campaign.

SSP (supply-side platform)

An SSP (supply-side platform) is software screen owners use to sell ad space automatically to many buyers. How floor prices, deals and auctions work.

VAC (visibility-adjusted contact)

VAC (visibility-adjusted contact) is an out-of-home impression adjusted for how likely people were to actually see the ad. Plain-language definition.

Viewability

Viewability measures how many of the people counted near an ad could actually see it. How out-of-home visibility is estimated, with an example.