More visuals, please.
Adtech company Adform—which also offers a DSP—unveiled a new feature last week, right before the holiday. And it sounds pretty useful. The company is rolling out what it claims is “the industry’s first-ever inventory discovery feature” for DOOH, allowing advertisers using its DSP to view available DOOH inventory on an interactive, map-based interface to simplify planning and buying.
At launch, the solution will be available across 15 markets. The map interface will surface not only inventory locations but also contextual data on venue type, proximity, demographics, and additional signals like weather, dayparting, and local events, the latter of which are powered by an integration with location data company Adsquare. Inventory partners include Hivestack and Broadsign, making this tool a more centralized way to access Adform’s DOOH supply.
Why This Matters:
DOOH inventory often flies under the radar, but it’s growing fast.
According to data from The Business Research Company, globally, DOOH ad spend is projected to hit a record near $22 billion in 2025. At the same time, consumer sentiment is shifting in favor of DOOH. More people not only enjoy DOOH ads but also act on them, says research from the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) and The Harris Poll. Their data shows that roughly 3-in-4 consumers view DOOH ads favorably, and roughly 76% of recent viewers said they took some sort of action after seeing one.
With all of that in mind, any effort to unlock DOOH’s value and simplify the buying process feels like a no-brainer. This also feels well-timed given we’re seeing more commerce and retail media networks invest in DOOH, which likely means we’ll see more inventory options, overall, available in the near future.
Experts React:
According to Anna Bager, President & CEO of the OAAA. “Marketers are increasingly seeing the value of DOOH, and it is reflected in the growth DOOH is seeing.” Yeah, she’s biased, but the growth is certainly there based on investments increasing.
Meanwhile, Oliver Dragic, Managing Director at Pilot, had this to say in the Adform DOOH visual tool announcement release: “Adform’s map-based interface simplifies DOOH planning by cutting through complexity and offering a streamlined workflow across channels.”
Our Take:
While the industry obsesses over AI and agentic tools, simple improvements in usability—like making interfaces more visual and interactive—can go a long way. DOOH on a map just makes sense. And if Adform is right that this is the first time a DSP has offered something like this? That’s kind of wild. Sometimes, the “new” innovation is just catching up to what should’ve existed already, damnit.
