Context matters
A screen near a shop and one in a busy transit location serve different purposes. Check physical location, viewing distance, reading time and conditions before selecting a format.
DOOH · Digital out of home · Planning
Plan screens where your message makes sense
Digital out-of-home advertising places messages on screens in public or commercial environments. Start with location, context and an idea someone can understand in a few seconds. Before estimating outcomes, check which inventory is available and how the supplier reports audience exposure.
LocationThe exposure context
MessageAn easily recognised idea
MeasurementAgreed definitions
Quick answer
What is DOOH and how does it relate to Google?
DOOH is outdoor advertising on digital screens. Within Google's ecosystem, Display & Video 360 allows buyers to purchase DOOH inventory from suppliers; this is different from enabling a Search campaign in Google Ads. Availability and requirements need checking for each purchase. The plan should specify screens, dates, assets, costs and measurement methodology.
Screens, creative and measurement
A message for a brief glance
Prioritise one idea, a recognisable brand and a next step people can remember. Check legibility, proportions and specifications. Do not move an entire web page into the ad.
Exposure is not a sale
Reports can distinguish screen plays from supplier-estimated contacts. These are not automatically unique people or visits to your business. Agree the methodology and observe enquiries or sales separately.
Interactive plan
What should the screens achieve?
Choose a task to prepare the plan. Availability must be confirmed for each screen.
Check routes and physical locations
Review screens along relevant routes, timing and clarity of business access. Link the message to a genuine local need and agree how to check changes in visits or enquiries.
Separate screen plays from estimated contacts
Editable example to understand a media report. It does not represent actual inventory, pricing or results.
Supplier-estimated contacts—
CPM on estimated contacts—
Compare outdoor placements using a stated method
Screens, plays and audiences are different units
For a shopping-centre retailer, inspect the screen, position, hours, creative duration and buying conditions. Request the audience method: one play may represent an estimate of several impressions. That estimate is not a count of unique buyers.
Separate DOOH from ordinary Google Ads campaigns
Google’s digital outdoor buying uses Display & Video 360 and supplier inventory. Suitable screens and conditions must be confirmed for the project. Check creative requirements and actual-play reporting before agreeing a launch.
Example: identical CPM on different screens
Teaching scenario: two proposals have the same estimated CPM, but one is near the relevant shop and the other reaches an unsuitable flow. Compare context, hours and audience estimation. Changing the supplier multiplier in the calculator does not produce verified store visits.
Before launch
Before approving a DOOH plan
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Our approach
How to prepare a launch
Review inventory
Confirm context, availability, dates and supplier terms.
Prepare the message
Adapt assets for brief reading and screen specifications.
Align reporting
Separate estimated exposure, observed actions and sales before drawing conclusions.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Is DOOH enabled like Search in Google Ads?
No. Google's DOOH buying reference is Display & Video 360, using the suppliers and inventory available for that operation.
Are estimated contacts unique people?
Not necessarily. They are a supplier-methodology audience estimate and may include repeated exposures.
Can this page confirm screens by city?
This guide is not a live inventory catalogue. Check location, access and terms before planning.
Does a QR code measure the entire effect?
It records only part of observable behaviour. Missing scans do not measure all exposure; do not automatically attribute every sale to the screen.
Prepare an outdoor plan with clear criteria
We review objectives, context and measurement before evaluating screens and budget.