What We Learned From Collecting 100,000 Targeted Facebook Ads

Since we launched our Facebook Political Ad Collector project in fall 2017, more than 16,000 people have participated in it. They all agreed to install a browser plug-in that anonymously sent us the ads they see when they browse Facebook. We used that data to understand and report on how political messaging on Facebook works, and how the system is being gamed to manipulate the public discourse. Although the number of users is large, over the summer we noticed a potential snag: We were receiving more ads from Democrats and progressive groups than from Republicans or conservative groups. Our hunch was that this was because we had more liberal participants than conservatives ones.

Spotlight

CANDDi (Campaign and Digital Intelligence Limited)

Campaign and Digital Intelligence: the Prospect Analytics Pioneer. CANDDi tells you WHO is on your website, not just how many people. It tracks visitors across time and multiple devices, combining behavioral data with social profile information to provide actionable sales insight to boost ROI.

OTHER ARTICLES
Advertiser Campaign Management

Ghost Ads and Bidding to Measure Incrementality

Article | August 12, 2022

Marketers and agencies must investigate the relevant counterfactual to advertising exposure to assess advertising effectiveness. Ghost ads can compare exposed and non-exposed consumers to measure ad-related behavior changes. What are Ghost Ads? Ghost ads are a great way to measure ad effectiveness or incrementality (the lift or increase in desired outcome through marketing) because they allow brands to see how their ad is received by two distinct consumer groups: those targeted and those who would have seen it organically. Leveraging Ghost Ads for Causal Ad Measurement: Here is why leveraging ghost ads to measure ad-related behavioral changes is a great idea: You don’t need to invest additional funds to create a control group You can have extensive reach within the DSP (demand-side platform) You can measure behavior for all formats such as mobile, audio and CTV Ghost Bidding: Mapping Consumer Behavior: In ghost bidding, a DSP platform accepts auctions for ad placements on publisher websites/apps/connected devices and bids on them. It records whether the auction was won (and the ad displayed). Before bidding, the platform assigns the user ID to a control or exposed group. For control group users, the bid is withdrawn so that no ad was shown during the study. This creates two identical groups, one that saw the ad and one that didn’t. You can then compare the test and control groups' website purchases, landing page visits, etc. Over a period of time, it is possible to record large effect sizes across several behaviors. A Large U.S-based Apparel Company Measured Their Ad Incrementality Using Ghost Ads: Using ghost ads and ghost bidding, a U.S based apparel company measured its ad incrementality. Over 21 million unique individuals saw the company’s ads over a 15 month period, for an average of around 35.4 ads per individual. The exposed group had a 1.42% greater chance of visiting the site, for a topline lift of 54.9%, compared to the ghost ad viewers. With this information, the company was able to optimize its advertising campaigns on the flu to have a bigger impact on its audience. Last Word: Cost-per-click, cost-per-site-visit, and other metrics used by marketers don't show any change in advertising behavior. Ghost Ads are the most cost-effective way to analyze digital marketing campaigns' causality.

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Retargeting

Netflix Opens Doors to Ads After Subscriber Count Takes a Nosedive

Article | July 20, 2022

Netflix Takes an Unexpected Route Popular streaming giant Netflix’s subscriber count plummeted for the first time in a decade. After it announced the loss of 200K subscribers in Q1 of 2022, its stocks dipped more than 35%. In addition, a shareholder recently sued the platform for violating securities law after its subscriber growth reached an all-time low and the stock value crashed, making the picture bleaker. It’s not surprising that the platform had a change of heart about bringing advertising to its platform. The decision puts the platform in the same category as its competitors, HBO Max, Amazon’s Freevee, and Disney+, who want to offer cheaper, ad-enabled content to consumers. It also addresses the company’s issue of slow revenue growth. “Those who have followed Netflix know that I’ve been against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription, But as much as I’m a fan of that, I’m a bigger fan of consumer choice.” co-CEO Reed Hastings What Do Advertisers Think? The advertising community had mixed reactions to the announcement. Long commercials are not an option on streaming platforms like Netflix. The ads run only for a few minutes every hour to retain the viewer experience. Despite this, advertisers are excited to target Netflix’s rich audience of over 200 million. There is no clarity on who will sell the ads and how the campaigns will be managed. Only time will tell how Netflix’s move will affect its subscribers and the advertising market. The company will keep ad-free tiers for subscribers who wish to enjoy high-quality ad-free content. It may change its subscription plans to offer low-cost plans with ads and minimize password sharing. There is no set timeline or regions decided for implementing these plans. The company hopes that this “consumer choice” to choose a cheaper plan will revive its subscriber growth graph. What Comes Next? Though Netflix has done the unexpected, it is giving well-established ad-funded broadcasters and streaming platforms a reason to worry. As of now, the potential for a low-cost VOD service equipped with ads is huge for advertisers. Once the plans are introduced, new audience profiles will emerge. Advertisers will want to understand and target them. As an ad platform, Netflix’s performance will only be understood through testing and learning.

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Social Media Advertising

Power up Your Mobile Ad Campaigns with These Four Tricks

Article | July 14, 2022

Did you know that there are over three billion smartphone users globally? While browsing through varied content, they see ads relevant to things they explore in their downloaded apps and games. In addition, they receive offers through SMS and see banner ads on websites they visit. These ads are a part of mobile ad campaigns specifically targeting a certain demographic. Some examples of mobile ads include carousel ads, image and text ads on Facebook, Snapchat filters and ads, video ads on YouTube, notifications from downloaded apps, ads that play between videos or games, and Instagram Story ads. Why are advertisers so keen on utilizing mobile ad campaigns? Mobile Ad Campaigns Speak the Revenue Language Marketers understand the power and impact of mobile phones on users’ lives. As a result, U.S. marketers spent a record 120 billion U.S. dollars on mobile promotion in 2020. (Statista). Mobile ad campaigns can achieve tremendous results and bring in revenue for you by creating a connection with the user through personalization and by catering to all kinds of online audience on-the-go. “The mobile device has become our communications hub, our diary, our entertainment portal, our primary source of media consumption, our wallet and our gateway to real-time information tailored to our needs. The revolution is now!” - Nihal Mehta, Founding General Partner at Eniac Ventures Mobile Advertising Covers All the Bases Companies engage in mobile advertising for objectives like lead generation, customer retention through new offers, brand engagement activities like contests, and creating awareness about a product or a service. Mobile ads are the preferred channel for advertising because: They are cost-effective Allow geo-targeting Get a quick response Can be easily tracked Let us look at all the tricks that can help you optimize your mobile ad campaigns. Grab the Users’ Attention Imagine mobile users aggressively scrolling on their phones. Your ad should make them stop and grab their attention enough to make them read it. The goals of your ad campaigns should be clear. If you are looking to redirect the user to your website or want them to click on the ad, your campaign execution should align with these goals. Adding Value Through Your Messaging Pushing your message effectively to the user can ensure the success of your campaign. Your text should be crisp and sharp, interesting yet simple to comprehend. Use popular phrases or buzz words to create a connection with the users. Don’t Underestimate Visual Appeal Visual appeal plays a vital role in the way users react to ads. The image size of your ad, the moving flow, and the options for interacting with the ads can impact your ad’s performance. Ensure that you never interrupt your user’s reading flow when they are browsing and that the visuals of your ad are pleasant and appealing to the eye. Remember, Brevity is the Soul of Wit The content of your ad should be impressive enough to make the users engage with it. Users will respond to clear copy, visuals and your message’s simplicity. Furthermore, make sure that your landing pages are bug-free, load quickly and relate to your display ad so that the users can form a tangible connection between them. Wrapping It Up Mobile advertising helps brands remain connected to their customers around the clock while on the move. It is a personalized and flexible type of advertising that can help advertisers understand the lifestyle of targeted customers to offer them just what they need.

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Ad Networks

How to Use Customer Match for Google Ads with Zapier

Article | December 13, 2021

Zapier announced its Customer Match feature is now more widely available for Google Ads to all eligible users. As an expert Google Ads agency that uses Zapier’s automation features in our own campaigns, our team knows how useful Customer Match is to reach advertising goals and increase return on investment (ROI), making its expanded capabilities for Google Ads big news. This article will introduce the Zapier and its Customer Match tool, tell you how to get started using Customer Match for Google Ads with Zapier, and outline its benefits for first-party audience data in ad campaigns.

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Spotlight

CANDDi (Campaign and Digital Intelligence Limited)

Campaign and Digital Intelligence: the Prospect Analytics Pioneer. CANDDi tells you WHO is on your website, not just how many people. It tracks visitors across time and multiple devices, combining behavioral data with social profile information to provide actionable sales insight to boost ROI.

Related News

Advertiser Platforms

AlgoriX & LiveRamp Partner to Accelerate Addressability for the Mobile Advertising Ecosystem

ExchangeWire | October 25, 2023

AlgoriX and LiveRamp have announced a multifaceted partnership to accelerate the cookieless transition for the digital advertising ecosystem. AlgoriX will enable global customers of its demand-side platform (DSP) and supply-side platform (SSP) to transact on LiveRamp’s RampID, as well as incorporate LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution SDK into the AlgoriX SDK to accelerate the mobile app ecosystem’s deployment of Authenticated Traffic Solution. More than 450 of the world’s leading advertisers activate campaigns on RampID through LiveRamp’s data collaboration platform. AlgoriX joins more than 165 DSPs and SSPs that have integrated with LiveRamp’s solutions globally, enabling reaching high-value audiences at scale and delivering personalized experiences across browsers, mobile devices, and CTV. As advertisers look to address signal loss on mobile, authenticated inventory offers a powerful solution that can deliver results for publishers and marketers that often surpass what they were generating with cookies and mobile device IDs, said Frederic Liow, AlgoriX SVP for revenue growth & strategy. LiveRamp has helped lead the market in advancing authenticated identity as a viable alternative to help the ecosystem prepare for a post-signal loss future, and integrating our solutions will provide a powerful boost to our customers and developers. Additionally, AlgoriX will incorporate LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution SDK into the AlgoriX SDK, enhancing the offering for developers looking to accelerate their success in the mobile and in-app advertising space. Leveraging AlgoriX’s SDK, these developers can now quickly leverage and deploy LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution, increasing the addressability of their opted-in app users, and improving monetization of their inventory. “Consumers in APAC are mobile-first, which made it a natural fit to partner with AlgoriX given their history as a leader in the region and in the mobile app space,” said Travis Clinger, SVP, activations and addressability, LiveRamp. “LiveRamp has proven it can drive results for mobile developers, and as the market experiences more signal loss, with these new partnerships there’s no excuse for stakeholders to delay benefitting from the superior results authenticated identity can drive.” About AlgoriX AlgoriX is an independent global media and technology company. Backed by investments from top international venture capitalists, its core team is equipped with years of experience from global leading internet and ad tech companies. Through our team’s expertise, AlgoriX is able to bring to our partner's best-in-class technology solutions and know-how to effectively scale their revenue and deliver results.

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Ad Tech and Martech

IAS Launches New Made for Advertising (MFA) AI-Driven Site Detection and Avoidance Technology

Integral Ad Science | October 19, 2023

Integral Ad Science (Nasdaq: IAS), a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, today announced a new Made for Advertising (MFA) AI-driven site detection and avoidance product. The company's MFA site technology aims to improve transparency into advertiser campaign quality, identify where spend is being allocated, and inform optimizations to minimize waste on MFA sites. MFA sites are web pages featuring low quality content (e.g. spam sites, or ad farms) created solely to serve ads, and are optimized to perform well against traditional verification metrics, such as viewability. However, advertising spend on these sites does not drive meaningful outcomes, such as conversions or brand lift. IAS's new product leverages AI to uncover MFA sites at scale, allowing advertisers to take back control of their media quality and cut down on wasted spend. During Alpha testing, IAS delivered comprehensive campaign analysis demonstrating superior MFA site identification for some of the world's largest advertisers and agencies. IAS's product supports the Association of National Advertisers' (ANA) recent definition of MFA sites and incorporates characteristics such as ad-to-content ratio, ad refresh rate, and the source of the traffic coming to the site to classify a site as MFA. According to the ANA's Programmatic Media Supply Chain Transparency Study, 21% of all advertisement impressions measured were served on MFA sites. Our MFA product was built to deliver unprecedented transparency to advertisers and provide them with the ability to both detect and avoid MFA sites in order to redirect their ad spend to publishers that drive a return, said Yannis Dosios, Chief Commercial Officer, Integral Ad Science. The industry faces a significant challenge in combating MFA sites. By leveraging AI, we have developed a scalable way to identify these low quality sources of inventory and improve overall campaign performance. Advertisers and their agencies need confidence that the industry is converging on agreement about the specific websites that compose the MFA category. By training its model against Jounce Media's widely adopted list of MFA domains and incorporating signals from Sincera, IAS has developed the industry's first pressure tested solution for detecting and blocking MFA at scale. "Advertisers should recognize that MFA websites can account for a significant portion of their overall campaign and should determine, independently, if MFA sites fit with their brand suitability standards for content and user experience. We applaud IAS for taking action after we released the findings from our programmatic transparency report and for supporting our definition of MFA," said Bill Duggan, ANA group executive vice president. "We have found that awareness of MFA sites among the ANA community of media professionals to be limited – which is surprising. We look forward to further developments from IAS around MFA site identification and ad spend optimization to help better educate and inform buyers." The IAS MFA product completed alpha testing in early October 2023, and is available now as a beta measurement offering for select customers. General availability is expected to expand to all customers in early 2024. About Integral Ad Science Integral Ad Science (IAS) is a leading global media measurement and optimization platform that delivers the industry's most actionable data to drive superior results for the world's largest advertisers, publishers, and media platforms. IAS's software provides comprehensive and enriched data that ensures ads are seen by real people in safe and suitable environments, while improving return on ad spend for advertisers and yield for publishers. Our mission is to be the global benchmark for trust and transparency in digital media quality. For more information, visit integralads.com.

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Ad Tech and Martech

VIOOH & Yahoo Partner to Explore the Value prDOOH Delivers Within Multichannel Campaigns

ExchangeWire | October 17, 2023

Today, VIOOH, the leading premium global digital out-of-home (DOOH) supply-side platform in partnership with Yahoo Advertising has released a whitepaper examining the potential outcomes of including programmatic digital out-of-home (prDOOH) within multi-channel campaigns. As outlined in VIOOH’s annual State of the Nation report, a key request from advertisers is to understand how prDOOH fits within multi-channel campaigns, and how to best measure its impact. Analysing a series of case studies, the report outlines the best way for advertisers to maximise multi-channel campaign impact through the inclusion of prDOOH. Findings indicate that prDOOH’s inclusion in multi-channel media plans can drive more attention, boost engagement, and improve overall campaign effectiveness. Two key outcomes are clear: 1: Including prDOOH in a multi-channel media plan adds incremental value to the return on investment (ROI) of the digital media mix due to the priming effect - DOOH plays an important role in preparing consumers for conversions during re-engagements on other channels. 2: prDOOH as a channel can boost offline outcomes in terms of sales and footfall as a result of its ‘attention-grabbing’ characteristics and flexibility as a programmatic medium. The report also outlines how advertisers can optimise targeting, increase brand awareness, and drive consumer behaviour offline and online by leveraging the strengths of both broadcast and digital channels to deliver ROI. Helen Miall, CMO at VIOOH said, This whitepaper has been prompted by a significant increase in demand for prDOOH from advertisers, and a desire to understand how it can best be used alongside and within multi-channel campaigns. This report highlights its potential for delivering effective campaigns across upper and lower funnel tactics, and how prDOOH can be successfully combined with individual media to drive campaign effectiveness. Alice Beecroft, senior director, global strategy & partnerships at Yahoo said, “In today’s digital media landscape, programmatic digital out-of-home provides advertisers with the crucial ability to adapt in real-time. This adaptability is essential for effectively engaging their audience within a comprehensive omnichannel campaign. The results in the whitepaper show how prDOOH as part of the digital marketing mix drives incremental value where a connected bridge is formed with other channels to reach consumers wherever and whenever it matters most.” About VIOOH VIOOH is a leading premium global digital out of home supply side platform. Launched in 2018 and with headquarters in London, VIOOH’s platform connects buyers and sellers in a premium marketplace, making OOH easily accessible. Led by a team of digital OOH and programmatic tech experts, VIOOH is pioneering the transformation of the OOH sector, championing its role in enhancing omni-channel digital campaigns through the use of programmatic capabilities and data. VIOOH currently trades programmatically in 19 markets, with more to follow.

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Advertiser Platforms

AlgoriX & LiveRamp Partner to Accelerate Addressability for the Mobile Advertising Ecosystem

ExchangeWire | October 25, 2023

AlgoriX and LiveRamp have announced a multifaceted partnership to accelerate the cookieless transition for the digital advertising ecosystem. AlgoriX will enable global customers of its demand-side platform (DSP) and supply-side platform (SSP) to transact on LiveRamp’s RampID, as well as incorporate LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution SDK into the AlgoriX SDK to accelerate the mobile app ecosystem’s deployment of Authenticated Traffic Solution. More than 450 of the world’s leading advertisers activate campaigns on RampID through LiveRamp’s data collaboration platform. AlgoriX joins more than 165 DSPs and SSPs that have integrated with LiveRamp’s solutions globally, enabling reaching high-value audiences at scale and delivering personalized experiences across browsers, mobile devices, and CTV. As advertisers look to address signal loss on mobile, authenticated inventory offers a powerful solution that can deliver results for publishers and marketers that often surpass what they were generating with cookies and mobile device IDs, said Frederic Liow, AlgoriX SVP for revenue growth & strategy. LiveRamp has helped lead the market in advancing authenticated identity as a viable alternative to help the ecosystem prepare for a post-signal loss future, and integrating our solutions will provide a powerful boost to our customers and developers. Additionally, AlgoriX will incorporate LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution SDK into the AlgoriX SDK, enhancing the offering for developers looking to accelerate their success in the mobile and in-app advertising space. Leveraging AlgoriX’s SDK, these developers can now quickly leverage and deploy LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution, increasing the addressability of their opted-in app users, and improving monetization of their inventory. “Consumers in APAC are mobile-first, which made it a natural fit to partner with AlgoriX given their history as a leader in the region and in the mobile app space,” said Travis Clinger, SVP, activations and addressability, LiveRamp. “LiveRamp has proven it can drive results for mobile developers, and as the market experiences more signal loss, with these new partnerships there’s no excuse for stakeholders to delay benefitting from the superior results authenticated identity can drive.” About AlgoriX AlgoriX is an independent global media and technology company. Backed by investments from top international venture capitalists, its core team is equipped with years of experience from global leading internet and ad tech companies. Through our team’s expertise, AlgoriX is able to bring to our partner's best-in-class technology solutions and know-how to effectively scale their revenue and deliver results.

Read More

Ad Tech and Martech

IAS Launches New Made for Advertising (MFA) AI-Driven Site Detection and Avoidance Technology

Integral Ad Science | October 19, 2023

Integral Ad Science (Nasdaq: IAS), a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, today announced a new Made for Advertising (MFA) AI-driven site detection and avoidance product. The company's MFA site technology aims to improve transparency into advertiser campaign quality, identify where spend is being allocated, and inform optimizations to minimize waste on MFA sites. MFA sites are web pages featuring low quality content (e.g. spam sites, or ad farms) created solely to serve ads, and are optimized to perform well against traditional verification metrics, such as viewability. However, advertising spend on these sites does not drive meaningful outcomes, such as conversions or brand lift. IAS's new product leverages AI to uncover MFA sites at scale, allowing advertisers to take back control of their media quality and cut down on wasted spend. During Alpha testing, IAS delivered comprehensive campaign analysis demonstrating superior MFA site identification for some of the world's largest advertisers and agencies. IAS's product supports the Association of National Advertisers' (ANA) recent definition of MFA sites and incorporates characteristics such as ad-to-content ratio, ad refresh rate, and the source of the traffic coming to the site to classify a site as MFA. According to the ANA's Programmatic Media Supply Chain Transparency Study, 21% of all advertisement impressions measured were served on MFA sites. Our MFA product was built to deliver unprecedented transparency to advertisers and provide them with the ability to both detect and avoid MFA sites in order to redirect their ad spend to publishers that drive a return, said Yannis Dosios, Chief Commercial Officer, Integral Ad Science. The industry faces a significant challenge in combating MFA sites. By leveraging AI, we have developed a scalable way to identify these low quality sources of inventory and improve overall campaign performance. Advertisers and their agencies need confidence that the industry is converging on agreement about the specific websites that compose the MFA category. By training its model against Jounce Media's widely adopted list of MFA domains and incorporating signals from Sincera, IAS has developed the industry's first pressure tested solution for detecting and blocking MFA at scale. "Advertisers should recognize that MFA websites can account for a significant portion of their overall campaign and should determine, independently, if MFA sites fit with their brand suitability standards for content and user experience. We applaud IAS for taking action after we released the findings from our programmatic transparency report and for supporting our definition of MFA," said Bill Duggan, ANA group executive vice president. "We have found that awareness of MFA sites among the ANA community of media professionals to be limited – which is surprising. We look forward to further developments from IAS around MFA site identification and ad spend optimization to help better educate and inform buyers." The IAS MFA product completed alpha testing in early October 2023, and is available now as a beta measurement offering for select customers. General availability is expected to expand to all customers in early 2024. About Integral Ad Science Integral Ad Science (IAS) is a leading global media measurement and optimization platform that delivers the industry's most actionable data to drive superior results for the world's largest advertisers, publishers, and media platforms. IAS's software provides comprehensive and enriched data that ensures ads are seen by real people in safe and suitable environments, while improving return on ad spend for advertisers and yield for publishers. Our mission is to be the global benchmark for trust and transparency in digital media quality. For more information, visit integralads.com.

Read More

Ad Tech and Martech

VIOOH & Yahoo Partner to Explore the Value prDOOH Delivers Within Multichannel Campaigns

ExchangeWire | October 17, 2023

Today, VIOOH, the leading premium global digital out-of-home (DOOH) supply-side platform in partnership with Yahoo Advertising has released a whitepaper examining the potential outcomes of including programmatic digital out-of-home (prDOOH) within multi-channel campaigns. As outlined in VIOOH’s annual State of the Nation report, a key request from advertisers is to understand how prDOOH fits within multi-channel campaigns, and how to best measure its impact. Analysing a series of case studies, the report outlines the best way for advertisers to maximise multi-channel campaign impact through the inclusion of prDOOH. Findings indicate that prDOOH’s inclusion in multi-channel media plans can drive more attention, boost engagement, and improve overall campaign effectiveness. Two key outcomes are clear: 1: Including prDOOH in a multi-channel media plan adds incremental value to the return on investment (ROI) of the digital media mix due to the priming effect - DOOH plays an important role in preparing consumers for conversions during re-engagements on other channels. 2: prDOOH as a channel can boost offline outcomes in terms of sales and footfall as a result of its ‘attention-grabbing’ characteristics and flexibility as a programmatic medium. The report also outlines how advertisers can optimise targeting, increase brand awareness, and drive consumer behaviour offline and online by leveraging the strengths of both broadcast and digital channels to deliver ROI. Helen Miall, CMO at VIOOH said, This whitepaper has been prompted by a significant increase in demand for prDOOH from advertisers, and a desire to understand how it can best be used alongside and within multi-channel campaigns. This report highlights its potential for delivering effective campaigns across upper and lower funnel tactics, and how prDOOH can be successfully combined with individual media to drive campaign effectiveness. Alice Beecroft, senior director, global strategy & partnerships at Yahoo said, “In today’s digital media landscape, programmatic digital out-of-home provides advertisers with the crucial ability to adapt in real-time. This adaptability is essential for effectively engaging their audience within a comprehensive omnichannel campaign. The results in the whitepaper show how prDOOH as part of the digital marketing mix drives incremental value where a connected bridge is formed with other channels to reach consumers wherever and whenever it matters most.” About VIOOH VIOOH is a leading premium global digital out of home supply side platform. Launched in 2018 and with headquarters in London, VIOOH’s platform connects buyers and sellers in a premium marketplace, making OOH easily accessible. Led by a team of digital OOH and programmatic tech experts, VIOOH is pioneering the transformation of the OOH sector, championing its role in enhancing omni-channel digital campaigns through the use of programmatic capabilities and data. VIOOH currently trades programmatically in 19 markets, with more to follow.

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Events