Out-of-home (OOH) advertising refers to any paid media that reaches people when they’re outside their homes—think billboards, transit shelters, airport signage, kiosks, and posters. It’s historically been used as a standard brand-awareness channel, especially for institutions looking to boost visibility across a specific city or region. But OOH has evolved.
Today, digital out-of-home (DOOH) is expanding what’s possible, combining the broad reach of traditional placements with the targeting, motion, and measurability of digital campaigns. With DOOH, higher ed marketers can run creative that moves and adapts, while collecting valuable first-party data to retarget audiences later. For institutions looking to connect with prospective students, parents, alumni, and even industry partners, DOOH isn’t just about presence. It’s about impact.
Why is DOOH a powerful strategy for higher ed marketers?
DOOH bridges reach and frequency in a way that’s hard to replicate in other channels. Instead of blanketing a city for one four-week cycle with static placements, DOOH allows you to make a big impression in a short time across multiple locations. That’s especially useful for campaigns around key events like a conference or a local marathon, where you have the ability to be in multiple key locations in one day without using your entire budget.
What makes DOOH really excel is ad creative that embraces and complements the medium. Full-motion graphics, anamorphic artwork, or even simple well-timed messaging can turn a screen into a stop-and-stare moment. The beauty here is you don’t need a Times Square budget. It’s more about aligning context, timing, and message.
More from UB: Why Gen Z has a new nickname: ‘Toolbelt generation’
DOOH also allows advertisers to build a first-party audience. When someone’s device is near a DOOH screen at the time your ad plays, you can collect that exposure data (with consent, via location-enabled apps). That audience can then be retargeted with banner, social, and even Connected TV ads, continuing the ad journey beyond the initial location.
Campaign context + location = success
DOOH campaigns shine when they’re driven by strategy: where you place your ads, who you’re trying to reach, and what message will land best in that moment and environment. For example, airports are a goldmine for higher ed programs targeting working professionals or international applicants. In one campaign promoting a specific program, we placed ads on TV monitors, kiosks, and even security trays in major airports in one state.
The effort was successful because of its relevance to the location of the placement. The creative was clean, bold, and honest. It ditched the classic stock-photo imagery and leaned into authenticity, which resonated in an environment that’s typically a blur of generic messages.
5 strategies to make your DOOH campaigns pop
Here’s how higher ed institutions can make campaigns work harder:
- Go big with DOOH: Where budget allows, experiment with full-motion displays or dynamic creative. In one campaign, we used dozens of screens during a high-traffic day and generated massive exposure in just 8 hours—what would’ve taken weeks to achieve in a traditional buy.
- Match the creative to the moment: It sounds obvious, but many campaigns miss here. The most effective ads don’t just “fit” the media. They use it. Contextual alignment between message and placement makes a huge difference.
- Think beyond traditional placements: Transit shelters, digital kiosks, even screens at race expos or sports arenas can be incredibly valuable. The trick is looking for places where your audience is captive, attentive, and primed for your message.
- Let media lead the creative (not the other way around): Too often, we see institutions develop creative in isolation, then try to retrofit it into placements. Instead, let the media plan inform what kind of stories you tell. A great DOOH concept should feel made for that environment, not cropped and pasted from a different one.
- Use geofencing and retargeting: Don’t stop at exposure. By geofencing event areas or high-traffic zones, you can collect first-party data from exposed devices and extend your campaign online. In one example, we turned three days of DOOH into a three-month digital retargeting program.
Amplifying DOOH with other paid media
DOOH shouldn’t exist in a silo. When integrated into a multichannel campaign, it can be the spark that kicks off a broader user journey, especially if you’re thinking strategically about timing and audience overlap.
For example, when planning a campaign around a high-profile city event, we paired DOOH with digital retargeting. The event drew in a hyper-local, high-intent audience. We geofenced key zones and used exposed device data to follow up with paid media after the event ended.
Even for institutions with modest budgets, this layered approach helps DOOH punch above its weight by seeding interest and then nurturing it through other channels.
Measuring the impact in higher ed
When it comes to any advertising tactic or strategy, measurement and showing ROI is just as important as running the campaign itself. For a holistic view of DOOH ad performance, we typically look at:
- Impressions (how many people likely saw it)
- Plays (how many times the ad ran and how long it was visible)
- Engagement or brand lift (if tied to a post-campaign study)
- Conversions or retargeted clicks (when paired with online follow-ups)
We don’t lean too heavily on QR codes. While they can sometimes be used in the right context, they are often too clunky in environments like transit hubs. Instead, we use exposed device tracking to build retargeting audiences that extend well beyond the impression.
DOOH as a strategic play for higher ed
DOOH isn’t about buying real estate. It’s about buying relevance. With the right creative, smart placements, and a digital extension plan, it becomes a strategic asset rather than a one-off play. For higher ed institutions, that might mean leaning into bold DOOH executions during application season, tapping into transit spaces to reach busy professionals, or geo-targeting high-traffic events to build lasting brand recognition. The key is to treat these tactics as the opening act. When done right, it creates a moment that ignites the user journey and invites them to keep discovering.
