DOOH DAY 2026: Between tradition and new beginnings

The political headwind

As big as the research construction site is, the concern about another issue seemed even bigger this morning: freedom of advertising.

Vera Baldo-Tschan from KS/CS spoke with sober clarity about a political development whose consequences go far beyond individual poster sites. KS/CS is currently following 73 political deals in Switzerland that want to restrict advertising. When she joined the association a few years ago, this figure was less than half. The number of initiatives at municipal level has increased particularly sharply. This is precisely where outdoor advertising is hit hard, because concessions are awarded in municipalities.

Baldo-Tschan described a situation that can no longer be dismissed as isolated noise. The number of attempts at restriction is growing. The argumentation of those critical of advertising is well known: Advertising promotes consumption, consumption is not sustainable, so outdoor advertising must be curbed or banned. The fact that this logic is catching on in parts of politics is what makes the issue so explosive.

The industry is particularly concerned about Zurich. Around a year ago, a motion was passed there to reduce analog poster advertising and ban digital spaces in the city completely. The analog spaces are to be geared towards the net-zero targets. What exactly "sustainable advertising" means in this context remains vague - but the political will to restrict it is very specific.

Bern was cited as an example of how political processes can also be reversed. In the budget debate there, it was recognized that a radical ban also means a loss of revenue. Zurich, however, remains the real problem child.

There was a sense in the room that this topic unites the industry more emotionally than any methodological research detail. The advertising bans are the clearest common opponent. Paradoxical as it may sound, they also create a certain unity. Where providers compete against each other for market share, a sense of solidarity suddenly arises when the political legitimacy of the medium itself is called into question.

Compared to other media sectors, this is remarkable. Publishers, for example, also have a common enemy in the form of tech platforms, but at the same time work together with these platforms in many ways, distribute content there and benefit from their reach. In out-of-home advertising, the position is clearer. Here, freedom of advertising is not an abstract issue of principle, but the basis of business.

The sector is certainly not badly positioned with KS/CS. However, compared to other lobbying forces, it is not a real power factor in Bern, let alone at municipal level. This is precisely why the political mobilization outlined by Baldo-Tschan is so important. It is not an accessory for this species, but a survival strategy.

Programmatic is growing up

The next major topic was the programmatic booking of DOOH. And here we saw a development that appears much more mature than just a few years ago.

Florian Walz from Splicky presented figures that showed that programmatic DOOH in Switzerland has grown out of the experimental phase. The original 9 agency clients have become 49, the number of end customers served has risen from 17 to 324 and the number of campaigns implemented has increased to 2895 in indexed terms. These figures may come from a specialized market, but they paint a clear picture: programmatic has arrived.

What was particularly exciting was how soberly this growth was categorized. Programmatic is no longer sold as a buzzword, but as an operational reality. Walz described how campaigns in 2020 were still partly handled manually via email and copy-paste - and how this has now evolved towards genuine automation, greater flexibility and more efficiency.

Particularly noteworthy: more than half of all campaigns in Splicky's DSP have a budget of less than CHF 10,000. This shows exactly what potential lies in programmatic access. Small budgets that could hardly be handled economically in the traditional way suddenly become bookable. At the same time, there are also large branding campaigns with significantly higher volumes. Programmatic DOOH is therefore not only relevant as a technical add-on, but also as a door opener for new customer groups and other budget structures.

Sam Lutz from Drop8 supplemented this view with the practice of signals, data and dynamic control. His examples made it clear that programmatic DOOH becomes particularly strong when it is not just automated, but intelligent. Flu advertising linked to Google Trends signals in real time, DCO campaigns with live results, data-driven targeting: this is where DOOH begins to show its true digital quality.

But here, too, the downside became apparent. Programmatic DOOH is more complex to implement and often more expensive than traditional direct booking. The CPM is often higher. And proof that the "smarter" contact was actually more efficient at the end of the day cannot yet be provided in full in reporting. As long as this evidence is lacking, programmatic remains a kind of sandbox for some customers with real potential, but still without the final proof.

This is precisely why it was wise for the speakers not to get bogged down in enthusiasm for technology, but also to name the operational stumbling blocks. CPM limits that are too low, currency effects between the dollar and the Swiss franc, incorrectly deposited deals, targeting rules that are too tight: These are not glamor topics. But this is precisely where it is decided whether programmatic works in practice.

The debate in the publisher panel then made it clear that although programmatic is growing in the portfolios, it does not yet dominate. Livesystems spoke of a single-digit percentage share with double-digit growth, APG of a low double-digit revenue share, Goldbach also of a single-digit range. This is not yet a mass phenomenon. But it has developed far enough that it can no longer be ignored.

It was also noticeable that the industry is already mentally taking the next step when it comes to data quality and signals. Weather, time of day and pollen radar alone are no longer sufficient differentiators. The market is looking for greater relevance, better signals and more precise timing. This is precisely where it is likely to be decided whether programmatic DOOH can translate its current momentum into real scaling in the coming years.

Retail as a new proximity to buying

The third future room of the morning was Retail DOOH. Here, too, it was clear that this is not just a niche topic, but a field in which outdoor advertising can reposition itself.

In his overview of retail media, Oliver Schönfeld showed why screens around the point of sale are so attractive: because they are located in the immediate vicinity of the purchase decision. His three-zone logic - "On the way to store", "Out of store" and "Instore" - brought order to an area that is often described too diffusely. Signposts, impulse generators, finalizers: these terms stick because they explain retail media not only in technological terms, but also from the perspective of the purchasing process.

The central point is: context beats reach. A message that appears in the right place shortly before the purchase decision can be more valuable than significantly more contacts without a direct purchase reference. The term "pre-tail phase" is particularly interesting in this context. Those who make it onto the mental shopping list before the store have an advantage on the shelf.

This is of enormous strategic relevance for out-of-home advertising. This is because it opens up a field in which DOOH is no longer perceived merely as a reach medium, but as a medium with proximity to sales. This proximity also makes retail DOOH exciting for advertising customers who have previously viewed traditional poster advertising more as an image or reminder medium.

At the same time, Schönfeld's point that the screen alone sells nothing was important. Without the right creation, the effect fizzles out. Especially in the retail environment, where there are often only fractions of a second available, the design has to be right. Brand, offer, impulse - everything must be visible at a glance. Technology without creative precision remains mere hardware here too.

The fact that three marketers then presented their retail DOOH solutions in elevator pitches - Diego Quintarelli from Goldbach Neo, Marc Steiner from Displayactive and Khevan Hauser from Excom Media - underlined just how much this field is currently in flux. The market is sorting itself out. And he realizes that proximity to the POS represents an attractive extension of its benefits not only for retailers, but for the entire genre.

Strong together or not at all

Finally, Diego Quintarelli, Adriano Beti and Marcel Baumann, the elephant in the room of the outdoor advertising industry, gathered on stage. Moderated by Marc Goetti, the market's leading providers crossed swords - friendly in tone, but firm in substance.

What was striking was that, despite different interests and tempos, there was an astonishingly high degree of agreement. Everyone wants joint research. Everyone sees programmatic as a growth area. Everyone recognizes retail DOOH as a relevant future area. And they all know that political advertising bans pose a serious threat.

Of course, there are differences in emphasis. APG called for more care and depth in research, Goldbach pointed to data-savvy customer segments with additional growth potential, Livesystems increased the pressure on speed. However, the overarching picture remained clear: this industry is in competition - but it has understood that certain foundations can only be created together.

This is perhaps the real maturity of this medium.

Conclusion

DOOH DAY 2026 made it clear that this genre is more than just a digital upgrade of classic poster advertising. It has a lot of heritage - and this is precisely where its future potential comes from. Switzerland actually has the best prerequisites for this: a great poster culture, a strong understanding of design in public spaces and a market that is manageable enough to actually drive joint solutions forward.

But origin alone is not enough. If you want to shape the future, you also have to be able to measure it, defend it politically and develop it operationally. This is precisely where the major tasks of this industry lie. Research must make progress. Freedom of advertising must be defended. Programmatic must make the step from intelligent option to broader market logic. And retail DOOH must show that proximity to the moment of purchase can be more than just a sales promise.

This medium has a future. But this future does not come about by itself. It lives from its origins, joint efforts and the will to turn tradition into a new beginning.