Out of Home becomes the trigger for mobile interactions
Public spaces are digitally connected: (Digital) Out-of-Home is increasingly triggering online searches, social media interactions, and m-commerce while people are on the go. The latest MAX 2026 study by Walldecaux shows that two out of three respondents convert (D)OOH impulses directly into specific online actions—an increase of about 20 percent since 2016.
Our everyday lives are hybrid: we move around the city and are constantly online. Digital activities that take place on the move have increased massively over the last ten years. The fourth edition of the current MAX Study 2026 by Walldecaux clearly shows that 90% of respondents access social media on the move and 88% make their purchases on the move via mobile devices.
(Digital) Out of Home is increasingly becoming the starting point for mobile customer journeys. Compared to 2016, people are now around 20 percent more likely to react directly online after becoming aware of advertising outside. According to the MAX Study 2026, two out of three respondents convert impulses from (D)OOH directly into concrete online actions while on the move - for example in the form of search queries, website visits, social media interactions or mobile purchases.
«Today, the public space is part of the digital ecosystem. People see a message outside and react immediately online. For brands, this means that if you want to activate mobile use, you also have to think strategically about the moment in the urban space,» says Andreas Knorr, Marketing Director at Walldecaux.
Behavior by generation
While the smartphone has become a matter of course for all age groups, target groups react differently to stimuli from the public sphere: Gen Z uses mobile devices particularly intensively for social media and content interactions while on the move. Contact with (D)OOH often leads people of this generation to follow brands on social media, share content or take part in campaigns, trends and challenges.
For Gen X, on the other hand, the smartphone is used more for transaction-oriented activities while on the move. For this target group, impulses from (D)OOH often lead to price and product research as well as specific mobile purchases or bookings.
Outdoor advertising as the starting point of the mobile customer journey
The results of the current study show: Public spaces and smartphones are increasingly working together. While people are out and about in the city with their smartphone, contact with OOH measures can trigger targeted digital interactions. This means that (D)OOH is increasingly evolving from a traditional reach medium to a trigger for mobile activities - and a central starting point of the digital customer journey.
The current Mobility Activity Index (MAX) 2026 is available download here ready
Since 2016, the Mobility Activity Index (MAX) has regularly investigated how people use digital services on the move and what role contacts with out-of-home advertising play in this. The study maps changes in mobile internet, social media and m-commerce usage in public spaces over the course of four survey waves. In a representative online survey via Trend Research's external access panel, the study managers interviewed 1,016 people between the ages of 16 and 69 in cities with a population of 100,000 or more between November 3 and 9, 2025.
