Look at The Big Picture
Are We The Getting Big Things Right with DOOH?
by Nick Coston
Working for a global company has its perks. One is the connections we make across the seas, whether we make them at conferences or online. This particular connection is with Abdeali Dholkawala, the founder of Revoplakt, a Mumbai based startup who has been writing and posting about both Digital Advertising and DOOH and the uncomfortable shifts that are ahead of us. He’s unfiltered, raw and quite proficient in staying current, posting often on LinkedIn what I consider true opinion pieces, opinion pieces that don’t cater to anyone tech or company. His writings are his own, objective and stimulating.
He seems to have no fear.
Since the post I’m reprinting below came out 4 days ago, he’s already written and posted two more excellent industry pieces. Pieces that I doubt you would hear or read from anyone here in the U.S. as we tend to stay comfy here in the states.
Paraphrasing his key line in this piece below is simple: DOOH is not just a part of OOH, it’s a legit channel of Digital Advertising.
These pieces aren’t quick hit posts as you’ll see below. I’m glad he’s given me permission to share this particular one that most of my readers and contacts should relate to.
Based on his proficiency with posting original thought-pieces, I don’t see when Abdeali ever sleeps.
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“Let me say this out loud — 90% of the industry doesn’t even know what DOOH truly is.
And here’s the kicker — even most media owners operating DOOH screens don’t know what it is
But here’s the real, unfiltered truth
hashtag#DOOH = Digital Out-of-Home.
Key word? DIGITAL.
Which means it's not just part of hashtag#OOH — it’s a legitimate channel of hashtag#DigitalAdvertising.
Let’s clear the fog:
Digital advertising is all about delivering targeted, measurable, interactive ads via internet-connected electronic devices.
DOOH relies on electronic devices (LED screens, Media Controller, CMS, Wifi, etc.) to deliver ads.
So by definition and infrastructure, DOOH sits comfortably inside the digital ad ecosystem.
Here are some more facts to build my case for you:
📌 2025 – T-Mobile acquires Vistar Media (DOOH platform) for $600M to boost its digital ads arm
📌 2024 – Perion (a digital ads firm) buys Hivestack (pDOOH platform) for $100M
📌 Since 2022 – Google enables DOOH on DV360, making it purchasable alongside YouTube & Display
📌 2021 – The Trade Desk partners with Hivestack to bring DOOH to hashtag#programmatic digital hashtag#advertisers
📌 2017 – Viant Technology (digital DSP) acquires Adelphic for DOOH integration
These aren't isolated incidents. These are high-stakes, multi-million-dollar moves by the biggest players in digital adtech, to protect their interests and provision for the future of digital ads i.e, DOOH
Hence proved, DOOH = Digital Ads.
Yet, the very people selling (& buying) DOOH continue to treat it like a static hashtag#billboard.
This archaic mindset is precisely what Revoplakt is here to demolish. We are not just selling DOOH timeslots, we are changing the way DOOH is procured and perceived, by leverage digital first strategies.
If you are a DOOH media owner, thinking of increasing your revenue from DOOH assets, please reach out, and I will show you a unique strategy that can help you cater to clients from the OOH as well Digital advertising world.
In the next post, I will talk about why global digital advertisers spend only 2.5% of their ADEX on DOOH and how it can be increased to 15%
Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Do you agree?”
