With digital reaching saturation, Bradley Keefer of Keen Decision Systems says OOH is the most underfunded growth channel. With strong numbers to back it up.
OOH routinely outpaces the average media type mROI, explains Keefer
Marketers today are under more pressure than ever to prove that every dollar works harder. For years, digital and social channels seemed to deliver just that: fast reach, precision targeting, and measurable returns. But after decades of heavy investment, those channels are showing signs of fatigue and saturation. Incremental spend is delivering diminishing returns, and efficiency gains are harder to come by. Marketers are reaching a tipping point where pouring more dollars into digital isn’t the answer.
Where should marketers turn to? The answer is an often-overlooked channel that is sitting in plain sight: out-of-home (OOH).
OOH’s unique strength lies in its dual impact: it builds brand equity while also driving performance outcomes. Research shows that OOH placements not only reinforce awareness and cultural relevance but also amplify the effectiveness of other channels, improving overall marketing efficiency. According to IPA Databank, Peter Field and Rapport, when used alongside other media channels, OOH boosts the impact of search (54%), social (20%), TV (17%), and radio (17%). It’s one of the few channels that can credibly claim to move the brand and the bottom line at the same time.
According to new research from Keen Decision Systems, OOH’s current share of spend stands at less than 1%. However, that spend doesn’t correlate with the value the channel delivers.
When looking at marginal return on investment (mROI), which estimates the impact of the next dollar invested in a specific tactic by using response curves that consider both the level and timing of spending, OOH routinely outpaces the average media type mROI of $5.52, at $7.58. This means every additional dollar allocated to OOH yields stronger incremental returns than if that dollar was reallocated to another channel.
In other words, marketers are leaving measurable growth on the table by underinvesting in the OOH medium.
There are a few core reasons why OOH has remained underfunded despite its strengths and competitive ROI.
First, digital and social platforms have absorbed the majority of incremental marketing dollars for the last two decades because they offered precision targeting and instant reporting. OOH, by contrast, was historically harder to measure. Even though modern attribution tools have improved this, the perception lingers that OOH is less measurable.
Secondly, most media budgets are built around established patterns. Since digital grew quickly in the 2010s, it continues to get priority funding. OOH never developed the same baseline share of budget, so it’s disadvantaged by ‘last year’s plan plus adjustments’ budgeting cycles. Essentially this is happening because brands are not creating up-front plans and forecasts. This is why we recently launched our Planning Module. By seeing the value in other areas that they aren’t investing as much in, advertisers can shift budget with confidence.
Finally, many marketers assume OOH requires large, splashy national buys but in reality, OOH can scale much more flexibly. Because this nuance isn’t always well understood, brands have shied away from testing it at smaller, more efficient levels. However, the beauty of OOH’s efficiency is that marketers don’t need a radical reallocation to see results. Even modest shifts in budget from saturated digital channels into OOH can improve overall ROI for the media mix.
As marketing leaders evaluate where the next incremental dollar should go, OOH deserves a serious look. It’s underfunded, undervalued, and overperforming relative to its share of spend. In an environment where efficiency and growth are paramount, the overlooked answer is right outside our windows.
Keen Decision Systems
Keen Decision Systems is a high-growth SaaS company that helps enterprise and mid-cap organizations, agencies and other marketing leaders forecast, optimize, and...