Verification in OOH? Yes, But Not for the Reasons They Tell You

By Carlos Viladevall Passola | Let’s be clear: OOH—out-of-home advertising—has been there for decades. Giant wall murals, bus shelters bursting with color, or billboards on busy highways. And yes, they work. But what’s happened as everything has started going digital, when every metric is scrutinized, and suddenly everyone is buzzing about “verification”? It’s the new magic word in the industry. More transparency, more control, higher return on investment. Sounds great, right? What they don’t tell you is that if you don’t truly understand what’s going on, verification can become just another excuse to justify expenses.

Here’s a stat you’ll love: 35% of advertisers who implemented verification in their OOH campaigns saw a business boost. Thirty-five percent! Well, of course! If you know exactly where your money is going and can measure it properly, it makes sense that your business would improve. But here’s the million-dollar question: why is the other 65% staying silent? Because this isn’t just about installing tech or following processes. It’s about knowing what you’re doing and having a strategy that actually works. Verification isn’t some magic wand that fixes bad campaigns.

With programmatic OOH, things have changed. Brands can target consumers more precisely, ensuring ads are seen by the right people at the right time. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? The problem is, at its core, verification is chasing one simple thing: trust. Trust between the advertiser and the ad space provider. And trust, my friend, isn’t something you can buy—not even with the best algorithms in the world. Transparency—that buzzword that’s everywhere—isn’t just crucial in politics or business. It’s just as vital in the way we buy and sell advertising.

And what happens without transparency? The same thing that happens in any other relationship. The one paying the bills stops believing in you. And when trust is gone, so is the business. Game over. The trick is not just delivering what you promised but being able to prove it. Because in today’s business world, without data, without concrete facts, without the verification we’re talking about, everything starts to sounds like smoke and mirrors.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not trying to sell you a fairy tale. Verification isn’t the answer to everything. If your campaign is bad, it’s going to stay bad, even if you measure every second of exposure. If your message isn’t strong or you’re not talking to the right audience, all the tracking in the world won’t save you. What verification does give you, though, is peace of mind. At least you’ll know you’re delivering what you promised. It’s proving what you said you would do, you actually did. And in such a competitive world, that’s worth its weight in gold.

Yes, transparency is trending. But not because we’ve all suddenly become more honest—it’s because people are skeptical. If you don’t play fair, if you don’t offer something real and verifiable, you’re out.

So, verification in OOH? Absolutely, but let’s stay grounded. It’s a tool, not a miracle cure. Most importantly, it’s a promise that we’re doing things right. Because if we’re not transparent, in a world where everything can be measured, where exactly are we headed?

I’ll leave you with that thought.