Bill Fordyce, Chief Operating Officer, ELAN Media.In this Industry Snapshot, ELAN Media’s Bill Fordyce discusses the region’s untapped opportunities in out-of-home (OOH) advertising, outlining how advertisers can refine their measurement strategies and optimise ROI.
How has data and tech changed the way OOH campaigns are planned and measured in the past year?
At ELAN Media, we accelerated this shift with the launch of inMotion 2.0 in April 2025. Built with Ooredoo and Kido Dynamics, the system uses real-time telecom data to provide advertisers with accurate insights on audience movement, demographics, and impressions. This removes the guesswork and ensures campaigns are measured with clarity and confidence.
We also introduced a self-serve platform that puts these tools directly in the hands of advertisers and agencies. By selecting their preferred audience, whether by age, gender, nationality, or area of residence, they can instantly build an AI-optimised campaign that forecasts reach, calculates CPMs, and designs the best campaign plan for both impact and efficiency.
The result is a major change in how campaigns are planned. Instead of starting with “where should we place our ads?” the process now begins with “who do we want to reach?”
How are brands balancing traditional static OOH with digital screens?
The industry has been buzzing about digital OOH for years, and for good reasons. At ELAN Media, more than half of our revenue now comes from digital signage.
That said, static is far from obsolete. In fact, it still delivers incredible value. A well-crafted static billboard, with bold design, quality printing, and strong lighting, can be just as impactful, sometimes even more than digital. Unlike rotating digital messages, static offers uninterrupted presence, making it ideal for long-term brand campaigns or high-profile landmark sites.
If you could change one thing about the OOH industry today, what would it be?
If I could change one thing about the OOH industry today, it would be the adoption of audience measurement.
Across the industry, companies like ours have invested significant amounts of time, resources, and money into building advanced measurement systems.
Yet, despite this progress, the uptake from agencies and clients remains lower than it should be. Too often, planning is still driven by location or habit rather than by data. When measurement is used, the results are clear: smarter targeting, stronger ROI, and greater trust in OOH as a medium.
Where do you see the biggest growth opportunities for OOH in the region?
The biggest opportunity is in omnichannel campaigns, although I hate to use such a buzzword. Advertisers want their message to follow consumers across platforms – online, offline, mobile, and social.
Digital OOH fits perfectly into that mix. It offers the scale and visibility of outdoor media, while syncing with digital channels. A consumer might see a brand on a big screen in the morning, then get a personalised ad on their phone later that day.
That kind of continuity builds stronger awareness and drives action. OOH is becoming the anchor in these cross-platform strategies, and that’s where the growth for our companies is.
By Bill Fordyce, Chief Operating Officer, ELAN Media.
