Global OOH planning: Three fundamentals that still matter
Opinion
Thousands of formats, varying market maturity, inconsistent measurement, and a mix of traditional and digital delivery models can fragment global OOH planning. Stick to basic principles, says the founder of Qube OOH.
OOH has never been more visible, more inspiring, or more complex. As audiences fragment across screens and platforms, OOH remains one of the few truly public media channels, rooted in the real world, yet increasingly powered by data, technology and automation. But as the industry globalises, planning OOH at a global scale has become harder, not easier.
Thousands of formats, varying market maturity, inconsistent measurement, and a mix of traditional and digital delivery models can quickly make global OOH planning fragmented. Amid this complexity, it’s tempting to chase the newest formats or technologies. Yet the fundamentals that underpin effective global OOH planning haven’t changed. If anything, they matter more than ever.
Three stand out: consistency, centralisation, and people.
1. Consistency is the foundation of global effectiveness
Planning OOH globally is rarely a like-for-like exercise. Markets operate with different trading cultures, planning tools, timelines, and inventory structures.
One city’s premium digital network may sit alongside another market still dominated by static traditional formats. Without a clear framework, global plans can quickly become a patchwork of local decisions rather than a cohesive global strategy.
Consistency doesn’t mean uniformity. It means creating a shared way of thinking, common planning principles, aligned responses to briefs, and clarity around what success looks like across markets. This allows brands to maintain a coherent global presence while still respecting local nuance.
Too often, global OOH plans are stitched together at the end, with markets delivering disparate solutions that are difficult to compare or optimise. A consistent approach simplifies the landscape. It brings structure to complexity, enabling better decision-making, clearer reporting, and ultimately more impactful campaigns.
2. Centralisation brings clarity, control and speed
As OOH becomes more global, the case for centralisation becomes stronger. Fragmented buying models involving layers of stakeholders can obscure clarity, slow down delivery, and dilute accountability. For brands operating across multiple markets, this complexity can undermine both efficiency and confidence.
Centralisation doesn’t remove local expertise; it connects it. A one-stop approach allows global teams to coordinate activity across markets while maintaining direct relationships on the ground. This creates clearer lines of responsibility, more efficient pricing, and greater control over campaign execution.
It also matters for speed. In an era where brands expect faster responses, real-time optimisation, and agile delivery, reducing unnecessary layers is critical. Centralised models enable quicker turnaround, more consistent governance, and the ability to respond to change without re-engineering the entire process.
Importantly, centralisation supports better strategic thinking. When planning and buying are connected globally, OOH stops being treated as a series of local tactical executions and becomes a channel capable of delivering meaningful impact at scale.
3. OOH is, and always will be, a people business
For all the advances in technology, OOH remains fundamentally driven by people.. It’s a medium built on relationships with media owners, city authorities, landlords, clients, and agencies. Understanding how inventory really works in a market often comes down to experience, trust, and local knowledge that can’t be fully automated.
Experienced teams know which formats genuinely deliver impact, how to navigate market-specific challenges, and when to push beyond the market rate. They understand the difference between availability on paper and availability in reality. In global OOH planning, this expertise is fundamental. Data can enhance planning, but ultimately it is people and the decisions they make that truly drive performance.
Trusted relationships also matter when things change, and they often do. Whether it’s last-minute creative shifts, availability challenges, or market regulations, strong partnerships enable solutions. With a channel that lives in the public space, adaptability depends on people who know how to make things happen.
As the industry continues to grow, the most effective global OOH strategies will be those that balance scale with craft. Technology can enhance planning, data can sharpen targeting, but it’s the people who bring judgment, creativity, and credibility.
From complexity to opportunity
The future of global OOH is exciting, but we mustn’t abandon the basics. Consistency gives structure. Centralisation provides clarity and control. People deliver the expertise and relationships that make everything work. In a medium defined by real-world presence, these fundamentals are what turn complexity into opportunity. Where there is opportunity, markets and industries grow, and OOH is no exception.
Launched in 2025, Qube OOH was born in response to this opportunity. The aim was simple: to bring clarity to the complex world of global OOH. We believe OOH shouldn’t be complicated. It should be seamless. It should be strategic. It should deliver results. We fuse the latest technology with the greatest talent to make OOH advertising more strategic, more effective, and more accessible for brands worldwide.
Shahkeh Petros is the founder of Qube OOH