For years, Out-of-Home advertising has occupied an interesting place in the media mix.
It has always been one of the most powerful channels for reach and brand impact. From large format billboards to transit networks and digital screens across retail environments, OOH has the ability to reach large audiences in the real world in ways very few channels can replicate.
But historically there has been one persistent challenge: measurement.
That is beginning to change with the launch of MOVE, the new audience measurement platform developed by the Outdoor Media Association to replace the previous generation system first introduced in 2010.
For marketers, MOVE represents something significant. It marks a major step forward in how outdoor audiences are measured, planned and evaluated across Australia.
From location planning to audience planning
Historically, Out-of-Home planning was largely driven by location.
Media planners would select sites based on traffic counts, road visibility, proximity to key retail areas or the prominence of particular formats. While these factors still matter, modern media planning has increasingly shifted toward audience-first thinking.
MOVE helps accelerate that shift.
The platform incorporates large-scale mobility data, transport information, demographic modelling and real-world travel behaviour to estimate how audiences move through cities and environments.
This allows planners to understand not just where advertising is located, but who is likely to be exposed to it and how often.
In practical terms, that brings OOH planning much closer to the way marketers already evaluate other media channels.
Why measurement matters more than ever
Over the past decade, expectations around media accountability have changed dramatically.
Digital channels such as search, social and programmatic advertising have conditioned marketers to expect granular data around impressions, reach and performance. As a result, every channel in the media mix is increasingly expected to demonstrate measurable value.
OOH has sometimes been perceived as lagging behind digital channels in this regard.
But the reality is that the outdoor industry has been investing heavily in improving its measurement infrastructure for many years. MOVE represents the latest stage in that evolution.
According to the Outdoor Media Association, Out-of-Home advertising revenue in Australia exceeded $1.2 billion in 2024, with digital OOH accounting for an increasing share of that growth. As investment continues to rise, better measurement becomes critical to maintaining advertiser confidence.
MOVE is designed to provide that confidence.
What this means for advertisers
From an advertiser perspective, the most important change MOVE delivers is greater transparency and planning precision.
In our experience working with brands across both brand and performance campaigns, OOH often plays a critical role in driving awareness and reinforcing messaging across the broader media mix. But historically, marketers sometimes struggled to compare the impact of outdoor with other channels.
Improved measurement helps address that challenge.
MOVE allows agencies and marketers to evaluate outdoor exposure in a more structured way, helping answer questions such as:
- Which locations deliver the highest audience reach?
- How frequently are key audience groups likely to see a campaign?
- How does outdoor reach complement other channels in the media mix?
This ultimately makes OOH easier to integrate into data-driven media strategies.
A channel evolving alongside the media landscape
The launch of MOVE also reflects a broader transformation happening within the outdoor industry.
Over the past decade, OOH has evolved rapidly. Digital screens now make up a large and growing portion of the inventory across roadside, retail and transport environments. Programmatic buying capabilities are expanding, enabling more dynamic campaign execution.
In other words, outdoor media is becoming increasingly flexible, dynamic and data-driven.
Improved measurement is a natural extension of that evolution.
As audiences fragment across streaming platforms, social media and digital environments, outdoor remains one of the few channels capable of delivering high-impact reach at scale in the physical world.
Better measurement simply helps marketers understand that reach more clearly.
What MOVE means for the future of Out-of-Home advertising
OOH has always been a powerful brand channel.
What MOVE adds is a stronger ability to understand who is being reached, when and where.
For marketers building modern media strategies, that matters.
Because the future of media planning is not just about selecting channels. It is about understanding audiences across the entire consumer journey.
MOVE is helping bring that level of insight to Out-of-Home advertising.
Planning your next Out-of-Home campaign
If you’d like to learn more about MOVE or discuss how Out-of-Home advertising could work within your broader media strategy, feel free to reach out.
The Bench Media team is always happy to share insights and help brands plan smarter campaigns.
