How first-party data is transforming digital out-of-home

First-party data is giving brands more control, precision, and insight than ever before in digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising. 

New data solutions have contributed to the steady rise of DOOH as a staple in the omnichannel media mix. As the channel continues to become more strategic and data-driven, more brands are putting their own audience data to work. In fact, Vistar saw a 243% increase in unique advertisers activating first-party data from 2023 to 2024. This growth highlights how quickly adoption is accelerating. 

Why first-party data matters for DOOH

Many brands already have a wealth of first-party data at their fingertips — collected through customer interactions across websites, mobile apps, loyalty programs, and support channels. However, this data often remains underutilized when it comes to powering advertising strategies, especially in DOOH.

First-party data is one of the most valuable assets a brand can leverage. It comes directly from customer activity, making it highly accurate, relevant, and trustworthy. Activating this data in DOOH allows brands to deliver messaging aligned to real behaviors, interests, and needs.

The benefits of using first-party data in DOOH include:

• More relevant targeting based on actual customer preferences and actions
• Stronger audience engagement through creative tailored to known motivations
• Greater efficiency by focusing media spend on audiences most likely to convert

By tapping into the data already within reach, brands can elevate DOOH from broad awareness to meaningful, results-driven engagement.

Can I use my first-party data to target audiences offline?

Historically, marketers have used first-party data to reach audiences across digital channels like mobile, video, and social. Extending those audience connections to out-of-home media, however, has been more challenging.

Now, advancements in data onboarding and DOOH technology make it possible to bring first-party audiences into the real world. Whether your goal is re-engagement, loyalty marketing, or product promotion, DOOH offers a high-impact way to activate customer data at scale. To get you started, we’re sharing a quick explainer on how you can leverage first-party data for your DOOH campaigns.

How do I activate against first-party audiences? 

First-party data combined with DOOH gives marketers a powerful way to reach their desired audiences at critical moments throughout the day. Through a partnership with LiveRamp, Vistar can securely ingest brands' first-party audience data, match it to device IDs, and activate it programmatically across DOOH screens.

This process allows brands to turn customer insights into real-world connections, closing the loop between online and offline engagement.

Transform DOOH campaigns with first-party data

Not sure why you would want to engage an audience of existing customers? Consider these use cases…

• Reach customers nearing key milestones: Target audiences who are approaching the end of a product lifecycle, such as a car lease renewal or mobile phone upgrade.
• Drive upsells and cross-sells: Use historical transaction data to promote complementary products or services to your frequent shoppers.
• Launch new products with precision: Combine CRM insights with third-party financial data to identify and reach qualified prospects.
• Expand engagement beyond seasonal peaks: If your customers typically shop during holidays or summer, use DOOH to stay top-of-mind during other key times of the year.

By using first-party data to inform targeting strategies, brands can build campaigns that are more relevant, timely and effective.

Best practices for activating first-party data in DOOH 

Build a unified data foundation
Connect customer data across touchpoints to create a complete, actionable audience view. Integration across CRM systems, apps, loyalty platforms, and web properties is key to maximizing the impact of DOOH activations.

Create actionable audience segments
Organize your first-party data into strategic segments,  such as frequent buyers, lapsed customers, or high-LTV audiences, to deliver personalized messaging that resonates and drives action.

Enrich first-party data strategically
Layer first-party insights with second- or third-party data, such as location or behavioral signals, to deepen audience understanding and sharpen targeting without losing control of your core data asset.

Is building a first-party data strategy right for your brand?

As more brands invest in building their own first-party data practices, it's important to consider whether it’s the right move for your business. A strong first party data strategy can create real competitive advantage, but success depends on having the right foundation.

Here are 3 key things to think about: 

1. What is the quality of your first party data?
   If your data is accurate, complete, and collected with clear consent, it’s a highly valuable asset. On the other hand, outdated, incomplete or messy data can create more challenges than opportunities.
2. Is the data actionable?
   Effective first-party data provides meaningful insights into your audience’s behaviors, preferences, and purchase patterns. Your data should enable smarter targeting, personalized messaging and more relevant creative strategies.
3. How does it align with your brand strategy?
   Consider whether your first-party data can help solve your brand objectives, such as improving customer retention, driving upsells or expanding loyalty. Also think about how your data could be enriched by combining it with other sources to uncover additional insights.

Other important factors include the scale, granularity, and recency of your dataset. Brands should also ensure they have strong security and privacy measures in place to manage customer data responsibly.

Build a stronger first-party data strategy for DOOH

Want to learn more about first-party data for DOOH, as well as how different clients have successfully leveraged similar strategies for their campaigns? Download our new Audience & Targeting Playbook.