Media owner spotlight: Blue Billboard

For this edition of our Media Owner spotlights, Vistar spoke to Scott Leslie of Blue Billboard, a digital out-of-home (DOOH) network operating across the South of the UK. This short interview highlights the unique proposition their digital network brings to the industry, as well as how Blue Billboard’s partnership with Vistar Media is enhancing digital advertising experiences for UK consumers.

Please describe your network in a few sentences.

Blue Billboard is a D6 digital out-of-home network operating across retail environments, independent gyms and sports venues across the South of the UK. Our network of 150 screens reaches audiences in positive mindsets, delivering high-attention environments where brands can connect with consumers in meaningful moments.

What types of screens do you have / where can they be found?

We operate D6 screens across shopping centres, gyms, outdoor retail parks and sports clubs, in and around London and the South of the UK, including Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Hertfordshire.

What audiences do you reach?

We reach commuters, local residents, shoppers and gym-goers across affluent towns, cities and transport corridors throughout the South of England.

What sets you apart from other digital channels?

We focus on installing screens purposefully in eyelines and high-dwell-time environments. Our network reaches people in positive mindsets who are either ready to spend, actively shopping or focused on self-improvement, giving brands visibility in environments with little or no competing media.

What is your network's main value proposition to a brand?

We give brands visibility beyond the oversaturated major metropolitan markets, helping them tap into communities where shopping centres and local hubs remain central to everyday life. Our network extends campaign reach to real audiences in environments where people are engaged, attentive and primed to spend.

What do you wish more digital buyers knew about OOH?

There is real flexibility in digital out-of-home today. Strong creative needs to work alongside smart media planning, and the ability to deliver specific creative executions by time, audience and location unlocks a much deeper connection with consumers.

The granularity available today is still underutilised. Buyers should focus less on media owner names and more on the data, environments and audiences they are actually reaching. When campaigns are connected properly across channels, out-of-home becomes significantly more powerful. DOOH should increasingly be bought around audiences and context, not just inventory ownership.

How do you see digital out-of-home evolving over the next year?

We believe we will continue to see increased investment into programmatic digital out-of-home, particularly across regional towns outside of major cities. Across our network and the wider industry, there is now genuine scale beyond London, with large and valuable audiences that remain relatively untapped by advertisers.

Why did you choose to partner with Vistar, and what's been their most valuable contribution to your business?

Vistar has been instrumental in our programmatic journey. They were the first SSP we onboarded with, and every team across their business has been nothing but amazing to work with. Their platform is easy to use, transparent and seamless throughout the entire process. They are the home of out-of-home for a reason!

Vistar has opened doors to new revenue opportunities from buyers across the UK and internationally. Through the platform, we have supported some fantastic campaigns and gained a real understanding of how powerful programmatic out-of-home can be. Beyond the technology itself, they have shown a real commitment to bringing the out-of-home industry together through the amazing events and experiences they host, from Cannes and Cologne through to London.

What benefits have you been able to leverage by working with Vistar?

Since beginning our work with Vistar, we’ve been able to connect with more digital buyers, support more flexible buying models and position our network within the wider programmatic digital out-of-home ecosystem.

And their platform is great; the diagnostics, reporting and transparency across the platform are incredibly valuable. The system is easy to navigate and gives us clear visibility across campaign performance and delivery.

What does the future look like for you?

We are a young and ambitious team that is constantly growing the network. Since this time last year, we have doubled in size across the South of the UK, and we plan to continue expanding aggressively throughout the year with exciting launches across new environments and geographies.

Vistar has been a valuable partner throughout this growth journey. Layla (Layla Soufi, Director of Supply Partnerships) and the wider team have been fantastic to work with and have genuinely helped guide us through the evolution of programmatic out-of-home. Blue Billboard is expanding rapidly; what started as just a handful of screens has grown into a network capable of delivering tens of millions of impacts every week for brands that understand the importance of showing up beyond just the major cities.