Matt Longley, CEO of Mobsta-shared his thoughts on future of OOH planning, published by The Media Leader. Here’s some insight highlithghts, which matter most for the industry right now.
Most importantly, the future of OOH will not be defined by access to more data, but by the ability to transform that data into a deeper understanding of real-world behaviour, context and intent.
The industry has no shortage of data. Campaign analytics, location intelligence, POI datasets and attribution reporting have transformed what advertisers can measure. The main challenge now is making that information meaningful.
This requires a shift in how OOH planning is approached. Moving beyond static audience demographics and towards behavioural intelligence that helps advertisers understand not just where people are, but why they are there, what they are doing and when they are most likely to act.
For OOH planners, success will come not from collecting more data, but from using it to better understand consumer behaviour and make smarter planning decisions.
“What matters now is intelligence that can clearly explain behavioural context to support stronger, more accountable planning decisions and sharper forecasting.”
Matt Longley, CEO, Mobsta - The Media Leader, May 2026
Here are our five highlights from Matt’s piece:
1. Data volume is not the answer. The OOH industry already has access to vast amounts of data. The challenge now is turning that information into intelligence that helps planners understand behaviour, context and intent. More data without more meaning is simply more noise.
2. Understanding audiences requires more than demographics. Audience demographics remain an important part of the planning toolkit, but they provide only part of the picture. Increasingly, effective OOH strategies are built on a deeper understanding of behavioural context, the factors shaping behaviour and the signals that offer richer insight into intent and decision-making.
3. Real-world behaviour provides richer signals. Understanding why people are in a particular location can reveal far more than location alone. Context, movement and behaviour provide a deeper understanding of intent and opportunity.
4. AI is only as effective as the intelligence behind it. Automation can help scale planning and decision-making, but it cannot compensate for incomplete or low-quality inputs. As planning becomes increasingly predictive, the quality of behavioural intelligence will play a critical role in determining the value AI can deliver. Human judgement remains essential in interpreting signals, applying context and making informed decisions.
5. Planning is moving from explanation to anticipation. The next phase of OOH planning will be defined not by a better understanding of what has already happened, but by a greater ability to anticipate what is likely to happen next. By combining behavioural signals with real-world context, planners can identify commercially meaningful moments earlier and make more informed decisions before outcomes occur.
For more on Matt’s OOH forecast read the The Media Leader article in full here >>>