Marketers' biggest misconception about billboards

Summary

MarTech Podcast ™ – "Marketers' Biggest Misconception About Billboards"

Release Date: April 10, 2026
Host: Benjamin Shapiro
Guest: Alex Weinberger, General Manager of Digital Out of Home at AdRoll

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the realities and misconceptions surrounding digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising—most notably the common belief that billboards are the only format available. Benjamin Shapiro speaks with Alex Weinberger of AdRoll about how DOOH has evolved, the growing opportunities beyond billboards, the importance of understanding regional market restrictions, and why the physical world is ripe for marketing investment even in an AI-driven era.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Major Misconception: "Billboards Are DOOH"

• Main Insight: Many marketers incorrectly assume that "digital out of home" strictly means billboards.
  • Alex Weinberger [01:52]:

    "Billboards are the only digital out of home format... There are, I want to say, 97 different kinds of venue types and formats that we've got available here in the United States. So billboards are just one of them. So it's not the end all be all."

2. The Breadth of DOOH Formats

• Expanded Landscape: Marketers now have almost a hundred varied DOOH formats at their disposal, such as screens in airports, gyms, taxis, and more—not just billboards.
• Key Takeaway: Limiting campaigns to only billboards means missing out on creative and contextual opportunities.

3. Importance of Local Regulations and Market Nuances

• Example: A client wanted full billboard coverage in Seattle for a B2B conference but overlooked city ordinances.
  • Alex Weinberger [02:21]:

    "Seattle actually has an ordinance against placing digital out of home screens within the city limits. You can get them in Tacoma, right, But you can't get them in Seattle."

• Implication: Successful DOOH campaigns require market-by-market consideration—what's available in one city might be impossible in another.

4. The Smartness of Physical Media in a Digital, AI-Saturated World

• Macro Trend: As marketing turns ever more digital and AI-driven, physical-world advertising can cut through the noise and deliver impact via unique touchpoints.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On marketers' assumptions:
  "Some marketers say they kind of beat their chest and say, we want to be on a billboard... well, there's a lot of other really fantastic formats that we've got available for you. And if you really have to be in Seattle, you're not getting a billboard, right?"
  — Alex Weinberger [02:34]

• On local quirks:
  "Seattle, they win their second Super Bowl, and all of a sudden everything is their way."
  — Benjamin Shapiro [02:56]

• On regional pride:
  "They're getting too big for their britches over here."
  — Alex Weinberger [03:00]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:15] Introduction to Alex Weinberger and the topic: DOOH's current moment
• [01:52] The major misconception about billboards and DOOH
• [02:21] Real-world campaign anecdote: Seattle billboard restrictions
• [02:56] Humorous exchange about Seattle’s local policies
• [03:02] Episode wrap-up

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Summary

In a concise but insightful episode, Benjamin Shapiro and Alex Weinberger debunk the myth that billboards are synonymous with digital out-of-home advertising. With nearly a hundred unique advertising venues now classified as DOOH, marketers should broaden their strategies and pay close attention to local regulations before planning campaigns. This perspective is especially valuable as advertisers seek new ways to stand out in an AI-heavy digital landscape—sometimes, the smartest move is a well-placed physical-world message.

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Benjamin Shapiro]

From advertising to software as a service

[Alex Weinberger]

to data across all of our programs

[Benjamin Shapiro]

and clients, we've seen a 55 to 65% open rate.

[Alex Weinberger]

Getting brands authentically integrated into content performs

[Benjamin Shapiro]

better than TV advertising. Typical lifespan of an article is about 24 to 36 hours. We're reaching out to the right person with the right message and a clear call to action.

[Alex Weinberger]

Then it's just a matter of timing.

[Podcast Announcer]

Welcome to the Martech Podcast, a member of the I Hear Everything Podcast network. In this podcast, you'll hear the stories of world class marketers that used technology to drive business results and achieve career success. Here's the host of the Martech Podcast, Benjamin Shapiro.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

I'm Benjamin Shapiro and joining me today is Alex Weinberger, the general manager of Digital out of home at AdRoll, the growth marketing platform helping brands unify channels and drive performance across the entire funnel. They're also a sponsor of the Martech Podcast. And today Alex is going to explain why digital out of home is having its moment right now, how programmatic buying has changed the game and why the physical world may be one of the smartest ways to spend your money in an AI saturated market. What's one thing digital marketers believe about billboards that's just flat out wrong?

[Alex Weinberger]

Well, we touched on it right out from the jump, right, that billboards are the only digital out of home format. That when you say digital out of home, they're just talking about billboards. As we've talked about, there are, I want to say, 97 different kinds of venue types and formats that we've got available here in the United States. So billboards are just one of them. So it's not the end all be all. A great example is I was working on a campaign for a client that had a conference, a B2B type brand, and they were doing a conference in Seattle and they were like, we want every billboard between the conference center and the airport and the hotels. And they drew it on a map. Well, we came to learn that Seattle actually has an ordinance against placing digital out of home screens within the city limits. You can get them in Tacoma, right, But you can't get them in Seattle. So some marketers say they kind of beat their chest and say, we want to be on a billboard it's like, well, there's a lot of other really fantastic formats that we've got available for you. And if you really have to be in Seattle, you're not getting a billboard, right? So that understanding of market by market, it's going to have some variance, nuance to it.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

Seattle, they win their second super bowl, and all of a sudden everything is their way.

[Alex Weinberger]

They're getting too big for their britches over here.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

All right, that wraps up this episode of the Martech podcast. Thanks to Alex Weinberger, the general manager of digital out of home at Adroll. If you'd like to get in touch with Alex, you could find a link to his LinkedIn profile in our show notes or on martechpod.com or you can visit his company's website, which is adroll.com and if you haven't subscribed yet and you want a daily stream of marketing and technology knowledge in your podcast feedback, hit the subscribe button in your podcast app or Visit us on YouTube and we'll be back in your feed next week. All right, that's it for today, but until next time, my advice is to just focus on keeping your customers happy.

[Podcast Announcer]

Thanks for listening to the Martech podcast, and I hear everything. Production Looking to launch or scale a podcast like this one for your brand? Then visit ihearything. Com.