International Events
“Digital growth drives Out of Home ads, but classic still counts”
Ströer’s Christian Schmalzl highlights the rapid rise of digital out of home advertising while urging the industry not to overlook the enduring impact of classic formats.

At the World Out of Home Europe Forum in Milan last week, Christian Schmalz, Co-Ceo, Ströer delivered a keynote speech titled “All Digital – All Good?!” in which he explored the role of digitization in driving the growth of Out of Home (OOH) advertising. He cautioned, however, that while digital formats are expanding rapidly, the industry should not overlook the enduring value of Classic, or static, OOH.
Christian pointed out that OOH advertising has outperformed general ad market growth in recent years, with the sector’s momentum increasing especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on recent data from Ströer and Nielsen, he noted that OOH’s market share is on the rise, approaching a Nielsen-measured share of nearly 10% in Germany. Despite this growth, Christian believes the industry is still in an early phase of transition toward OOH as a core part of advertising strategy.
He attributed this shift to challenges faced by traditional broadcast media such as television, print, and radio, but above all to the digitization of OOH infrastructure, which allows it to blend seamlessly with the broader digital marketing ecosystem through advances in tech, data, and content. However, he cautioned the industry to avoid complacency, saying, “It’s always in times of success that we tend to make the most mistakes.” To navigate this period of rapid growth, Christian outlined several strategies to strengthen OOH’s impact on advertisers, cities, and stakeholders.
First, he emphasised that converting classic sites to digital screens should be done with a focus on delivering creative and effective outcomes for clients. “It’s not about the hardware,” he said. “It’s about the outcome and ROI for clients.” Additionally, he highlighted the environmental benefits of Digital Out of Home (DOOH), which has one of the lowest carbon footprints among media channels. This sustainability factor, he noted, is a strong argument for integrating DOOH into more eco-conscious marketing strategies.
Christian also sees potential for the digital infrastructure of media owners to benefit municipalities and the public. Digital screens could serve as information hubs for citizens, aid in traffic management, and even function as public warning systems or platforms promoting cultural activities in “smart” cities.
As he wrapped up his address, Christian reminded the audience not to overlook the unique strengths of Classic OOH, which still plays an essential role in delivering large-scale visual impact and supporting hyper-local campaigns. He underscored that the industry needs to invest in preserving and enhancing its traditional infrastructure to maintain a balanced approach to growth.
Christian, who represents Ströer—Germany’s market leader in OOH—concluded by affirming that “OOH is becoming more and more digital, but it’s not all digital (yet). And both is good.” Ströer, with a strategy that merges core OOH operations with digital publishing, online marketing, ad tech, e-commerce, and data services, exemplifies the convergence of traditional OOH with a digitized, integrated marketing future where the “Outernet meets the internet.”