Craig Benner on why 2026 will be the year OOH starts leading

For years, out-of-home (OOH) has been treated like the black sheep of the media mix, rarely given the budgetary respect it deserves. In 2026, that changes. This is the year OOH breaks the 5% barrier in media allocations and finally stays there. And it won’t be because of wishful thinking. It will be because the medium has earned its seat at the adults’ table through measurable performance, real attribution, and a level of accountability that many digital channels can no longer credibly offer.

The biggest unlock is that marketers will finally start seeing OOH for what it truly is: a performance channel. The data, tech, and capabilities have existed for years, but the mindset hasn’t caught up. Too many marketers still see OOH through an outdated lens: big, beautiful, but built for awareness only. When modern OOH is measured properly, using real outcomes, deterministic location signals, and closed-loop attribution, the lightbulb turns on instantly. In 2026, our industry’s mission is to make that lightbulb snap on faster and louder.

Measurement Advocacy to take center stage

Expect measurement advocacy to take center stage. OOH attribution is already far more advanced than the market gives it credit for. There is nothing digital can measure that OOH cannot and often with more clarity. As digital attribution gets murkier, more fragmented, and increasingly filtered through AI-driven proxies, OOH’s grounded accuracy becomes a competitive advantage. The opportunity now is to communicate that clarity unapologetically.

Retail media as another key driver

Retail media will also become a powerful accelerant. RMNs own the last ten feet; OOH owns the last ten blocks. Smart brands will finally realize these two environments were made to work together. In 2026, we’ll see smart marketers linking OOH and retail media to influence shoppers well before the shelf and reinforcing messaging at the moment of decision. Retailers themselves will recognize that their in-store networks are just one node within a much larger, addressable OOH ecosystem.

From ‘nice to have’ to becoming a ‘strategic anchor’

With all these forces converging, OOH stops being a “nice-to-have” or a tactical line item. In 2026, it becomes a strategic anchor and the channel’s “surprise wins” will stop being surprises. Pharma, CPG, B2B, QSR and other progressive categories have already proven what happens when OOH is given a seat at the strategy table: the results are too strong to ignore.

OOH isn’t chasing relevance anymore. In 2026, it defines it. From the first billboard on a city street to dynamic, programmatic campaigns that follow the customer journey, OOH will help set the tone for integrated marketing strategy in 2026. The industry is no longer asking permission; it is leading, innovating, and proving that performance and creativity can coexist in a way few other channels can replicate.

2026 isn’t just a milestone for OOH, it’s the year the industry finally claims the recognition it has long earned. Five percent is no longer a target: it’s the new baseline, the floor from which the channel will only continue to rise.

About the Author

As the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Accretive, an OOH data and technology company that helps brands make a real impact with consumers in the real world, Craig focuses on bringing addressability and accountability to Out-of-Home Advertising.