OAAA Launches Programmatic Center to Set OOH Data and Automation Standards
2026-09-26 · via DailyDOOH
The Out of Home Advertising Association of America has launched a Programmatic & Automation Center of Excellence, an industry group tasked with setting common data standards and automation frameworks for out of home advertising. For operators running digital screens that sell ad inventory, the initiative matters because it aims to make programmatic buying of OOH space work more like buying digital or CTV ads, with shared data formats and clearer attribution.
According to the announcement, OAAA has named Ari Buchalter, Chief Strategy Officer at Broadsign and founder of Place Exchange, as the Center's inaugural Advisory Board Chair. Ashwini Karandikar, who previously led media, technology and data strategy at the 4A's, will serve as Executive Lead overseeing the Advisory Board, working groups and research.
Founding members listed in the release include AdQuick, Broadsign, Perion, VIOOH and Vistar Media, all companies with existing programmatic DOOH platforms or supply-side tools. OAAA says additional participants will be announced as the initiative moves forward.
Four pillars, no firm deadline
The Center's stated work is organized around four areas: standardization of data so it can feed directly into agency planning tools, workflow automation including what the release calls "agentic AI" for machine-driven buying, standardized reporting and attribution models comparable to digital channels, and positioning OOH alongside retail media networks and connected TV in omnichannel campaigns.
OAAA says the Center already hosted a Buyer Listening Session in New York with the IAB Tech Lab and plans an industry benchmark study on programmatic adoption, workflow automation gaps and measurement shortfalls. Results from that research are meant to shape working group priorities and what OAAA calls "2027 deliverables," though the announcement gives no specific timeline for when standards or tools might actually reach the market.
What the release does not say is who besides the five founding companies will have a seat at the table, how decisions get made within the Advisory Board, or whether any of the standards produced will be mandatory for media owners to adopt. It also does not specify what technical format the promised "machine-readable frameworks" will take, or how they would integrate with existing CMS and ad-serving platforms already in use across screen networks.
For digital signage operators selling ad space through programmatic channels, the practical impact will depend on whether buyers, sell-side platforms and CMS vendors actually adopt whatever standards emerge. Fragmented data formats and inconsistent attribution have long been cited as reasons OOH lags behind digital and CTV in ad budgets, so a credible standards effort could lower friction for operators trying to plug into agency omnichannel buys. Whether this Center produces adopted standards or another set of recommendations that vendors ignore will be the thing to watch.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from DailyDOOH for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
New @YourOAAA Programmatic Center of Excellence
The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) has announced the launch of its Programmatic & Automation Center of Excellence, an industry-led initiative designed to modernize the out of home advertising ecosystem and strengthen OOH’s position within omnichannel media strategies.
OAAA has appointed Ari Buchalter , Chief Strategy Officer at Broadsign, as the Center’s inaugural Advisory Board Chair and Ashwini Karandikar as Executive Lead.
The Center will bring together media owners, technology providers, agencies, brands and other stakeholders to make OOH easier to plan, buy, measure and integrate across the broader advertising ecosystem. Through dedicated working groups, buyer and seller listening sessions, industry research and collaboration with adjacent trade organizations, the Center will identify shared barriers, establish common standards and develop practical frameworks and resources that can be adopted across the industry. Founding members of the Center include AdQuick, Broadsign, Perion, VIOOH and Vistar Media.
“We are excited to launch this initiative as I’ve seen firsthand how bringing an industry together, focusing resources and coordinating efforts results in real outcomes that can move a market forward,” said Patrick Dolan , Chief Operating Officer of OAAA. “This Center will provide the framework, alignment, and technical foundation needed to remove friction, modernize our ecosystem, and scale out of home’s role in omnichannel advertising.”
The Center will organize its work around four strategic pillars:
Standardization and Optimization: Bridging the operational gap between buyers and sellers by establishing unified data constructs and machine-readable frameworks that can be ingested directly into agency omnichannel planning tools.
Workflow Automation and Agentic AI: Replicating the frictionless ease of digital media procurement by building a translation layer that prepares OOH for a future of machine-driven, automated buying and planning.
Understanding Reporting and Attribution Requirements: Establishing frameworks for data, reporting and attribution, including standardized attribution models that give advertisers the same transparency and analytics they expect from digital channels.
Omnichannel and Retail Media: Expanding OOH’s downstream market touchpoints by strategically positioning the channel alongside accelerating formats like retail media networks and connected TV to amplify full-funnel brand storytelling.
As Advisory Board Chair, Ari will help set the Center’s strategic priorities and convene leaders across the OOH and advertising technology ecosystem. He currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Broadsign and is the founder and former CEO of Place Exchange.
He told us “The industry has an opportunity to accelerate OOH’s evolution through greater coordination. By addressing shared challenges and establishing clearer standards, we can ensure OOH is equipped to compete in the next generation of automated and omnichannel advertising.”
As Executive Lead, Ashwini Karandikar will oversee the Center’s Advisory Board, working groups, research initiatives and member engagement. She most recently served as Executive Vice President of Media, Technology and Data at the 4A’s, where she led strategic industry guidance, advocacy and regulatory engagement, and advised on business, product and service development.
Expected outcomes from the Center include shared data definitions and taxonomies, machine-readable standards, more consistent reporting and attribution guidance, and recommendations for automating industry workflows. As one of its first initiatives, the Center hosted a Buyer Listening Session in New York in partnership with IAB Tech Lab to gather input from agencies, brands, media owners and technology providers. The Center will also launch an industry benchmark study examining programmatic adoption, workflow automation and gaps in standardization and measurement. Insights from both initiatives will help prioritize its working groups and 2027 deliverables.
Additional Center participants and resources will be announced as the initiative progresses.
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