What Is DOOH? A Complete Beginner’s Guide for Southeast Asian Advertisers

Digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH) refers to any advertising displayed on a digital screen in a public or semi-public environment — from the LED billboard alongside the PLUS highway to the LCD panel in the food court of your local mall, to the screen in the lift lobby of an office building. If it is a screen outside of a home or office workspace that is showing advertising, it is DOOH. Here is everything you need to know to understand and start using this fast-growing channel.

DOOH vs OOH: What Is the Difference?

Traditional out-of-home (OOH) advertising refers to static, printed formats — vinyl-printed billboards, bus shelter backlit posters, and painted wall murals. Digital OOH (DOOH) refers to any OOH advertising displayed on a digital screen. The key practical differences:

• DOOH can be changed instantly: No vinyl printing, no installation crew required — creative can be updated in minutes via software
• DOOH is typically shared: A DOOH screen often runs 4–8 different advertisers’ content on rotation, with each advertiser buying a share of screen time
• DOOH enables daypart targeting: Content can be scheduled differently for morning, afternoon, and evening audiences
• DOOH is more measurable: Screen play logs provide verified impression data that static OOH cannot match

Where Is DOOH Found in Southeast Asia?

DOOH screens are present across a wide range of public and semi-public environments in Southeast Asian cities:

• Malls: Atrium LED walls, food court screens, lift lobby panels, entrance and exit displays
• Transit: MRT and LRT station screens, train carriage displays, bus shelter digital panels
• Streets: Large-format roadside LED billboards, kiosk screens, street furniture digital panels
• Airports: Terminal concourse screens, baggage claim displays, departure gate panels
• Office buildings: Lobby screens, lift interior displays, building directory panels

How Is DOOH Bought?

DOOH advertising can be purchased in three ways. Direct buying involves contacting the media owner who operates the screen network directly and negotiating a campaign. Agency buying involves using a media agency who buys on your behalf, typically accessing network-level deals. Programmatic buying involves purchasing DOOH inventory through a demand-side platform (DSP), with automated real-time transactions similar to programmatic digital display. Moving Walls Market enables direct buying with transparent pricing across multiple media owners — the fastest and simplest way to start a DOOH campaign.

Browse available DOOH screens across Southeast Asia on Moving Walls Market to see what inventory is available in your target markets and environments.