London / Shanghai – STDecaux, in collaboration with VIOOH, introduces programmatic media trading in mainland China, marking a significant step in the adoption of digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising. The alliance brings real-time trading capabilities to local programmatic DOOH (prDOOH) in Shanghai Metro, becoming the first metro system in mainland China to embrace prDOOH.
STDecaux, a joint venture between JCDecaux and Shanghai Shentong Assets Management Co Ltd., manages advertising operations across the 19 train lines in the Shanghai Metro. This partnership opens programmatic advertising inventory for STDecaux, covering platforms, corridors, digital screens, creative solutions, and advertisements inside the trains.
The prDOOH initiative provides advertisers access to over 1.42 billion monthly impressions through 200 digital screens across 40 core stations in Shanghai Metro. This strategic move enables advertisers to precisely target consumers in real-time as they navigate between work, home, social events, or tourist locations. The launch represents the initial phase of an ongoing rollout, with additional frames anticipated to be available in 2024.
Powered by VIOOH Trading Manager, a leading programmatic platform, this partnership aims to bring international standards of programmatic advertising and world-class media management to Shanghai Metro. The advanced features offered by VIOOH’s proprietary ad-serving capabilities align digital OOH with omni-channel buys, enhancing operational efficiency, programmatic deal management, and yield optimization for media owner partners.
Calvin Chan, CEO at VIOOH China, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We’re proud to be the first to bring digital out-of-home to the metro system in mainland China. As we move prDOOH out of its infancy in China, we anticipate advertisers and media owners, both domestic and international, will capitalize on this new opportunity to thrive in the Chinese market.”
Maggie Zhang, General Manager at STDecaux, highlighted the unmatched flexibility, data-driven media planning, and optimization capabilities offered to advertisers through the collaboration. Zhang stated, “Our expertise in media development, operation, innovation, and creativity reinforces our position as the leader in metro advertising. We are committed to achieving a safe, intelligent, sustainable, and people-centered ecosystem across our metro media inventory.”
The introduction of programmatic buying is poised to revolutionize the DOOH landscape in China, providing advertisers with increased flexibility, efficiency control, and access to new metrics. The move towards programmatic DOOH is expected to enable advertisers to communicate more flexibly and effectively, delivering targeted and relevant messages to consumers.
VIOOH’s recent State of the Nation report indicates a growing trend in programmatic DOOH adoption in mainland China, with 31% of advertisers and agencies expected to invest in 2023. The report also highlights the high precision, brand safety, and integral role of programmatic DOOH in the media mix as key factors driving this adoption.
