Why it matters: While OOH competes with retail media and connected TV for ad dollars, the Walmart-Vizio deal could bring more attention to in-store screens.
Driving the news: "Walmart spent $2 billion to buy Vizio," said Barry Frey, CEO of an OOH trade group. "They turned the company from a major retailer to a media company."
Frey, who runs DPAA, said he saw the growth of the retail media industry combined with consumer spending trends as a breakthrough moment for OOH.
"Who knows screens, hardware, software, targeting ... and physical places better than DPAA and all of you members?" Frey asked a crowded conference room at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, which was hosting the marketing conference, POSSIBLE.
Zoom in: OOH is a fast-growing ad sector benefitting from dollars shifting away from linear television, print and other traditional mediums.
"We love digital out-of-home," MasterCard executive VP Cheryl Guerin said onstage.