Global Leaders From Top Brands Discuss Out-of-Home Media’s Digitization, Innovation and Growth at DPAA’s Cannes Curated Experience
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 · Promoted content
DPAA Members Heard Insights from Executives at Dentsu, Google, Heineken, HSBC, Kimberly-Clark, LinkedIn, Marriott International, Mastercard, NYSE, Tourneau | Bucherer, Spark Foundry, VISA, WPP Media, and Zoom Communications During the Week’s Events.
NEW YORK – July 14, 2026 – DPAA, the global trade marketing association driving the growth and digitization of out-of-home advertising, brought more than 70 member companies together with agencies and brands at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. During DPAA’s Cannes Curated Experience, leaders from Dentsu, Google, Heineken, HSBC, Kimberly-Clark, LinkedIn, Marriott International, Mastercard, NYSE, Tourneau | Bucherer, Spark Foundry, VISA, WPP Media, and Zoom Communications spoke in a series of fireside discussions, hosted by DPAA CEO & President Barry Frey.
DPAA, Dinner, 22Jun2026, ©BronacMcNeill
“Digital out-of-home is growing. It’s innovative. It drives real business outcomes. All of this was validated via vibrant conversations at Cannes Lions, set alongside the in-person networking and opportunities for human connection that we bring to our events,” said Frey. “While the sun beat down on La Croisette, things stayed cool for DPAA members as they enjoyed some air-conditioned comfort while discussing the coolest trends, learnings, and campaigns in DOOH.”
During the fireside, several common themes emerged:
- DOOH helps brands influence consumer perceptions
- How the power of IRL (in-real-life) advertising showcases authenticity.
- Leveraging sponsorships and partnerships, especially around sports.
- OOH reaches consumers on their daily journey, on the path to purchase, and increasingly more at the actual point of purchase.
- The line between and lines connecting b2b and b2c audiences for campaigns.
- Brands are seeing real-world outcomes from OOH.
Also at a DPAA Cannes session, Kate Scott Dawkins, Global President of Business Intelligence, WPP Media, shared the latest forecast of global ad spending, set to grow 9% this year, with OOH up 5%, driven by DOOH, which is up 8.2% globally and makes up $23 billion of the $57.5 billion OOH spend. AI companies are among those making big investments and will ultimately be subsidized by advertising (part of a trend of more types of businesses advertising, selling ads, and being free/paid for by advertising).
The DPAA experience began with a VIP dinner sponsored by MMG and Wildstone; included members-only networking events aboard a yacht hosted with GroundTruth; and wrapped with an OOH Yacht Party hosted by AdQuick, Good Traffic and LED Truck Media.
DPPA,Yacht Cocktails, Cannes, France, 23Jun2026, @BronacMcNeill.com/LCunliffe
Upcoming DPAA Events & Content
The Cannes Curated Experience is only one example of DPAA’s commitment to shining a light on how digitization continues to drive investment by agencies and brands, with DOOH as a launchpad of innovation. The organization believes that driving success is directly connected to the intimacy that can only come from in-person connections between the industry, its members, and the people who drive these businesses.
DPAA facilitates these conversations year-round, including by bringing agency and brand leaders to its new podcast, Launchpad of Innovation. In the most recent episode, host Barry Frey talks with Whitney Magnuson, head of brand & media at Zoom Communications, about Zoom’s evolution from meetings platform to AI-powered system of action for modern work, in a conversation sponsored by AiOO, a Dubai-based AI platform for real-time audience targeting.
Events being held by DPAA later this year can be found at www.dpaaglobal.com/dpaaevents. This includes the October 13 Video Everywhere Summit in New York, as well as two July members-only webinars: today’s Research, Retail & Technology Series presentation, “How Advanced AI Can Help Grow DOOH and In-Store Retail Media Networks,” featuring Australian Outdoor Media Chief Executive and Board Chair Leonie Valentine, and July 15th’s WE.DOOH Women’s Empowerment initiative webinar. To become a member, contact the DPAA team at www.dpaaglobal.com/contact-us.
About DPAA
DPAA (www.dpaaglobal.com) is the global trade marketing association, driving the growth and digitization of out-of-home (OOH) advertising and its growing role in the Omnichannel mix. Membership in the DPAA community includes many business acceleration benefits and access to a wide array of products. It offers members an extensive database of research, best practices and case studies; tools for planning, training and forecasting; social media amplification of news; insights on software and hardware solutions; and further integration into the advertising ecosystem by connecting DOOH networks, brands, agencies, ad tech and others – including through its podcast, Launchpad of Innovation. DPAA’s Video Everywhere Summit, the largest one-day media/marketing event of its kind, is October 13, 2026, at Pier 60 in New York City.
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Media Contacts
Matt Biscuiti
The Lippin Group for DPAA
