In an APAC first, Adshel has moved to automate the workflow for the buying and selling of out-of-home (OOH) advertising through a strategic partnership with Rubicon Project.

In a phased launch, Adshel’s inventory will be integrated with Rubicon’s Guaranteed Orders platform, commencing with its Adshel Live and Adshel Rail digital panel inventory.

From April 2017, agency and in-house trading desks will have access to Adshel’s digital panel inventory in Australia, with transactions facilitated through the Guaranteed Orders interface.

Media buyers will be able to use this sales automation technology to select digital panels and specify desired audience targeting using various datasets associated with each outdoor media asset, such as audience attitudes and behaviours, location datasets and campaign audience reach and frequency scores, via the Outdoor Media Association’s OOH audience measurement metric, MOVE.

The second phase of this partnership will allow the purchase of static panels via automated media buying channels.

Adshel’s new partnership with Rubicon Project builds on the existing strategic partnership that Adshel has with Cadreon, an IPG Mediabrands ad-tech unit that develops best-in-class programmatic technology solutions.

Working with Cadreon since June 2014, Adshel has been pioneering outdoor media’s digital programmatic trading model via sales automation technologies.

Adshel sales and marketing director David Roddick said: “We are thrilled to be plugging into Rubicon Project’s Guaranteed Orders platform.

“We are firm believers that the same kind of workflow and process automation which has proved a key driver of growth in other media sectors can offer a great deal of value in the out-of-home space.

“When the technology combines with rich audience and location data sets, it is a real game-changer in the way that the media landscape presents itself to advertisers.”

Rubicon Project’s managing director for the JAPAC region, Rick Mulia, said outdoor is one of the most exciting areas in advertising right now.

“It represents the perfect convergence of real-world impact with the exciting possibilities that technology brings to the fore,” he said.

“Automation reduces market friction, making OOH a viable media buying channel for a wider scope of advertisers. Rubicon Project is proud to be pushing the boundaries in automated advertising with Adshel in Australia.”

Darren Stein, CEO of Cadreon Australia, said: “Automating the buying of digital out-of-home media has been on our wish list since starting with programmatic OOH in 2014.

“This integration allows us to buy digital out-of-home as we would online video or digital display.

“It’s another step closer for the industry to the ultimate goal of targeting specific audiences and locations in real time, which Cadreon is able to capitalise on for our clients immediately.”