Authenticity Over Virality – How Brands Should Approach Cultural Moments in OOH

Authenticity Over Virality —
How Brands Should Approach Cultural Moments in OOH

Q&A wth Lucy Markowitz, SVP at Vistar Media

Q: It seems like every week there’s a new viral moment that brands are eager to participate in. What’s driving this shift?

Lucy Markowitz: Brands want to be part of the conversation, not interrupt it. Viral moments give them an opportunity to build on something audiences are already engaging with, but attention moves quickly, and the window to participate can be short.

Fortunately, the barrier to entry has never been lower. Turnaround times are faster, creator-led content allows brand ambassadors to introduce products into conversations naturally, and lower costs make it possible for brands to activate around smaller, timely moments rather than waiting for a major campaign to justify the investment.

Lighter production, AI and automation tools, greater creator freedom and the ability to quickly adapt content across formats and sizes are accelerating that shift. Brands can now concept, produce and launch in hours or days rather than weeks, making it more practical to act on fleeting cultural moments when they resonate with the right audience.

Q: Recent examples like the Taylor and Travis wedding announcement billboard or brands responding to the Empire State Building climber generated plenty of buzz. What separates successful participation from simply chasing trends?

LM: The best campaigns start with a clear connection between the cultural moment and the brand’s identity, whether that’s a natural category fit, a humorous response, or a distinct point of view. You need a credible reason to join the conversation, and consumers are incredibly good at recognizing when a brand is actually contributing something versus trying to capitalize on attention.

Simply gaining visibility or inserting your brand into a trending moment is not enough. If the connection does not come through naturally in the creative, the campaign can feel forced and become a missed opportunity. The brands that succeed are those that add something meaningful to the moment–whether that is entertainment, insight, or a fresh perspective–while staying true to who they are. The goal should be genuine cultural participation, not reactive marketing designed to be present.

Q: What signals indicate that a cultural moment has enough relevance, scale, and longevity to warrant an OOH activation?

LM: It depends on the brand’s identity and how they choose to participate. Digital out-of-home lets you move fast. Creative can be updated or deployed within hours, so the question isn’t whether you can react, but whether you should. The moments worth activating are the ones that combine scale, momentum and brand relevance.

Brands also have to think about how viral marketing fits within their company’s marketing practice. Are you agile enough? How many layers of guidelines and approvals stand between an idea and getting it into market?

If the moment has passed by the time the creative goes live, a brand risks a negative response for showing up late or missing the mark. Some cultural moments allow time to prepare, but the brands that truly get people talking go beyond the obvious or expected and lean into the specific, in-the-moment details that make the conversation feel current.

Nike is a great example of a brand leaning into the agility of social channels. They regularly produce rapid-response content tied to game and tournament upsets, viral celebrations, and cultural moments as they unfold. They have become so effective at entering these conversations that audiences eagerly wait to see how they will respond.

However, not every brand needs to participate at that scale. Some take a more selective approach, choosing moments that may reach a narrower audience but align more closely with their brand values, voice, or community.

Q: How can marketers build DOOH strategies that are responsive to culture?

LM: DOOH shouldn’t be planned in a silo. It works best as one piece of an omnichannel strategy, amplifying a cultural moment alongside other channels rather than standing alone.

The brands doing this well aren’t treating DOOH as a static awareness channel anymore. They’re building it into their broader cultural marketing strategy, planning for the moments they know are coming and leaving room in the plan, budget and creative to respond to the ones they can’t predict.

Just as essential, marketers need the right infrastructure. Dynamic creative, flexible media buying, clear approval workflows and trusted partners are what make it possible to go from idea to execution at the speed of the story. Without that operational agility, even the best idea can miss the moment.

Q: What advice would you give marketers who feel pressure to respond to every trending topic?

LM: Discipline matters as much as speed right now. If you can’t participate in a viral opportunity meaningfully, don’t. Some of the strongest brands are defined by the moments they choose not to chase. Being selective builds credibility, and when they do engage, people pay attention because it feels intentional instead of opportunistic.

Q: Looking ahead, how do you see brands approaching cultural moments differently?

LM: Chasing trends for the sake of relevance is becoming less effective as consumers are getting better at spotting what’s authentic versus what’s performative. I think brands will learn from their own wins and misses, and become more thoughtful about how and when they show up.

With that in mind, the channels where brands choose to take their reactive media won’t stay limited to social. Outdoor and other media formats that reach audiences in the physical world are going to play a much bigger role in the strategy.