Publishers Note: Here is an OpEd from Drew Weicker, of Veridooh. Drew joined Veridooh at the end of last year and brings an interesting perspective, drawing on his 20 years’ advertising experience from agency to online and now to OOH. We encourage OpEd contributions from OOH leaders like Drew, as well as newbies with challenging perspectives. It would be great to hear your thoughts!
Why I joined Veridooh: to grow OOH through Independent Verification
By Drew Weicker, Head of Sales, Veridooh North America![]()
Throughout my journey in advertising, my mission has been simple: solve real problems for advertisers. It’s been the through‑line of my entire career since joining McCann Erickson as an Account Exec in the early 2000s. From my earliest days in advertising to nearly a decade in ad tech leading sales teams at DoubleVerify, I’ve seen how we can grow channels through Independent Verification.
For years, however, advertisers have told me the same thing: “We love out-of-home (OOH), but we don’t always know what we’re getting.”
This lack of clarity can deter ad spend, but I’ve seen first-hand how quickly a channel can grow when Independent Verification enters the picture. At DoubleVerify, I watched Independent Verification reshape entire markets. Channels that once struggled for credibility became essential once advertisers had confidence in delivery, measurement, and accountability.
Now it’s OOH’s turn.
“We love out-of-home (OOH), but we don’t always know what we’re getting.”
OOH – the human medium
OOH remains one of the few channels that people actually experience in real life. It’s physical, public, and culturally resonant. The new Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) positioning, launched last month, brings this to life: “Out-of-home is for humans. It’s where ideas meet the people they’re made for – through bold, unmissable creative in the places we live, work, and play.”
Unlike many channels that are experienced individually, OOH is inherently shared. It’s seen at the same moment, talked about afterwards and carried into social and digital spaces organically. This is not a new characteristic of OOH. It’s the reason the medium has always worked, and why it’s resonating so strongly again as marketers plan for 2026.
However, despite meaningful industry progress, OOH still represents only about 5% of global ad spend. There is a big growth gap which doesn’t reflect the value OOH can deliver for advertisers. It reflects what’s missing: certainty, transparency, and trusted Independent Verification.
Since joining Veridooh, brands have talked to me about this ‘Data Desert’ in OOH. A lack of insight into our medium is undervaluing the entire ecosystem. Not because it’s not working, but simply because it can’t be measured to the same level as other channels. My goal is to transform the ‘Data Desert’ into a fertile ‘Data Oasis’ filled with clear and actionable insights.
transform the ‘Data Desert’ into a fertile ‘Data Oasis’ filled with clear and actionable insights.
If we address what’s missing as an industry, we can close the gap in ad spend globally. When paired with digital precision and Independent Verification, OOH becomes one of the most powerful channels in modern media.
That’s the future I want to help build for OOH.
Why Veridooh
Veridooh is the world’s leading Independent Verification platform for out-of-home (OOH) advertising. With its proprietary SmartCreativeTM technology, Veridooh independently tracks, measures and verifies the performance of OOH advertising campaigns, bringing digital-level accountability to the OOH sector.
Veridooh established its US operation to answer a critical market need. For years, the OOH industry has battled a lack of advertiser confidence as, unlike online advertising, where Independent Verification is standard, OOH has historically relied on self-reported media owner data. Without Independent Verification, advertisers cannot fully trust that any campaign delivers the right creative, in the right place, at the right time. When you replace uncertainty with 100% accurate, independent tracking data, a flywheel effect is created: brands gain confidence, brands increase spend and the entire sector grows.
This flywheel effect is already proven. In Australia, since Veridooh’s Independent Verification technology became the gold standard in 2019, OOH industry net media revenue grew 39%, rising to $1.3bn in 2024, outpacing global OOH growth by 14%. DOOH, the format that relies most on Independent Verification, saw its revenue share surge from 56% to 75% between 2019 and 2024, one of the highest rates in the world. Most critically, OOH’s share of total ad spend in Australia more than doubled from 7% to 15% between 2019 and 2024.
Veridooh always planned to go global and, since incubating in Australia, Veridooh has offices in Sydney, London and New York, and is live in eight markets, with more to come. Now that the value is proven, the largest ad market in the world (the US) can benefit from a solution that’s working for more than 250 of the world’s most influential brands including Apple, Amazon, Google, McDonald’s and PepsiCo.
I’m excited to work alongside the global team to spread the word in North America and get more brands on board.
The culture that made my decision easy
Veridooh isn’t just an ad tech company, however, it’s a culture of builders. Curious, humble, ambitious people who care deeply about solving advertiser challenges and elevating the entire ecosystem. Joining a team like this is rare. Joining one at the exact moment a medium is reinventing itself is even rarer.
Last month, the team started the year together in Bali for our Veri Veri Big Launch Week. This was the first time the whole global team got together in one place and I was inspired by the clarity, alignment and energy you can’t replicate over Google Meet. The week was a reminder that strategy lands deeper when you feel the people behind it.
strategy lands deeper when you feel the people behind it.
Bali gave us space to zoom out, think bigger, and reconnect with why we’re building what we’re building. The conversations, both in the room and during the in‑between moments, sharpened our vision for 2026 and grounded it in something real: trust, purpose, and shared ambition.
When a company invests in its people, it shows. Culture is only possible to curate when it’s done with positive intention and I’m grateful to have joined a company that truly puts culture first. Thank you to our co-Founders Mo Moubayed and Jeremy Yang and the whole Veridooh team.
I’m back in North America feeling grateful, focused, and fired up for what’s ahead.
Building what’s never been built before
Ultimately, I joined Veridooh because we’re not just improving OOH — we’re building infrastructure that will help define its next decade. We’re creating something the industry has never had before: Independent Verification purpose‑built for OOH, at scale.
We’re creating something the industry has never had before: Independent Verification purpose‑built for OOH, at scale.
For me, that’s the work that matters.
Building markets. Creating opportunity. Empowering teams. And giving advertisers the confidence they need to invest in a channel with enormous untapped potential.
OOH is ready for its next chapter — and Veridooh is leading the way.
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