Women in OOH Spotlight—Mary Perrella

OOH Today highlights how each of the Top Women Driving Growth in Out-of-Home are making history

By OOH TODAY believes all voices, not just the loudest, must be heard Last updated Mar 20, 2023

by Sarah Druhan, OOH Today Journalist

Throughout the rest of Women’s History Month, we at OOH Today will be exploring how each of the selections on our list of the Top 24 Women Who Drive Growth In Out-of-Home have made their mark on the industry. While OOH has long been seen as a male-dominated sphere, every one of these women is a symbol of how our industry can and must change—and each of them has an important story to tell.

Today, the woman in our Spotlight is Mary Perrella, Vice President of Media and Marketing at Vengo Labs.

1) What advice would you give to other women moving up in OOH?
MP: Never stop learning. The OOH environment is changing every day. Reach out to other women. Never stop asking questions and sharing your experiences. Knowledge is power.

2) How can the industry take a bigger slice of total ad spend?
MP: Trust and transparency—attribution and measurement is the obvious answer, but in order to attract more dollars from other media, every point of communication needs to be clear and descriptive – from proposals to social media announcements, the more buyers understand about DOOH the easier it is for them to include it in their plans.

3) What’s your golden rule for the workplace?
MP: Lead by example, don’t be afraid to jump in and work out a solution. Once you have figured it out, share what you’ve learned.

4) When did you first know that this was the industry for you?
MP: My first experience with OOH was developing local advertising programs in regional airports. I loved the fact that the advertising gave you a unique sense of place and community. But I really got passionate about OOH when digital screens started to appear, when ad creative could be targeted to specific venues and delivered dynamically.

5) What’s the key to your success?
MP: Be adaptable. Be resilient. Be comfortable with change. Be open to all voices. And know what you don’t know.

To see more from Mary Perrella and other Outstanding Women in OOH, read our story on The Top 24 Women Who Drive Growth in Out-of-Home