For this month’s Media Owner Spotlight, we spoke to Ollie Goodge, Head of Programmatic at i-media. This interview highlights the unique value i-media's innovative digital network brings to the out-of-home industry and explores how their partnership with Vistar Media is transforming digital advertising opportunities across the UK.
Please describe your network in two sentences.
i-media is an intelligent motoring media network powered by data, insights and pioneering technology. We offer advertisers access to a highly attractive, media-starved audience through full-motion DOOH, experiential and in-app advertising solutions.
What regions do you operate in?
i-media operates within the UK (England, Wales and Scotland). Our well-established MSA network provides comprehensive regional coverage, while our new Roadside D6s extend motorists’ journeys into metropolitan areas, including London.
What types of screens do you have, and where can they be found?
i-media offers a range of DM6, D48 and D6 screens strategically positioned across 130 service Areas in the UK motorway network to maximise impact and impression frequency. Additionally, we are expanding our reach with a national roadside D6 network, targeting 50 sites live by year-end and growing to 500 by the end of 2025.
What audiences do you reach?
With 6.5 million motorists visiting Motorway Service Areas weekly, our audience is diverse and nuanced. Our data-driven approach enables brands to leverage our media network to target hard-to-reach groups in contextually relevant moments, such as ABC1 individuals, tradespeople, families, leisure seekers, sports fans, commuters, business travellers, SMEs, and many more—both nationally and locally.
What sets you apart from other digital channels?
While digital advertising offers extensive targeting options, it often struggles to bridge the gap between online behaviour and real-world intent. i-media adopts a fundamentally different approach, delivering unparalleled value in a privacy-conscious world while combating ad fatigue.
Our Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology leverages anonymised, first-party data as a privacy-safe alternative to cookies and personal identifiers. This innovation allows advertisers to cut through vast audiences and target specific segments, such as individuals likely to purchase an electric vehicle within 12 months. Through proprietary 'Predictive Intent to Purchase' algorithms, we deliver ads to the most relevant in-market audiences using real-time probabilistic analysis.
What is your network's main value proposition to a brand?
i-media has pioneered a dynamic, data-driven approach to digital out-of-home advertising. By integrating proprietary ANPR technology with multiple data sets, we achieve unprecedented precision in audience targeting.
Combining ANPR, YouGov data and our exclusive mobile data platform, ActiveExchange, we build detailed audience profiles based on real-world behaviors. This includes unique metrics such as vehicle value, make, model, fuel type, MOT status and more, offering brands the opportunity to reach highly relevant audiences and maximise campaign impact. DCO plays a key role in our strategy, enabling real-time, personalised ad experiences that drive engagement and ROI.
What do you wish more digital buyers knew about out-of-home?
Education and awareness are crucial when it comes to programmatic DOOH. Traditional OOH barriers—cost, lead time and inflexibility—are removed with pDOOH, allowing brands to explore the channel with reduced risk. OOH delivers high impact, mass reach, increased awareness and trust, with the added flexibility and targeting precision of programmatic buying.
How do you see digital out-of-home evolving over the next year?
DOOH will continue to evolve through advancements in targeting and measurement. Enhanced first-party data applications, such as ANPR, alongside unified third-party verification methods, will improve campaign tracking and measurement.
Real-time targeting capabilities will unlock programmatic advantages like standardised DCO, enabling brands to create personalised ad experiences beyond broad triggers like weather or geolocation. Additionally, the integration of DOOH into omnichannel planning will continue to grow.
Is there anything else you'd like to highlight about your network?
2024 has been an exciting year for i-media. We launched a client portal powered by first-party ANPR and EPOS data and introduced DM6 screens on MSA slip roads—reaching motorists after an average of 90 minutes of driving.
Looking ahead, we plan to roll out internal D6 screens and retail media gondolas, adding a point-of-purchase layer to our offering. Pitstop, a loyalty and utility app for MSAs, will transform our network into a multi-layered platform for engaging on-the-go motorists across the UK and is set to launch in 2025.
Christmas travelling audiences
As we approach the Christmas period, we are focusing on its impact across our network. The festive season brings a notable boost in audiences traveling nationwide to visit loved ones, with a 20% increase in drivers during the Christmas period compared to earlier in December. Sixty percent of these travelers undertake long journeys, making up to four stops at Motorway Service Areas (MSAs).
With £237 million in retail spend at MSAs in December, this period offers a unique opportunity to reach consumers seeking gift inspiration—particularly those heading home for Christmas and looking for last-minute ideas. On December 23rd alone, MSAs see a peak of 1 million visitors, creating an ideal environment for impactful campaigns.
