Digital Out of Home is having a moment. It now accounts for the majority of OOH spend, it’s programmatic, data-driven, and increasingly positioned as a serious player in the performance marketing mix. But behind the growth and the headlines, there’s a bigger question: is it actually working as well as we think it is?

In this episode of Legends of Adtech, Julia Linehan sits down with Tom Barbour, Sales Director UK at Vistar Media, to unpack the reality of programmatic DOOH – what it does well, where it's headed and what brands are getting wrong.

From measurement challenges and attention myths, to creative limitations and the role of AI, this is a no-nonsense look at one of the fastest-growing channels in media.

Welcome to Legends of Adtech: the podcast where we go beyond the buzzwords and straight to the people at the coalface of the adtech industry. Every two weeks, we sit down with the industry’s boldest thinkers, pioneers, and disruptors, to find out how they’re rewriting the game. This is their story.

Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomabarbour/

Learn more about Vistar Media: https://www.vistarmedia.com/

About Tom:

Tom is a proven commercial leader with 14 years of experience driving revenue growth for prominent ad-tech businesses. Most recently leading the successful launch of Vistar Media's programmatic digital out-of-home offering to top tier media agencies in London.

Prior to Vistar Media, Tom worked for a raft of digital media companies including Opera Mediaworks, Blis and GumGum. At GumGum he was managing a team of five and looking after the revenue of major agency holding companies including Dentsu, Publicis and Omnicom. Growing this agency patch from circa £1m in 2019 to £15m+ in 2024.

Tom’s career trajectory reflects deep expertise in programmatic advertising, international sales management, and business development across the evolving digital media landscape.

About The Digital Voice™ & Adtech Juice:

The Digital Voice™ is a B2B boutique PR agency with boundless energy for PR, social marketing & events, specialising in adtech and martech companies, ranging from startups to those heading for IPO!

Adtech Juice is The Digital Voice™'s brand new adtech learning hub, where you can level up your adtech knowledge no matter your learning level. Dive in:

ADTECH JUICE: https://www.adtechjuice.com

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adtechjuice

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@adtechjuice

THE DIGITAL VOICE™: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

To stay up to date on what, where, and when at TDV make sure to follow us on our other social channels too:

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedigitalvoice

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQU3YMC9i7AFVET9NtmsaiQ

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalvoicePR

OUR PODCAST: https://www.adtechjuice.com/podcast

For the latest news visit https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

In this episode of Legends of Adtech, host Julia Linehan is joined by Camilla Ray to unpack one of the most talked-about (and misunderstood) areas in the industry right now: retail media. With over 15 years of experience and access to insights from more than 24 million Nectar users, Camilla breaks down what retail media really means beyond the buzzwords, exploring how first-party data, measurement and omnichannel strategy come together to create genuinely valuable customer experiences. From the evolution of retail media channels to the rise of incrementality and AI-powered planning, this episode gets into the mechanics behind the hype. But at its core, this conversation is about one thing: the customer. Camilla shares what a truly customer-first (or rather, customer-obsessed) approach looks like in practice: why the customer ultimately owns the relationship, and how brands and retailers must collaborate to earn their attention. Expect sharp insights on measurement standardisation, the reality of AI in planning, and why the future of retail media will be defined not by technology alone, but by smarter collaboration, better creativity, and a relentless focus on delivering real value. Welcome to Legends of Adtech: the podcast where we go beyond the buzzwords and straight to the people at the coalface of the adtech industry. Every two weeks, we sit down with the industry’s boldest thinkers, pioneers, and disruptors, to find out how they’re rewriting the game. This is their story. Connect with Camilla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilla-ray-42908a2/ Learn more about Nectar360: https://www.nectar360.co.uk/ About Camilla and Nectar360: Camilla Ray is the Planning Director at Nectar360, where she applies more than 15 years of deep expertise in retail media, omnichannel customer strategy and data‑driven commercial transformation.She leads a 22‑person strategic planning team spanning Sainsbury’s, Argos and agencies; driving first‑party data strategy and retail media planning that delivers measurable commercial impact. Camilla has pioneered new frameworks for predictive analytics, live planning and governance, enabling more precise decision‑making and improved commercial outcomes.With digital acceleration reshaping the retail landscape, Camilla is committed to championing insight‑rich, responsible use of data, ensuring both brands and Nectar360’s 24 million customers benefit from smarter, more connected experiences. Nectar360 owns and operates Nectar, the UK’s largest coalition loyalty programme, helping the UK’s biggest brands to connect with customers. It manages Sainsbury’s and Argos’ retail media services, utilising its own insights and media expertise to connect the Sainsbury’s businesses, FMCG and GM brands and customers. Through the unrivalled data provided by the 24 million members of the Nectar loyalty programme, Nectar360 understands consumers better than anyone else, offering brands a clear view of exactly who their customers are and what they buy. About The Digital Voice™ & Adtech Juice: The Digital Voice™ is a B2B boutique PR agency with boundless energy for PR, social marketing & events, specialising in adtech and martech companies, ranging from startups to those heading for IPO! Adtech Juice is The Digital Voice™'s brand new adtech learning hub, where you can level up your adtech knowledge no matter your learning level. Dive in: ADTECH JUICE: https://www.adtechjuice.com LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adtechjuice TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@adtechjuice THE DIGITAL VOICE™: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk To stay up to date on what, where, and when at TDV make sure to follow us on our other social channels too: LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedigitalvoice YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQU3YMC9i7AFVET9NtmsaiQ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalvoicePR OUR PODCAST: https://www.adtechjuice.com/podcast For the latest news visit https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

This week on Legends of Adtech, we’re joined by one of the industry’s most outspoken and influential voices: Rob Webster, Founder & CEO of TAU Marketing Solutions and long-time adtech trailblazer.

Rob has been shaping digital advertising since the earliest days of programmatic and he’s never been afraid to say what others won’t. From startups to agencies, AI to the open web, Rob brings honesty, depth and a much-needed dose of reality to the state of our industry.

Welcome to Legends of Adtech: the podcast where we go beyond the buzzwords and straight to the people at the coalface of the adtech industry. Every two weeks, we sit down with the industry’s boldest thinkers, pioneers, and disruptors, to find out how they’re rewriting the game. This is their story.

Connect with Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalstrategyleader/

Learn more about TAU: https://taums.ai/

About Rob and TAU:

A marketing technologist with over 20 years’ experience helping the best companies succeed in an ever more complex marketing world. Led the charge on the toughest challenges in marketing technology from Search Algorithms, Programmatic Platforms, Identity Resolution, Data Platforms and more. Rob has a passion for pioneering new technologies and helping companies and talented marketers to achieve amazing results.

TAU is an independent consultancy and technology partner created to help marketers move beyond the AI hype and adopt it in ways that are practical, profitable, safe and scalable. We work with clients to identify where AI can create tangible value, prioritise the right use cases and make smart choices about whether to buy existing AI tools or build their own. For clients who want to build, TAU combines deep expertise in marketing processes, technology implementation and AI to develop custom solutions trained on marketing best practice and tailored to each client’s workflows, data and expertise.

Founded in 2024, TAU already works with retail giants, leading European publishers, technology innovators, and top media agencies, as well as clients in regulated industries such as betting and gambling, helping them adopt AI responsibly and effectively.

About The Digital Voice™ & Adtech Juice:

The Digital Voice™ is a B2B boutique PR agency with boundless energy for PR, social marketing & events, specialising in adtech and martech companies, ranging from startups to those heading for IPO!

Adtech Juice is The Digital Voice™'s brand new adtech learning hub, where you can level up your adtech knowledge no matter your learning level. Dive in:

ADTECH JUICE: https://www.adtechjuice.com

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adtechjuice

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@adtechjuice

THE DIGITAL VOICE™: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

To stay up to date on what, where, and when at TDV make sure to follow us on our other social channels too:

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedigitalvoice

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQU3YMC9i7AFVET9NtmsaiQ

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalvoicePR

OUR PODCAST: https://www.adtechjuice.com/podcast

For the latest news visit https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

In this episode of Legends of AdTech, Julia speaks with Paul Hood, an independent digital transformation consultant with over two decades of experience in the publishing sector. They discuss Paul's journey from print to digital, the challenges of navigating digital transformation, the impact of AI on the industry and the importance of diversity and kindness in leadership.

Paul shares insights on how publishers can innovate and adapt to changing landscapes, emphasising the need for human connections and authenticity in the industry.

Welcome to Legends of Adtech: the podcast where we go beyond the buzzwords and straight to the people at the coalface of the adtech industry. Every two weeks, we sit down with the industry’s boldest thinkers, pioneers, and disruptors, to find out how they’re rewriting the game. This is their story.

Connect with Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulhood/

About Paul:

Paul Hood is an independent digital transformation consultant for the publishing sector. He has more than two decades of experience driving innovation and revenue growth for leading UK publishers including News UK, Reach and Bauer.

About The Digital Voice™ & Adtech Juice:

The Digital Voice™ is a B2B boutique PR agency with boundless energy for PR, social marketing & events, specialising in adtech and martech companies, ranging from startups to those heading for IPO!

Adtech Juice is The Digital Voice™'s brand new adtech learning hub, where you can level up your adtech knowledge no matter your learning level. Dive in:

ADTECH JUICE: https://www.adtechjuice.com

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adtechjuice

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@adtechjuice

THE DIGITAL VOICE™: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

To stay up to date on what, where, and when at TDV make sure to follow us on our other social channels too:

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedigitalvoice

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQU3YMC9i7AFVET9NtmsaiQ

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalvoicePR

OUR PODCAST: https://www.adtechjuice.com/podcast

For the latest news visit https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

In the latest episode of Legends of Adtech, we sit down with Annabelle Dudman, SVP of Commercial Excellence at Adform, someone who has quietly shaped some of the world’s biggest organisations from the inside out. From qualifying at EY to leading global operations at Microsoft, Spotify, PlayStation and now Adform, Annabelle takes us through the pivotal moments that transformed her from a numbers-driven accountant into one of adtech’s most strategic operations leaders.

She opens up about building teams across continents, navigating complex change, and turning organisational chaos into clarity. Tune in for her insights on leadership, operational excellence, and why the smartest companies in 2026 will be the ones putting ops at the heart of every decision. This is a masterclass in how world-class businesses run!

Welcome to Legends of Adtech: the podcast where we go beyond the buzzwords and straight to the people at the cold face of the adtech industry. Every two weeks, we sit down with the industry’s boldest thinkers, pioneers, and disruptors, to find out how they’re rewriting the game. This is their story.

Connect with Annabelle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelle-dudman/

Learn more about Adform: https://site.adform.com/

About Annabelle:

Annabelle Dudman has extensive global experience across Revenue Operations and Finance in SaaS and tech scale-ups. She thrives on creating harmony from disorder, driving customer and employee satisfaction through optimised processes, and using data to power smart, strategic decisions.

Annabelle began her career in finance, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant at EY, and continues to bring strong financial acumen and an analytical mindset to everything she does. Her incurable curiosity led her from a successful finance career into Revenue Operations, where she focuses on creating synergy across people, processes and tools to deliver direct commercial impact.

She is deeply passionate about career development and fostering cultures of learning and growth within the teams she leads. For Annabelle, change is a constant, and embracing it is the key to both personal and organisational transformation.

About Adform:

Adform is the most powerful and safe media buying platform in the world. With a 20+ year history of delivering service excellence and forward-looking technology, Adform enables major brands, agencies, and publishers to create, buy, and sell digital advertising globally. Having pushed the boundaries through augmented intelligence and an industry-leading identity solution, Adform has consistently changed the game for digital advertisers.

About The Digital Voice™ & Adtech Juice:

The Digital Voice™ is a B2B boutique PR agency with boundless energy for PR, social marketing & events, specialising in adtech and martech companies, ranging from startups to those heading for IPO!

Adtech Juice is The Digital Voice™'s brand new adtech learning hub, where you can level up your adtech knowledge no matter your learning level. Dive in:

ADTECH JUICE: https://www.adtechjuice.com

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adtechjuice

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@adtechjuice

THE DIGITAL VOICE™: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

To stay up to date on what, where, and when at TDV make sure to follow us on our other social channels too:

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedigitalvoice

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQU3YMC9i7AFVET9NtmsaiQ

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalvoicePR

OUR PODCAST: https://www.adtechjuice.com/podcast

For the latest news visit https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

In this episode, we’re joined by James Macdonald, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Limelight Inc., to talk about the power of people in a tech-driven industry. From his Fleet Street beginnings at the Daily Express to building global programmatic platforms, James shares the lessons, laughs and leaps that have defined his journey.

He reflects on the early days of mobile, his global adventures in New York and beyond, and why he believes technology should always come with a heartbeat. Expect candid stories and big lessons on leadership as James unpacks how to build partnerships that last, create technology that serves humans (not the other way around) and why efficiency will be the adtech word to watch in 2026.

Welcome to Legends of Adtech: the podcast where we go beyond the buzzwords and straight to the people at the cold face of the adtech industry. Every two weeks, we sit down with the industry’s boldest thinkers, pioneers, and disruptors, to find out how they’re rewriting the game. This is their story.

Connect with James Macdonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmiemac/

Learn more about Limelight Inc.: https://www.limelight.inc/

About James:

James Macdonald is Co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Limelight Digital, responsible for the day-to-day sales and outreach operations and management of the company, which offers SaaS solutions to agencies, publishers, networks and traders looking to operate via OpenRTB, Pre bid and beyond. Limelight’s platform offers simple, cost-effective licensing models and unlimited QPS, making it possible to engage with all commercial opportunities without fear of platform or ad serving fees.

James began his career at the Daily Express on Fleet street, then spent some years in agencies, before becoming the first Mobile Lead at Unanimis, London’s leading premium digital ad network. Following this, James became the Launch Head of Sales for O2 (Telefonica) Media, setting up the division and developing the Telefonica O2 Media proposition across the UK and European markets. He then spent four years in America as General Manager, USA for Adfonic, a mobile specific DSP platform and one of the early mobile ad networks, building the US presence and running an extended international team in the market. On returning home, James launched his own consulting vehicle, Videohog, offering clients like Digicel, Telefonica, Zeotap and many others access and activation in programmatic markets globally. James Teamed up with Limelight Co-founder David Nelson again at this time, and together, they visioned and developed the limelight Journey

Outside of work, James plays the saxophone and is an avid golfer. He takes his clubs with him on most of his travels around the world.

About Limelight Inc:

Limelight Inc. helps companies in the ad tech ecosystem to easily navigate the complex programmatic landscape, blending cutting-edge technology with best-in-class expertise and human support.

Hundreds of ad networks, publishers and agencies use Limelight’s programmatic oRTB solution to build bespoke, white-labelled trading environments and drive profitability and performance at scale - immediately.

The platform was launched in 2019, and has since helped hundreds of companies unlock new opportunities for trade and incremental revenues.

Limelight is more than a service provider, our ethos is firmly centred on human support and strong partnerships for the global Limelight community.

About The Digital Voice™ & Adtech Juice:

The Digital Voice™ is a B2B boutique PR agency with boundless energy for PR, social marketing & events, specialising in adtech and martech companies, ranging from startups to those heading for IPO!

Adtech Juice is The Digital Voice™'s brand new adtech learning hub, where you can level up your adtech knowledge no matter your learning level. Dive in:

ADTECH JUICE: https://www.adtechjuice.com

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adtechjuice

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@adtechjuice

THE DIGITAL VOICE™: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

To stay up to date on what, where, and when at TDV make sure to follow us on our other social channels too:

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedigitalvoice

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQU3YMC9i7AFVET9NtmsaiQ

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalvoicePR

OUR PODCAST: https://www.adtechjuice.com/podcast

For the latest news visit https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

In the first episode of Season 2, we sit down with Jon Walsh, Co-Founder of JobsInAdtech.com and LinkedBands, to explore how community, connection and creativity can redefine what success looks like in adtech. From building media businesses and authoring books to turning a lockdown WhatsApp chat into a global industry network, Jon’s story is all about bringing people together.

A natural connector and industry mainstay, Jon shares how to build genuine relationships in a digital world, why recruitment in adtech is long overdue for disruption, and how LinkedBands bridges the gap between online and in-person networking. This episode is a reminder that behind every piece of tech, there’s a human story, and Jon knows how to tell it.

Welcome to Legends of Adtech: the podcast where we go beyond the buzzwords and straight to the people at the cold face of the adtech industry. Every two weeks, we sit down with the industry’s boldest thinkers, pioneers, and disruptors, to find out how they’re rewriting the game. This is their story.

Connect with Jon Walsh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walshjon/

Visit JobsinAdtech.com

Learn more about LinkedBands: https://linkedbands.com/

About Jon:

Jon Walsh has had a 24+ year career in digital advertising, both as an entrepreneur/angel investor building various media sales companies in the space, and as a senior executive within corporates. In addition, Jon is a published author, contributing to the highly successful Understanding Digital Media series of books. In February 2021 he created a WhatsApp group to talk to other adtechers during the Covid lockdowns, which then grew into a global media and chat hub for the industry. These groups are now supported by industry sponsors.

Fuelled by a real enjoyment taken from creating a platform where the industry can gather and socialise, and from seeing what was and wasn’t happening in the industry, Jon co-founded JobsInAdtech.com, the first and only dedicated jobs board to help companies recruit better, faster, and cheaper than all previous methods.

About JobsinAdtech.com:

JobsInAdtech.com was created to fill a gaping hole in the recruitment process in the advertising technology industry. Despite the industry being almost 30 years old, adtech has had to rely on personal contacts and LinkedIn in order to help companies find candidates, and candidates find companies.

JobsInAdtech.com was soft-launched in April 2023 to aid candidates who are already in the space to find which recruiters have vacant roles available and apply with ease. The company is a full supporter of all forms of diversity and inclusion, and continues to champion this on the frontline for companies that share their values.

About The Digital Voice™ & Adtech Juice:

The Digital Voice™ is a B2B boutique PR agency with boundless energy for PR, social marketing & events, specialising in adtech and martech companies, ranging from startups to those heading for IPO!

Adtech Juice is The Digital Voice™'s brand new adtech learning hub, where you can level up your adtech knowledge no matter your learning level. Dive in:

ADTECH JUICE: https://www.adtechjuice.com

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adtechjuice

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@adtechjuice

THE DIGITAL VOICE™: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk

To stay up to date on what, where, and when at TDV make sure to follow us on our other social channels too:

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedigitalvoice

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQU3YMC9i7AFVET9NtmsaiQ

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalvoicePR

OUR PODCAST: https://www.adtechjuice.com/podcast

For the latest news visit https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk