Below is a practical, region-aware checklist and step‑by‑step guide to plan, buy and run a digital billboard (DOOH) campaign in Belgium — including who to contact, technical specs, legal/permit reminders and measurement options.

Quick overview (in one line)

• Decide objective & KPIs → pick locations and inventory (street, mall, station, airport) → choose direct or programmatic buy → get permits if required → deliver creative to publisher specs → launch, measure, optimize.

1. Set goals, KPIs and budget

• Primary objective (awareness, store visits, app installs, promo) and 1–2 KPIs (impressions, VAC/visibility, footfall uplift, visits, clicks-to-site).
• Allocate budget by format: street/highway panels, transport hubs, retail/mall screens and airports have very different CPMs and dwell-time benefits. Use CIM OOH / operator reach stats for planning. (bauermediaoutdoor.com)

2. Choose locations and media owners

• Major DOOH operators in Belgium: JCDecaux Belux, Clear Channel Belgium, Bauer Media Outdoor (and local/regional operators). They sell both direct bookings and programmatic access to their digital screens. Contact their local sales teams for inventory and audience data. (jcdecaux-belux.com)
• For premium sites (airports, stations, shopping malls) JCDecaux and other sellers often expose inventory programmatically via platforms such as VIOOH or SSPs like Vistar — useful for flexible, targeted buys. (jcdecaux-belux.com)

3. Direct buy vs programmatic buy (which to choose)

• Direct (IO) booking: good for guaranteed positions, long campaigns, large creative activations and bespoke ops.
• Programmatic (PMP / open exchange via DSPs like DV360 or The Trade Desk): gives targeting, dynamic creative (DCO), dayparting, weather or contextual triggers and faster optimization. In Belgium many premium sites are now accessible programmatically (VIOOH, Vistar integrations; DV360 seller APIs are also available). (blog.viooh.com)

4. Permits & local regulations — must check region & municipality

• Belgium’s rules are regional/municipal. You must check the specific permits and advertising regulations for the region/commune where the panel is installed:
  • Flanders: new regional publicity regulation approved in 2023 and applying from 1 Jan 2024 — it changed which signboards require permits and tightened spatial & safety rules. Check the Omgevingsloket Vlaanderen / local municipality for the omgevingsvergunning process. (grantthornton.be)
  • Wallonia: installation of signs/advertising devices requires planning permission via the municipal/Walloon services; there is an annual tax in many communes. Contact the municipality / SPW for details. (wallonie.be)
  • Brussels-Capital Region: specific circulars and local rules apply; several past disputes show municipalities can challenge digital panels — always confirm with the regional and municipal urban planning office before installation. (mondaq.com)
• Practical: when using vendor inventory (JCDecaux, Clear Channel) they typically manage on-site permits for their own network — but if you plan to install or operate new hardware you will need to lead the permitting process. Confirm with the operator and the local commune.

5. Creative, technical specs & best practices

• Common accepted formats: static PNG/JPEG for images; MP4 (H.264) for video. Deliver highest practical resolution; channels will scale to panel pixel dimensions. Typical aspect ratios include 16:9 landscape (e.g., 1920×1080), ultra-wide (e.g., 3840×1080), and portrait 9:16 for kiosks/portrait screens. Use vectors where possible and produce files that scale cleanly. (support.socastdigital.com)
• Design best practices:
  • Keep copy short — readable at a glance; lead with the visual hook.
  • No tiny logos or long disclaimers; maintain safe margins (5–10%).
  • Assume no sound; rely on strong visuals & short, bold text.
  • Use high contrast, large type and simple animations (if any). Limit animation loop length and avoid flashing that could distract drivers (safety rules apply).
• Ask each operator for their final specs and safe zones; publishers may enforce size/weight/brightness and file-size limits.

6. Targeting, dynamic creative and triggers

• Programmatic DOOH supports DCO/triggers: dayparting, weather, audience context (mall vs street), flight schedules at airports, and third-party data activation (e.g., proximity to stores). Use these for relevance and efficiency. Many Belgian publishers have integrated SSPs to enable such targeting. (clearchannel.be)

7. Measurement & attribution

• Belgium’s CIM OOH study is the currency for OOH reach and VAC (visibility-adjusted contacts) and some operators have integrated their digital screen audiences into CIM models (e.g., JCDecaux + CIM). Use operator VAC reports and, for campaign ROI, combine with footfall sensors, mobile-location panels, promo codes, landing page UTM tracking, and uplift studies. (mediaspecs.be)
• For programmatic buys you get delivery reporting from DSP/SSP and often impression-level timestamps, which helps stitch with on-site visits or online conversions (look for MMM or MTA modelling if you need incrementality).

8. Ops, timelines and QA checklist

• Typical timeline:
  • 4–6+ weeks: planning, site selection and contracting (faster for programmatic insertion orders).
  • 2–3 weeks: creative production and iterations (concurrent with booking where possible).
  • 1 week: file delivery, publisher QA and scheduling.
• QA checklist before launch:
  • Confirm exact pixel dimensions, codecs, file size limits, frame rate.
  • Verify safe zone and brightness limits.
  • Confirm contracted impressions/flight times and reporting cadence.
  • Ensure legal copy & rights for imagery (royalties, model releases, disclaimers).
  • Confirm who handles local permits (operator vs advertiser).
• During flight: monitor delivery daily for underruns or technical issues; use programmatic controls or publisher ops to reweight inventory.

9. Who to contact (starting points)

• JCDecaux Belux (programmatic offers, airport/station/mall inventory). (jcdecaux-belux.com)
• Clear Channel Belgium (large street and transport inventory; programmatic connections). (clearchannel.be)
• Bauer Media Outdoor (Belgian reach, retail & transport panels). (bauermediaoutdoor.com)
• Programmatic platforms / SSPs: VIOOH, Vistar Media and DSP partners (DV360, The Trade Desk) for buying and dynamic activations. (blog.viooh.com)

10. Quick campaign checklist (ready-to-use)

• Objective & KPI defined (e.g., reach 1M VAC; +10% footfall).
• Target locations list & audience profile (urban vs suburban; commuters vs shoppers).
• RFP/proposal requested from 2–3 vendors (include delivery windows and CIM/VAC metrics).
• Decide direct or programmatic buy and set up IO/PMP.
• Confirm local permit responsibility and check municipal rules.
• Produce creative to publisher specs; deliver test files.
• Launch, monitor delivery daily, run optimization windows, collect reporting and run uplift analysis / MTA.

Useful references (operator / regulation / specs)

• Clear Channel Belgium programmatic/Vistar integration (programmatic access to ~1,000 screens). (clearchannel.be)
• JCDecaux programmatic DOOH at Brussels Airport and JCDecaux programmatic inventory in Belgium. (jcdecaux-belux.com)
• Bauer Media Outdoor — Belgian reach and DOOH offerings. (bauermediaoutdoor.com)
• Flanders regional publicity regulation (new rules; in effect from 1 Jan 2024; check municipality via Omgevingsloket Vlaanderen). (grantthornton.be)
• Wallonia: municipal planning permission process for signs/ads. (wallonie.be)
• DOOH creative & technical guidelines (general formats and safe-zone guidance). (support.socastdigital.com)
• CIM OOH measurement and JCDecaux integration (VAC / audience measurement). (mediaspecs.be