Built in the North-East. Powering brands across the UK.
From its base in Sunderland, Smart Outdoor has rapidly grown into the largest digital outdoor operator in the North-East, combining high-impact screen locations with cutting-edge technology.
With more than 1,100 digital screens nationwide and a network expanding at pace, Smart Outdoor is heroing regional strength on a national stage.
A Local Business Investing in the North-East
Smart Outdoor is proudly rooted in the North-East, and that’s not changing anytime soon.
As the business scales, it continues to invest heavily in the region across three key areas: infrastructure, people, and partnerships.
From high-profile roadside screens to retail and forecourt environments, Smart Outdoor has built a network designed around real audiences, real attention, and real impact.
But beyond the screens, it’s the company’s regional commitment that sets it apart, supporting local economies, collaborating with regional partners, and ensuring that growth at a national level still delivers value back to the North-East.
Scaling Fast: People Powering Growth
As their network grows, so does their team, ensuring they have enough team members and department specialists to not only deliver but thrive.
Over the past year, Smart Outdoor has significantly expanded its workforce, welcoming 14 new hires across the business, with another two members onboarding in the next month. Strengthening capabilities across the company, new recruits span all departments from sales to operations, maintenance to marketing. New hires include Charlotte Perrett and Emma Carrick (Account Directors), Chris Stockill (Head of Projects), Janani Vimalanathan (Head of Programmatic) Jacqueline Huston (Estate Manager) and Caitlan Quinney (Head of Marketing and Communications).
Key senior appointments have further reinforced leadership as the company accelerates its next phase of growth, bringing deeper expertise, stronger agency relationships, and a clear vision for scaling both regionally and nationally.
New Networks. New Markets. New Opportunities.
Smart Outdoor’s network is growing at a phenomenal rate both in scale and quality, having installed 52 new screens in 2025 – across both D48 and D6 networks. As of March 2026, Smart boasts 1,100 screens in premium roadside, retail, and forecourt environments with an exciting partnership announcement coming soon, which will see screen totals, reach and offering significantly increase.
In addition to this exciting partnership, there’s international expansion on the horizon:
“We’re currently deep into the planning and logistics phase of our expansion into Europe, with three key European territories ear marked for development across the next 12 months. More to follow soon, but exciting for the brand as our first step into expanding our reach from national to global'” – Mark Clancey, Chief Commercial Officer
Things are looking positive for Smart on their forecourt offering also, with an additional three new installations this month to the Shell estate, totalling 92 station locations with 697 screens across the Shell estate nationally.
The focus isn’t just on adding more screens, it’s about building smarter networks in smarter locations with high dwell-time and maximum impact.
Technology Driving the Future of DOOH
At the heart of Smart Outdoor’s success is a commitment to innovation.
Through new platform integrations and proprietary developments, the business is delivering smarter, more dynamic campaigns for advertisers.
A key milestone has been the continued development of Smart Audience 360, Smart’s proprietary data platform. This brings together multiple first-party data sources across the estate – including connectivity (Smart Surf), on-site behavioural signals, and screen-level data – to create a more unified and actionable view of audience movement and engagement. The objective is to move beyond static impressions towards real, measurable audience understanding.
Smart are also progressing the integration of additional data inputs, including environmental factors, event-based triggers and location intelligence, enabling more dynamic and context-aware campaign delivery. This ensures that screens are not just broadcast assets, but responsive media channels that adapt to real-world conditions.
Alongside this, Smart Surf continues to evolve as a strategic data layer within the wider ecosystem. As Smart expands deployment across high-footfall venues, it is becoming an increasingly valuable source of consented, first-party audience insight, supporting both attribution and smarter campaign planning.
Collectively, these developments position Smart to deliver a more accountable, data-led DOOH offering – one that better aligns with how modern advertisers plan, target and measure campaigns.
Purpose Beyond Advertising
Smart Outdoor is also using its platform to make a difference.
Initiatives like “Smart for Good”, launched recently, reflect the company’s belief that outdoor advertising can be a force for positive change, supporting charities and amplifying important messages across its network.
By matching media investment for partnered charitable organisations including Parkinsons UK, Smart is ensuring its growth delivers impact beyond commercial success.
With commitments like these and all-round growth, Smart Outdoor are truly delivering world-class media from the North-East to the nation.
