Christian von den Brincken, Managing Director Ströer: Why Out of Home Advertising Remains Relevant in the Digital Age

About this episode

From Geography Student to Managing Director at Germany's Largest Outdoor Advertising Company

Christian von den Brincken has taken an unusual career path. As a geography student, no one would have expected him to end up at Ströer, one of Germany's largest outdoor advertising companies, where he now oversees Corporate Strategy and Innovation. Yet this background continues to shape his work to this day.

Geography is more than just maps and landscapes – it's about spatial relationships, data analysis, and understanding location factors. Skills that are essential in Out of Home advertising. After all, outdoor advertising always comes down to one question: Where can I most effectively reach which target audience?

Ströer: More Than Just Billboards

What many don't realize: Ströer has long since evolved beyond being just an outdoor advertising company. The company has transformed into a true media conglomerate and now encompasses more than 250 media brands. Through these platforms, clients can reach more than 56 million German users with their advertising messages.

This transformation demonstrates how traditional media companies must reinvent themselves in the digital age. Ströer has successfully bridged the gap between physical and digital advertising worlds – a crucial advantage in an era where omnichannel marketing is becoming increasingly important.

The Impact of Outdoor Advertising in the Digital Age

Despite digitalization and the triumph of online advertising, Out of Home advertising maintains its relevance. The reason is simple: people still move through the physical world. They commute to work, go shopping, meet with friends. And it's precisely in these moments that outdoor advertising reaches them.

Meanwhile, outdoor advertising itself has gone digital. Modern Digital Out of Home (DOOH) screens enable dynamic, target group-specific, and even weather-based advertising. This makes outdoor advertising measurable and optimizable – characteristics previously attributed only to online advertising.

Corona as a Turning Point for Outdoor Advertising

The COVID-19 pandemic presented the outdoor advertising industry with unprecedented challenges. When people stay home, the reach of Out of Home advertising automatically decreases. For companies like Ströer, this meant quickly developing new strategies.

However, crises often bring opportunities. The pandemic accelerated digital transformation processes and forced the industry to become more creative and flexible. At the same time, it highlighted how valuable physical presence is when it becomes possible again.

Innovation as a Driver of Success

As the person responsible for innovation at Ströer, Christian faces the constant task of identifying new trends and converting them into concrete business models. Innovation in the media industry often means intelligently linking different channels and making better use of data.

The challenge lies in finding the balance between proven approaches and new technologies. Outdoor advertising still works, but the way it's planned, deployed, and measured is changing rapidly.

Learnings for Founders and Entrepreneurs

Christian's career path shows: an unconventional background can become an advantage. His geographical education brings him analytical thinking and an understanding of spatial relationships – exactly what's needed in modern outdoor advertising.

For founders, this means: never underestimate the value of your previous experiences, even if they don't seem to fit the industry at first glance. Often it's precisely these different perspectives that lead to innovative solutions.

Ströer's development also shows how important continuous transformation is. Those who rely only on their core business risk being overtaken by more agile competitors.