Earlier this week I hosted an interesting webinar that took a look at monetizing digital out-of-home (DOOH) networks, and I was both surprised and then not by the idea that local advertisers are making up the bulk of ad spends on DOOH networks.

The webinar, sponsored by NEC Display Solutions, featured NEC’s recent staff addition, Graeme Spicer, formerly of ADCENTRICITY, and Steven Keith Platt of the Platt Retail Institute.

Spicer obviously brings with him a wealth of experience in that sector from his days with ADCENTRICITY, and Platt, with his background in marketing research, brought a wealth of interesting information about agency — and agency client — perspectives on DOOH advertising.

I know it’s a bit contradictory to say I was both surprised and not surprised by something, but that little factoid was one of those things that, when you first hear it, you’re surprised about, but then upon further reflection seems to make perfect sense.

In the newspaper website world, the race is on to tap into what’s being called the “hyper-local” market, or running news that appeals to a smaller geographic area and drawing interest — and revenue — from local advertisers who are looking for ways to advertise economically to just their local area, but in a broad and far-reaching manner.

I recently wrote about a digital billboard company in the Midwest that’s successfully competing with local newspapers and radio stations to tap into the hyper-local market, even reaching into previously newspaper-only domains (e.g., running obituaries from funeral parlors).

And a recent startup company in the physician’s office DOOH network vertical is still making most of its money from the local bar network it also runs as a side business.

So while I tend to think first that it’s the national brands that have the most money to spend on national campaigns and who might most want to drill down to specific niche audiences in ways for which DOOH is particularly well-suited … it makes sense upon further reflection that it might be the local advertisers and local “brands” that really will spend to reach local audiences on local DOOH networks.

And of course more small payments can quickly add up to be more than a smaller number of large payments — so maybe it behooves the DOOH advertising market to embrace the idea of thinking globally (or nationally) but acting locally.