Selling Out of Home in 2026: Why It's One of The Fastest-Growing Media Careers

Out of home media is evolving fast, creating new opportunities for media sales professionals, commercial teams and anyone looking to build a successful career in media.Episode OverviewOut of home has moved well beyond the traditional roadside poster. Digital screens, programmatic buying and retail media are reshaping how the sector is planned, bought and sold, and they are opening up new career paths for commercially minded people. In this episode of It's A Yes! Making It In Media, Debra Sharron and Jo Wood are joined by Guy Thurlow, co-founder of Next-Gen Media, who built a fast-growing out of home business from a student venture with no industry contacts. Together they explore how the sector works, where the growth is coming from, and the skills and mindset it takes to succeed.What This Episode CoversWhat out of home actually means and how it fits within the wider media mixWhy digital out of home is now driving the sector’s growthHow programmatic buying makes campaigns reactiveThe three routes to market: specialist agencies, mainstream agencies and client directWhy relevance and audience understanding often matter more than creativityHow to break into an insular industry without existing contactsThe transferable, data-led skills out of home builds and where they can take your careerYES ListStart With Why by Simon SinekDebra and Jo recommend this modern classic for anyone in media sales, commercial teams or leadership who wants to pitch with more impact. Simon Sinek argues that people buy the reason behind what you do before they buy the product itself, and that starting with why builds belief and trust. For sellers, it is a practical reframe for structuring pitches around the client's challenge rather than the features of a solution.Top takeout: Do not open with your product. Start with why it matters to the client, then back it up with the how and the what.Available at major retailersWatch Simon's TED TALK hereGet In TouchSend your questions to [email protected] from Jo & DebraSubscribe to Jo and Debra’s newsletter, to get the key insights and takeaways from each episodeJoin one of Debra’s upcoming media sales workshopsFollow the show on YouTubeFollow the show on SpotifyFollow Jo on LinkedIn hereFollow Debra on LinkedIn hereDisclaimerThe views shared on this podcast are for general information only and reflect personal experience. They should not be taken as specific career, legal or financial advice.