Out-of-Home Advertising in India: Trends and Experiences

As advertising in electronic and press media is economically unviable and their efficiency is being questioned, outdoor advertising seems to be an economical solution. Treated as a reminder medium, outdoor advertising has grown in stature in India over last two decades to be a main medium for launch, positioning and repositioning of products and services. With technological developments in advertising booming, a traditional outdoor advertising has turned into Out-of-Home advertising. This shift comprises not only the billboards and hoardings, but also vehicle graphics including bus, train, car and aircraft advertising, floor graphics, building wraps, matrix LED video walls, road signage, human advertising etc. India’s growth in disposable incomes and increased westernization in consumerism have led to continued escalation of advertising budgets. Entry of digital printers and global advertising agencies in India has fuelled the demand for good and effective out-of-home advertising. Digital printing, which has come a long way within a decade, has made the nationwide campaigns possible and local advertising more colorful and affordable. Further developments in global advertising scenario also affect Indian OOH trend. This book presents the Indian OOH industry in its entirety, describing the contribution of all its constituents namely, the advertiser, the advertising agency, the service provider and the consumer. It traces the digital printing industry’s growth from its nascent stage to the current stage and discusses the varying roles of advertising agencies and their media planning activities on campaigns. The book also analyzes the unorganized structure of the OOH industry and the challenges the industry faces. It is hoped that this book will be of interest to management and advertising students, industry analysts and OOH practitioners.