Indian Outdoor Advertising June 12, 2006
Posted by rajAT in advertising, india, marketing, media, mobile.trackback
This weekend I attended Outdoor Advertising Convention in Mumbai. The conference was a great learning experience. I am a technologist, the insights that I got in the conference about the evolving outdoor advertising industry in the country was worth the time and the money. 🙂
The first question that will come to everybody’s mind is what I was doing at an advertising conference and too a specific one – Outdoor. Let us take them one by one? Why an advertising conference? The only sustainable business model on internet is selling advertisements. So why not learn a bit more about it from the pundits itself. Oh yeah, I know they all are traditional model and will not work on the new media but it is important to know the roots. And why outdoor ? The only niche in the ad industry which has remained untouched by new media is the OOH (Out of Home) media. Outdoor ad spend has only increased over the years, but print and TV are fighting a dull and losing war with the internet.
Conference started on a high note as Rahul Welde, GM, Media Services, HLL tried to reinforce the point that Indian outdoor could soon become a $1 billion industry. His growth strategy was two fold – Value and Volumes, only latter was high on his agenda. More volumes will come as new roads are being laid in the whole country, big malls are coming everywhere. So he stressed there is a need to come up with a strategy to tap these new opportunities. How more value will be delivered from the existing urban billboards or street furniture, his answer was not very conclusive. There is so much litter these days in the urban outdoor space. The only strategy that is used to attract people attention towards a billboard is putting up a beautiful model. Interestingly, throughout out his presentation he kept on stressing that outdoor is passive and static. During the question answer round I asked him that why cannot we use barcodes to make outdoor interactive. He said he cannot comment on barcodes but bluecasting might work.
There were lots of foreign companies (Clear Channel, News Outdoor Group, Kinetic, Aconda SA, Out of Home Media SA, Posterscope) that are trying to get a pie of Indian Outdoor advertisement market. In their presentation they tried to answer why they are here – Because India is growing, Because Indian GDP is yada yada. Clear Channel the world leader in Outdoor media is in India from last 8 years and has not been able to make a great impact till now. The reasons are unknown but it seems they are not able to understand the Indian market or come in terms with it. But the good point is that spirits are still very high and they still see a good future in India ahead.
Eric Newman, Global CEO of Kinetic showcased some of new things that will be coming in digital billboards. The thrust in digital will come because the product companies want to change their messages daily. The days of 6 months or 3 months campaign are out. These days the campaigns run in weeks. This kind of flexibility and speed is possible only with digital billboards. But the next big thing will be interactive. How that will be achieved he was totally silent on that? I don’t know that these biggies were not having clues or they were silent deliberately.
Number 1 problem that is holding the growth of outdoor media is – there is no measure. There is no concrete way to know that a particular campaign was seen by so many people hence it becomes difficult to justify huge marketing spend on outdoor. If some kind of measure can be associated with outdoor there is a great chance of double digit growth.
Undoubtedly, the biggest thing that is missing in outdoor experience is interactivity. Mobile phones can be used to fill that void. It will not be long when all these giants will wake up and figure that out. Sometime back even TV was considered passive and static. Now sms (e.g. Indian Idol) has changed the way people experience TV. So guys wake up before it is too late. 🙂
Dream On ! 
Hi Rajat,
I agree that the Indian outdoor advertising lacks the interactivity. But then how can you be interactive with our hoardings. With the mass clutter that exists and with the lack of creativity, digital media will be another addition to the clutter. The only thing that will define and change the way things are being done is creativity and/or content (in case of digital). Like Rahul Welde said above that the only way to attract attention to a billboard is to put up a beautiful model. ANd lets say the innovators do come up with the money (and advertisers shell out to advertise on them) to put up digital billboards like in Times Square, if the content on them is not up to the mark they will just end up becoming eyesores. So now you will have the same models but they will be smiling at you – so where is the change? For example, Have you noticed the Clinic shampoo billboards dotting the skyline in Mumbai featuring John Abraham? They seem to be all over and I wondered when the brands will realize that we common folk only see the model and can hardly see the product being advertised. In fact, I confused it with Head & Shoulders. (are you listening Mr.Welde? as this is a brand of your company). Almost like they read my mind, I saw a refreshed one opposite Mahim Church for the same brand, only this time, the brand could be seen more than John! Visibility is at the max on this one and it is refreshingly different. It was raining when I drove by and that added to the effect as it made it look way too coool. Sorry I dont have the photo but will take one next time I pass by and post it here. I think the agency who did this was Lowe but then I ask why didnt they do these catchy ones in the 1st place? Like the bus stop by Times says, size does not matter, visibility does and this one sure is visible. More hoardings like this and then we can move on to digital. Do you agree Rajat?
hey guys.. quick one.. but aren’t hoarding actually illegal in India now? like in delhi, I know there’s this whole thing about removing hoardings and it’s pretty funky but I’ve seen trucks with hoardings standing on the road side, which i think is a prime example of the kinda innovative media solutions Indians tend to look for!!! vive la consumerism
Hi Stranger,
No…hoardings are not illegal in India, only in Delhi they have been banned. Chennai more than makes up for it as the entire city is cluttered with these iron monsters and every one wants it bigger and uglier than the other. 🙂
Mr. Amiya Chandra, MCD Delhi, has announced that they will be auctioning space for 150+ unipoles in delhi this summer. The interim ban was introduced to reduce the clutter 🙂 in the city.
Hi Rajat, thats a positive movement but thats still only the space, what about what goes on that space? The same old models and the same bland creative used and abused over and over for years?
Hi Shailesh,
Thats true.
Between did ya have a look at the link I sent you for the interactive billbaord campaigns.
Thx for the comments guys.
A great insight about Indian Outdoor Advertising
A good review from a recently concluded outdoor advertising convention in India. Lot of biggies like ClearChannel, Posterscope, News Outdoor are getting very aggressive in India.
Hi Rajat,
Yep, saw the link you sent and also responded to what I saw there 🙂
The creative for the refreshed Sunsilk advertisement was NOT Lowe’s. Ogilvy and 3DMsi had taken the same creative and tweaked it to prove that outdoor creatives should be different from the standard, boring creatives that are normally run. Guess it did prove that.
Hi Rajat,
Thanks for a lovely update on the OAC 2006. I would like to have some info on the types of applications/ prints being used in Outdoor advertising in India. Can u pls. suggest a source?
Warm Regards
I am surprised that how come you people are not aware that hoardings are back in Delhi
Hi Ashok,
Yes they are back, but nicer uniformed unipoles not the monstrous iron structures, unless you are referring to the illegal ones! 😀
DEAR SIR, IM FROM BANGLADESH. IM A STUDENT OF B.B.A. I NEED SOME INFORMATION ABOUT OUTDOOR ADVERTISING OF YOUR COUNTRY i.e ITS TERMINOLOGY, TYPES, AREAS, AND ALSO SOME PICTURE IF POSSIBLE TO COMPLETE MY TERM PAPER THAT IN ON OUTDOOR ADVERTISING OF YOUR COUNTRY. PLZ SEND IT THROUG MY MAIL. THANK YOU.
I EXPECT YOUR KIND COOPERATION
AHSAN
Rajat and Shailesh,
Useful observations from you. Thanks.
Here are some of my comments. Firstly, the growth game in Outdoor will be a combination of volumes and value. The volume one is quite obvious and well captured in Rajat’s comments. As for value, this can be driven by a combination of Creative executions and Technology. Both these factors can contribute to making the medium more engaging. There are several examples of how this can be done. Having said that making this interactive is a long way off. But I have seen some very good examples of digital technology having been deployed internationally. I believe there is one small floor hoarding at Inorbit which allows consumers to play with the haording and thus in some ways interact. I think the pace of change in the value/creativity/technology will get accelerated with international players and luxury brands coming in a big way.
I am glad that the Clinic campaign has been noticed. Indeed it is quite visible and with John Bipasha gets some salience. To ensure that the celebrity does not overshadow the brand is always a challenge. The creative content is most important – whether it is Outdoor, TV or Print. And celebrities do help get higher visibility but they are surely not the panacea for breaking clutter. Thanks for all those comments and observations on this campaign. On a ighter note, do try the product as well !
And if you do come across any other observations or exciting/interesting issues do send these to me on email at rahul.welde@unilever.com.
Cheers
I happen to be working as a planner in the field of outdoor advertising in India (on the agency side). And it is interesting to note what people outside the industry think of the same. Yes it is a very dynamic medium and is at its disorganized best in India. In fact if we were to list down brands launched via outdoors alone, you just might end up countin’ in fingers.
However that is where the whole game gets interesting. India is still beginning to open its eyes to the possibilities via outdoor media. There is tremendous opportunity to do some good work.And of course to get noticed. With or without a celebrity. The idea is to get the strategy right. What we need in turn are clients who are willing to take chances and prepared to look at outdoors from an unconventional perspective. From a planning perspective, the strategy is less about the creative on display but more about where the customer is likely to be and what or where he is likely to look.
It would help if we look at some award winning ideas from abroad to see the direction that this media is taking. One good site I can refer you to is http://www.adrants.com/medium/outdoor. Outdoor as a medium is targetted at people who are time crunched, who do not want a plethora of information but just the bit to remind them / make them aware that Abc brand exists. We all remember billboards, kiosks and bus shelters whether we like them or not.
We cannot shut our eyes to this medium since today each one of us is On the Move. And who said outdoor is not interactive?
Outdoor media is looking up. Technology and Creativity may step up the pace but Strategy at the end of the day is going to make the difference. Strategy in turn includes a whole host of activities like deciding the media mix, the markets, the distribution, the type of media, the nature of TG and so on. It is true that celebrities help. But some of the most creative outdoor ads like Samsung (True to Life – Rapeler), Nike (mall escalator), Red FM Interactive Hoarding promo etc. never involved a celebrity.
As regards measurement, yes we are nowhere compared to say print and TV. But pls refer to the below article…
THE MUDDLE IN MEDIA RESEARCH
Media consumption measurement is another area of concern for marketers. On an average, mainline advertising accounts for around 40 per cent of most mass marketers’ marketing budget. It was around Rs 14,000 crore in 2005. Measurement of media habits is important because brands communicate with consumers mainly through media vehicles. Besides, the return on investment in advertising has to be accounted for. “Even if I manage to spot my target group, how do I ensure whether my message is reaching them and more importantly, prompting them to buy my product?” asks Vikas Gupta, Vice President, Marketing, Coca-Cola India. “What we have today is anecdotal data rather than hard facts,” he adds.
Capturing media consumption has become too complicated today, thanks to the proliferation of cable and satellite channels (around 200 against 50 till five years ago), radio stations, print and wireless media. Increased choice has fragmented mass audience and there are no tools to capture new trends. Although the TRP-oriented research by Television Audience Measurement (TAM) remains the most commonly used currency to measure TV viewership, concerns have repeatedly been raised about its small panel size (4,800 households). As for the print medium, National Readership Survey and Indian Readership Survey are the yardsticks. Although they do an extensive job, industry remains divided over their authenticity. Says Madhabi-Puri Buch, Senior GM & Country Head, Customer Delivery, Products and Technology, ICICI Bank: “The media measurement infrastructure in the market is too weak to capture reality and generate worthwhile consumer insight.”
regards
reshmywarrier@yahoo.com
Adding on, Outdoor is Interactive..To clarify, Outdoor Advertising has the possibility of being interactive like any other media. In fact the future of every advertising media is in consolidation, convergence, consistency and synergy. Let us not single out Outdoors.
Many of the insurance/ financial services / telecom companies for instance have an sms no. attached to its hoardings. And the Red FM campaign tied up radio with outdoor. Hoarding dekho, phone karo aur inaam lelo.These initiatives in turn help in measuring the reachability of outdoors, bring a thread of synergy into different media and also help in breaking convention.
Bottomline remains that
A beautiful model is far from the truth in devising Outdoor strategy. Of course a hoarding has to be attractive.But fact remains that Strategy and Planning in outdoors is beyond that and involves far more issues / methods just like any other media. And the same differs from location to location and TG to TG.
Outdoor advertising is definitely not a dull medium. The measurability in short term is done via brand track by some, but the long term results can be well vouched for by the telecom majors. 50% + of their spends go into Outdoors.
Hi I wants information about the advertising careear for young smart good looking girl (model) speciaaly in jwelary in india
please reply me this information i will collect for my fraind.
again i will tell u please reply me.
thanks,
@sachine – This ain’t a job board dude.
hey rajat, can u pls send me d link to view interactive billboard campaigns??
hi, mr, rajat,
i am M.K.VERMA from AEZ GROUP (REAL ESTATE) responsible for out door advt. for the same we have outdoor advt. space for hoardings and others related area. i will appreciate if u suggest companies to sell the products .
all the spaces are available in malls/multiplexes/habitat centers …etc.
regards
m.k.verma
9311542309
Dear Mr. Rajat,
We are a mobile software and services startup based in New Delhi, India and Sunnyvale, CA. Please visit us at http://www.cellserf.com. Our flagship product MultipleX is a free mobile application that provides Songs, Voice & Video Chat, Email, SMS and MMS service on mobile phone over the IP-network. The application and service is offered free of cost to users globally and is currently independent of telecom operators. The free services are offered in trade of users accepting to receive Text, Voice and Video ads on their mobile.
We would like to introduce us and in general mobile phone as an emerging platform for multimedia advertisement campaigns. We are interested in connecting with Media companies in India and abroad to leverage our technology and would appreciate your time and help in this regard.
Mobile phone offers great advertisement potential in rich multimedia format to reach out the young generation. Song albums, Movie trailers, Beverages, Restaurants and many other businesses can use the mobile advertisement campaigns to reach out to their potential customers. We have users in several different countries and we can provide geography specific campaigns. We can also configure the application and service to meet specific advertisement needs.
Thank you and I look forward to hear from you.
Best regards,
Vishal Batra
vishalbatra@cellserf.com
To mr Rajat and mr Shailesh,
this is Sooraj Samant from Thnae, i iked ur comments on advertising, i would like to know some info which will be very usefull for me to grow my business. i am planning to buy a maruti van for deliveries and installations of my products(gas geysers and water purifiers), but i want to utilise that van as strong medium for advertising. i would like to paint it from all sides and also would like to install (removable) banners on th carrier facing all four directions. my queries are, is it legal? if yes from where we need to get the permissions? and are there any special rules to be followed? do you know anybody who can help me to get it done?
your way to beautiful gir. Andreina Cecilio.
Hey Rajat,
Thanks a lot for the information on the outdoor advertising industry. One question in my mind is that- who are the big players?
I know that there are international companies in india since 2006 (for that matter clear channel since 1998) but are they big players in India?
Also the biggies of the advertising industry have also entered the market like oglivy landscapes, times ooh, Madison Outdoor Media Services etc..
Then again are they big?
What about the traditional outdoor agencies like laqshya, selvel, prakash arts, pioneer?
Really confused..will be great if some one can help me out!
Thanks,
Ashwin
The outdoor display market is not new, but is changing the way people see billboards or posters. The new face of the outdoor media-electronic signage is the name to reckon with, flexibility in setting up, managing content in a cost effective way are some of its attributes. According to report was done by Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA).
•ad spending on the outdoor media it tracks rose 7.9% during the second quarter of 2007, far ahead of the pace of most traditional media this year
•ad spending in out-of-home media surged 12% in 2006 to $7.06 billion
•ad spending is projected to grow 12.3% this year to $7.93 billion. Over the next four years, it is projected to rise at a compound average rate of 13%, reaching $12.99 billion in 2011.
•the average American’s exposure to outdoor media rose by three hours last year to 133 hours in 2006, and is projected to climb to 154 hours by 2011.
One of the best applications of this digital signage networks can be seen in engaging customers. The question arises can these digital signage content be controlled by mobile phones. I am thinking and so are you. Amazing potential application and too cool. Put in the word “interactivity” I love if used more often.
Say you are inside an airport lobby and you happen to face a problem and you need customer support. With a press of button you are interacting with customer support live face to face. Or you are sending out cool sms to see it live on screen.
Coming back digital signage drives today the entertainment and more often it can be seen in malls or cinemas. You love the way these screen interact in a logical way to people around it. To keep these high end cinema goers to come back again, it’s not just the movie but a sleek and modern place. I recently visited a well designed mall where the screens were scattered in the lobby, the main hall, and well in bathrooms. What to say I just enjoyed the way it entertained me and more so by the way things have been planned. To conclude the driving force behind the rapid growth of digital signage is an acute market demand for a means of communication that delivers more precise targeting and higher competence than traditional media.
hello
i am from suadi arabia, i need information about ADVERTISING VIDEO DISPLAY .what is the rules indian goverment, like .TAX ,
please give me ALL information about the above said matter.
ahmed
Hi everyone
We are poised to launch a very niche large sizes interactive digital signage network in POS locations within next 90 days, working on V-Sat. The indirect acquisition is already in place and the network shall have many technology driven factors to exploit the advantages of digital signage to its extreme.
I would like to discuss the opportunity with the community in detail and take their inputs in the ongoing process so that we see a lot more clear minds on this blog !
Cheers,
Dhananjay
PS: Hope to get calls on 9867 444 445 !
Good
hi dhananjay!
need to know more about “Digital Signage Network” and which city you are plannin 2 install ?
thanx,
debashish / 9322599787
Ad-Venture Advertising
Mumbai.
we are the largest manufacturer of led display boards like moving message display, large size digital clock, custom built production display boards etc.
( Suitable for Railway station, Marriage hall, Malls, Hospital, Hotels, Airport, Shops, Industries and every where which preferred glow the advertising. )
A product make low electricity consumption .
Though the OOH media has not been doing very well in India, but the giants have started looking for it. Infact some foreign companies have plans for penetrating the market aggressively.
I work for the same industry company in Dubai….we are entering in India……..we smell huge potential.
Regards,
buy trucks in california…
I am thinking of doing a blog, how many times a week do you think I should post?…
Dear Sir / Madam,
We, at Metro Max Print Media are the leading Print house for Outdoor / Indoor advertising and printing systems in Ludhiana (punjab).
We tend to cater to the latest market demands of enhanced printing qualities and techniques by using the state of the art machinery and equipments. We provide our customers, the finest of quality printing for all their advertisement needs in the Northern states of India.
We have a team of skilled and highly qualified designers and operators working 24/7 to give our esteemed clients the best of services in record time because we believe that passion for excellence is the root cause of success.
The list of products we offer are :
* Front Lit Printing
* Flex Signs
* Back Lit Printing
* Banners
* Digital / Self Adhesive Vinyl Printing
* Bulk Job Consignments
* Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) Boards.
* Steel / Metal / Acrylic Letters.
* Sunboard Printing.
Equipment / Machinery :
* Solvent :
1. Yaselaan (Hightech – Scitex H.P approved) Machine with 256 x 256 dpi- DPI , 24(nozzle) Xaar Head. (The machine is approved for printin for many reputed companies in India.)
2. Caldron Xaar 128 / 12 NOZZLE Head Printer with 370 x 370 dpi
Printing Capabilities. For : Flex, Solvent Vinyls, all Outdoor Printing etc.
* Digital : ROLAND ECO SOLVENT VP – 540/ 4 Head Printer with upto 720 dpi Printing
Capabilities. For Translits, Digital Vinyl Quality, Indoor Printing and Sunboard Printing.
* We Print on the best possible Media with Xaar (U.K) Approved inks to
give our clients the best of service and warranty.
We assure you the best possible services in terms of Price and Quality.
Please feel free to call us in case any query generates or log on to our website for details. http://www.metromaxprintmedia.com
—
Thanks and Regards,
Raman Vassan
Mgr : Sale Promotion
098760-62085
for : Metro Max Print Media
http://www.metromaxprintmedia.com
Hi All
I am a planner in Australia and trying to find out some information regarding outdoor advertising signage in India, particulary interactive and new-technology mediums. My research will be largely based around how new technologies in advertising intergrate with the built environment and the regulations and planning controls which outdoor advertising are subject too.
If the research project is accepted i will be travelling to India to undertake some primary research, so if anyone has any leads/contatcs for advertising agencies, governing bodies and/or knowledge of major trends in Indian outdoor advertising i would be very appreciative.
Plz send me some information regarding viewership survey in outdoor advertising and anything regarding this
Does anybody have authentic information on how many outdoor advertising assets are available in India? How many hoardings in India?
Sir ,
i am provideing trucks,cars and advertising bikes to my clients in a very good manners and style for roadshows in the punjab.pmy clients asked me for outdoor advertising in the punjab .hoarding ,rooftops and othe rbill boards are illagal.pls let me know ispite of banned by highcourt for not to install any kind of hoarding in any corporation area anywhere in india. i fail to understand how venders istaled big big hoardingd ,pls let me know
Sir,
i am ready to serve you if you are havining some plane to display of digital signage in ludhiana,jallandhar and in amritsar.i can provide my services to you for the development of business from ludhiana…
Sunil Khosla,
Sunnysmart30@yahoo.co.in
cell-09357214674.
ludhiana.141001
i m a student of BBA and i need some information on outdoor advertising in india…its types,advantages,disadvantages,the actual scenario of outdoor advertivertising in india,areas.
thank you
ankita
We have few Hoarding in very good Location in Moradabad city [ U.P ]
Pls feel fee to contact us for same.
Thanks for sharing!
Please take some time out to visit: http://www.FindBillboard.com
FindBillboard.com is your online connection to Out-of-Home. Specializing in alternative and digital out-of-home media, locates, evaluates, plans and purchases out-of-home media including billboards, down to the nearest zip code.
From highways, city streets, taxis and trains …to in-store, sidewalks, cinemas and malls … to elevators, airports, medical offices and more, WMI manages your out-of-home advertising buy from campaign start to finish…on target, on time, on budget, giving you one point of expert contact for all your out-of-home media buying.
Great post. Thank you for sharing this. If you have a moment, check out my site as well over at http://seobizniche.com 🙂 cheers!
Dear sir,
I deals in chemical adhesive(bond) 20gm packing bottle
09717293562
We are Technology people venturing in Large Outdoor Displays in digital domain and signage network technology.
we are planning to put up LARGE DISPLAY at the Holly places where You can be assured of the huge gatherings and deciples flocking by 24/7.
Please send info on the ADVERTISING AGENCIES interested and the Corporates interested.
We are making a ground for the ADVERTISERS in Outdoor Digital Displays in Holly places !!!!
Also can send the monitoring devices taday available !!!
Please contact TECHNO TANK Cosultants & Associates on 09321137377.
e-mail : yateen_gulwadi@yahoo.com
Thanks.
It’s nice to see Indian getting into the effectiveness of outdoor advertising.
hi..
im a MBA student.i am doing my project in Indian Outdoor media,mainly in Bangalore. in outdoor media there are new types of foreign medias coming,but they are not doing well as in foreign countries…why..??????
If anybody can help me out…..
We have own media in Moradabad City [ U.P ] India. and we are much interested to do business with your group. Feel free to contact us any time. Mob’:09412390039
Indian Outdoor Advertising: Outdoor advertising has become a daily cup of tea for almost all the advertisers. With various technological innovations, a wide range of outdoor media vehicles have also been revamped. Digital signages have become a latest tool for outdoor advertising. Digital signage is usually a form of electronic display that shows an ad, information or any other message. LCD, LED, Plasma Displays or projected images come under the category of digital signages. These tools are mostly used in corporate building and retail stores. Digital signages provide striking impact upon the target audience with its colourful and interactive visual displays. Big and small outdoor advertisers at present deploy this tool of outdoor advertising as it creates a rich impression upon the target group.
Please feel free to call us in case any query generates or log on to our website for details. http://www.tdiindia.com
Thanks and Regards,
TDI International India Limited
http://www.tdiindia.com
I have a space of around 30feet wide on Road which i think is very suitable for hoarding. The space is on NH31 (50 KM before Patna(Bihar)names as Bakthiyarpur. How can i get that space utilised for hoarding purposes. if required i can send you the photographs (video) of the location. Please help me.
I can’t seem to fully load this page from my iphone!!
sir,
can you please send me your email id. i hav an business idea related to led billboard advertisment that i would like to discuss with you.