The dynamics of OOH advertising have changed drastically over the past decade. What used to be restricted to boring brand signage, easily overlooked by commuters, has come to emerge as one of the more popular marketing platforms driven by the integration of experiential elements and technological solutions.
The year 2015 saw multinational brands like HBO, Listerine, Coca Cola and Marvel etc. heavily capitalizing on experiential OOH advertising. While Coke created drinkable billboards, HBO placed wooden signage directing the way to Iron Islands to promote their premier drama series. Yes, their means of using OOH may be different but the message is loud, clear and unanimous- ‘interactive Out Of Home advertising’ equates to a memorable experience!
Interestingly, while several brands have experience driven OOH as an integral part of their marketing plan globally, India has been slow to catch on this trend. Is the change about to happen now? Is India on the verge of a revolution in OOH advertising? To get our answers we reached out to Olivier Heroguelle, MD, JCDecaux India, a premier global outdoor advertising specialist.
Right at the outset of the interaction Olivier eschews the idea of interactive OOH taking over conventional OOH in India anytime soon. He explains, “Outdoor is very crucial for any brand’s marketing plan but we suffer the drawback that outdoor advertising here is planned last minute. OOH is often looked upon as a tactical medium as a result of which the impact which it can truly create is restricted.”
He further adds, “Outdoor indeed has a lot of potential in any market for brands across all categories however interactive OOH needs strategic planning to execute properly and derive best results from.”
A latest report by Statistica has revealed that expenses on OOH in India are expected to grow up to approximately 339 million U.S. dollars by 2016. While some may feel that the numbers are increasing, Olivier has a different opinion and believes that the overall marketing spend on OOH is decreasing every year. He states, “It’s close to about 5% currently and it is decreasing every year. Since OOH is usually the last minute decision by brand marketers hence what comes up at the last minute is not something that delivers the best results to them. As a result, brands are increasing their spends on different marketing platforms like digital instead.”
Explaining why interactive OOH not likely to catch on in India Olivier comments, “Digital and Experiential integration in OOH Mediums is without a doubt an interesting trend catching on across the world. However in India, it is unlikely to dominate as there are multiple challenges that we as operators face after interactive OOH installation. They are mostly mishandled and even broken purposely when left unattended and the core materials of the OOH such as its lights, branding etc. is then used in slums and underdeveloped areas. So yes perhaps we can see this trend taking over in closed spaces such as airports or lounges but integration of experiential in OOH mediums unlikely to dominate ever in the country.”
So how can brands optimize use of OOH? Olivier sums up his stance on the subject by saying, “What needs to be done is operators like us and even advertising agencies need to be a part of the decision making process of a brands OOH plan and it is only then when we will be truly able to explore the benefits of what the medium has to offer.”
