‘OOH is evolving from visibility to conversation’

OOH advertising has undergone a fundamental transformation over the last few years. What once operated largely as a reach and awareness driver has now become a medium where brands capture attention, spark conversations, and meet consumers in the flow of their daily lives. For Airtel, one of India’s most expansive and consumer-facing brands, OOH continues to be a critical layer in driving visibility, cultural relevance, and incremental reach across markets.  

Kanika Anand, GM- Media at Airtel, shares her perspectives on how the medium is evolving, why it remains indispensable, and the systemic shifts required to unlock its full potential. 

OOH as a driver of visibility and engagement  

Kanika views OOH as an increasingly valuable contributor to marketing outcomes, especially in a media environment where fragmentation has become the norm. 

“OOH continues to play a critical role in adding incremental reach and visibility, especially in today’s cluttered media environment,” she says, pointing to the rise in outdoor mobility, extended commute durations in metro markets, and evolving consumer lifestyles. As people spend more time travelling, socialising, and moving through city spaces, OOH becomes a natural driver of weekend and drivetime visibility. 

She also highlights how the role of the medium has expanded beyond classic awareness. “OOH has now evolved beyond awareness.” In fact, what excites her most is how brands are using OOH to spark conversations. “Brands today are turning OOH into a conversation starter, sparking social chatter.” Youth-focused brands, she observes, increasingly use OOH as a storytelling platform, one that lends itself to virality when integrated effectively with digital and social channels. 

OOH’s cultural relevance is another dimension. Kanika notes how Indian brands today are making the medium shine using contextuality, humour, and real-time moments. As she puts it, “OOH offers a chance to stop people in their tracks, to make them look up, smile, and engage.” 

What OOH uniquely delivers 

In Kanika’s view, the strength of OOH lies in qualities no other medium can replicate. 

“OOH uniquely delivers high-impact physical presence and contextual relevance that digital or TV cannot,” she says. By existing in the real world, brands gain not just visibility but ownership of urban spaces, something deeply powerful in high-density markets. 

She points to the blend of scale, permanence, and creativity that the medium offers. Whether through large static formats, DOOH, 3D billboards, or ambient installations, the experience can be memorable and disruptive in ways digital clutter cannot match.  

Post COVID, she notes a renewed momentum for the medium, driven especially by Q-commerce and e-commerce players seeking strong recall formats. 

Budgets are set to rise 

Looking ahead, Kanika expects OOH to claim a larger share of the media mix. “Yes, OOH budgets are likely to increase by 5–10% in the near term,” she says. She attributes this rise to multiple forces: 

• Hyperlocal and regional brands using the medium aggressively for launches and offers
• The growing interplay between OOH and social media virality
• Expanding DOOH networks, metro systems, and RWA-focused formats creating new monetisation avenues

These factors, she believes, will continue to solidify OOH’s relevance across categories. 

Persistent challenges in monitoring and measurement  

Despite its strengths, OOH still grapples with systemic limitations, the most significant being monitoring and measurement. 

“The biggest challenge remains monitoring and measurement,” Kanika explains. While digital tracking tools and mobile apps have improved visibility, inconsistencies persist. Manual processes continue to influence reporting standards, resulting in gaps that hinder unified accountability.  

She stresses that for OOH to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with digital or television, the industry must establish a robust, tech-enabled, standardised ecosystem for measurement. Transparency, accuracy, and uniform metrics, she suggests, are essential for brands to plan confidently and scale investments. 

A wish-list for the ecosystem 

Kanika outlines a clear and thoughtful wish-list for stakeholders across the OOH chain  

From media owners, she hopes to see a unified measurement framework, one that creates credibility and performance benchmarks. She also emphasises the need for cleaner, clutter-free environments that allow high-quality media to stand out and enhance the city’s aesthetics. 

From municipal authorities, she expects faster approval cycles and more efficient maintenance processes that ensure seamless rollouts and sustain the quality of sites. 

She also highlights sustainability as a priority. Kanika calls for greater support from printers and governing bodies to enable the adoption of eco-friendly materials at manageable costs, as well as thoughtful disposal practices to ensure long-term environmental responsibility.  

Through Kanika Anand’s lens, it is clear that OOH has entered a new phase, one driven by creativity, contextuality, and conversation. While measurement and standardisation remain key hurdles, the medium’s inherent strengths make it one of the most powerful tools in a brand’s communication arsenal. 

For Airtel, and for the category at large, OOH represents far more than visibility. It represents presence, relevance, and the ability to connect with people where culture, community, and daily life intersect.