Data-driven business lifeline for Indian OOH

Year 2020 was a time for Indian OOH to do a reality check. Through the year, different constituents of Indian OOH industry were hoping to see a return to normality after the government eased the lockdowns. However, the outcomes were way off the expectations. The reason being: some of the long-standing issues that underpin OOH business.

Indian OOH has been debating for long on the need for investing in data but as yet there is no solution at hand. The industry has hardly moved in the direction of creating data-driven business. Whereas, it is an imperative for all players to know that what is not measurable will not grow beyond a point. Now is the time for the Indian OOH industry and in particular the media owners to adapt to a data investment thought process even as they invest in OOH assets. It is vital to have data on all key aspects that go into the plans for OOH campaigns.

OOH is integral to the media ecosystem and if it is not in sync with the other growing media verticals, there will be insurmountable challenges facing the industry in the coming times.

2021 will be a year of recovery. Brands are likely to be extra careful when it comes to spending on OOH. Brand marketers are discussing performance marketing where they want to see incremental sales coming their way in proportion to the investments on advertising. Hence, 2021 could be a tough period for OOH as more and more brands would opt for OOH campaigns only where see data-laden planning by agencies that have successfully integrated OOH planning with digital to drive performance.

Agencies will have to reinvent the way they had been working if they want to see growth.  Overall, the OOH industry would have to convert the ‘gut feel’ to a strong value proposition and RoI.

Charanjeet Singh Arora is a highly accomplished media industry leader with 20+ years of experience working in the radio and OOH business segments. He had worked with Radio City (when it was part of STAR TV), BIG FM, before entering the OOH segment where worked with IPG (Rapport), Dentsu (Posterscope India) and WPP (Kinetic India). He was the Co-CEO of Kinetic India. In January this year joined Moving Walls Indonesia as Director Business Development.