The Digital Out of Home (DOOH) boom started in Mumbai with the first set of two screens on the Western Express Highway in the airport-bound stretch in the beginning of 2021. By 2022, the number of DOOH screens in Mumbai went up to 25-30, and currently stands at 150-200, say experts.
As traditional forms of media adjust to evolving trends, the transition of Out of Home (OOH) advertising to DOOH is becoming increasingly apparent, characterized by the widespread proliferation of digital screens throughout the country. Mumbai stands out as a pioneer in this transformation, with experts estimating that over 40% of the OOH advertising budget is allocated specifically to this city.
Similar trends are being observed at the national level. According to Jayesh Yagnik, CEO of MOMS Outdoor Media, there were 85,000 digital screens in 2022, which have now reached to over 1,20,000 screens spanning malls, buses, and various other locations across India. Advertising executives speculate that this number is expected to double this year, fueled by digital transformation and brands expressing a growing preference for DOOH.
Anticipated to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14 per cent, the medium is projected to reach a value of $3.6 billion by 2028 in the country, according to a Statista report. Some players are even going public to secure funds for the conversion of their screens into digital displays.
Speaking on the rise in investment in DOOH by advertisers, Yagnik said, “According to the Ernst & Young report on media & advertising sector 2023, the share of DOOH in total OOH spends increased from 6 per cent to 8 per cent between 2021 and 2022, which is approximately 20 per cent rise in investments. OOH is a substantial part of the media mix of several brands. They are trying to create omnipresence: i.e. integration of outdoor media and digital.”
“The inventory has increased and there are opportunities of accommodating multiple brands on DOOH. This helps brands to be present at high-impact locations at lesser cost and this also opens doors for advertisers to seize the opportunity of making higher revenue,” Yagnik added.
Mansa Madhusudan, Head of Marketing at RoshanSpace Brandcom said, “Digital OOH is at a nascent stage and is being accepted steadily by the industry and at a much faster pace with few advertisers and marketers. Currently, of our overall assets, 37 per cent of them are DOOH and we will continue to invest and eventually turn few prime locations into digital.”
Several big companies have opted for DOOH in the recent times to gain that extra visibility. HP India launched its most recent series of HP Spectre 360 laptops through a programmatic digital out-of-home campaign across multiple cities. HP Spectre 360's large format video creative was activated across metro cities with a clear call to action to scan the QR code and identify the nearest store. Also, Dentsu India extended congratulations to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon through DOOH.
Upcoming Trends
Yagnik advices advertisers to experiment with their content pieces. He says, “To stand apart from the cluster, advertisers can try different ways to communicate by way of storytelling, use of more imagery or integration in the digital format. The upcoming trend is AI-AR integration. Brands can adapt to it and try creating a unique visual long-term impact on the audience.”
“For DOOH, proximity to the road and the dwell time matter most and we put in a lot of science before we turn our assets digital. Clients are experiencing 3D, anamorphic and screen synchronisation ideas and other innovations. They will really appreciate DOOH in the near future,” said Madhusudan.
