Despite slow start, RoadStar’s path paved with purpose: Industry

Once a buzzword in the out-of-home advertising industry, the RoadStar platform seems to be trudging through a slower path to success. Despite its promise of standardised measurability and greater transparency, the platform hasn’t yet seen the widespread adoption it was expected to garner, and industry experts believe mindset, more than mechanics, is to blame.

The recently released EY M&E Report 2025 also acknowledged the significance of this tool and stated, “RoadStar needs to gain acceptance from all major OOH companies and advertisers" to truly shape the future of the medium.

Change of mindset is the biggest hurdle, say many senior professionals who have closely watched RoadStar’s journey. While the platform was envisioned to bring consistency and credibility to OOH measurement, it’s yet to be embraced by the industry at large, particularly smaller players hesitant to shift from traditional ways of working.

Praveen Vadhera, CEO of IOAA (which has launched the Roadstar platform to measure viewership of OOH assets), firmly believes that the challenge doesn't lie in the technology itself but in the need for a shift in mindset.

The hesitation around RoadStar stems more from resistance to change than from any technical shortcomings.

Rohit Chopra, COO, Times OOH, echoes this sentiment. “I've been in this industry since 2010, and even back then, measurability was a major topic of discussion, and it still is today, and rightly so. It's not that we haven’t made progress, but the pace has been slower than it could have been,” he observes.

But if measurability is the very metric advertisers have long demanded to justify spends, what’s holding back its adoption?

The EY report mentions the platform generates reports on unique reach, cumulative impressions, frequency, and site-wise metrics (opportunity to see), along with weekday/ weekend, daypart, and hourly reach. It also identifies high-density audience locations for optimized OOH campaign strategies.

This is also another reason why the change of mindset is a problem. Agencies are driving it right now and they've always worked on outdoor from the perspective of no numbers being available, specifically for media owners as well. They have never been data-oriented and hence, just changing the mindset will take time, as per Vadhera. “Anything which is divergent to accepted practices, takes time to be accepted.”

Chopra points out, “Measurability can sometimes be a double-edged sword. While it's a great asset, it also brings with it a level of scrutiny that not everyone is comfortable with. That’s one of the key reasons some stakeholders remain apprehensive.”

Like with any innovation, there are early adopters, but there are also those who resist change. Over time, though, the industry at large expects wider adoption as more stakeholders begin to see the long-term value.

Another OOH media expert, on the condition of anonymity, expressed that RoadStar is a tool which can help in planning, but it does not include buying and costs. Additionally, a lot of local interventions are needed in OOH, which aren’t taken into account by this tool.”

They believe that it’s a good industry initiative, but it will be a sure-shot platform for success might not be the right way to put it.

What’s next?

To accelerate RoadStar’s adoption, the IOAA has already begun engaging directly with brands. According to Vadhera, once brands start actively demanding data and measurable outcomes, the entire ecosystem will be compelled to align, making adoption not just necessary but inevitable.

Everyone seems to be adopting a wait-and-watch approach, as per the source, which has naturally slowed acceptance. “However, we are now seeing a gradual increase in usage, and it’s only a matter of time before RoadStar becomes an industry-standard tool,” he elaborates.

One key factor is client demand, as per Chopra. When more advertisers start insisting on measurable outcomes, both big and small agencies will feel the pressure to adopt platforms like RoadStar.

“Currently, larger players are leading the way, but once clients begin expecting the same level of accountability from smaller players, adoption will naturally follow. Over time, I also believe this will evolve into a competitive edge and those who embrace it early will stand out in the market,” he explains.

Looking at how far IOAA has come, Vadhera says, “Compared to what we started off with one year ago, it's a huge improvement since then. Even smaller agencies like Interspace, WTT (Walk The Talk), Signpost, also have started using it. Now for an industry-wide acceptance, it takes time.”

2024 saw the introduction of RoadStar, a unified audience measurement which aims to standardise OOH media measurement, potentially boosting the industry’s share of ad spend on OOH.

The software uses GPS technology and was initially launched by Relu AI in 2020. It has been enhanced over the past year with input from IOAA and is currently utilised by media owners like Times and Jagran Group.

The system uses satellite and mobile data to estimate traffic at OOH sites. Powered by four databases, including 150 million mobility data points, Census demographics, GADM maps, and over four million POIs via Google Maps, it enables targeted planning across 900 markets.

Ultimately, change may be slow, but RoadStar is steadily finding its place in the OOH ecosystem. As more players come on board, RoadStar will slowly move closer to becoming the industry norm.