A comparison of outdoor advertising in India with other forms of marketing

Outdoor advertising refers to any promotional message or ad displayed outside of a building or vehicle, including billboards, hoardings, digital screens, transit ads, and more. In recent years, outdoor advertising has become increasingly popular in India due to its many advantages over other forms of marketing, including print, TV, radio, and digital. In this blog post, we will compare outdoor advertising with these other forms of marketing in India and highlight their differences and similarities.

Comparison : outdoor advertising v/s other forms of marketing

1. Cost and ROI

Compared to other media channels, outdoor ads have a lower cost per thousand (CPM), which means they can reach a larger audience for less money. Additionally, outdoor advertising has been shown to generate higher returns on investment (ROI) than other media channels due to its high visibility and impact.

2. Reach and visibility

Outdoor advertising has a broad reach and can target a diverse audience across urban and rural areas. Furthermore, outdoor ads have high visibility due to their large size and strategic locations, making them impossible to ignore.

3. Engagement and impact

Outdoor ads can engage and influence consumers with creative visuals and messages that cannot be skipped or ignored easily. As a result, outdoor advertising is highly effective in increasing brand awareness and driving purchase decisions.

4. Measurement and evaluation

One of the challenges of outdoor advertising is measuring and evaluating its effectiveness compared to other media channels that have more data and analytics tools. However, new technologies like digital billboards and augmented reality are providing more data and metrics to evaluate outdoor ad campaigns.

5. Regulation and compliance

Outdoor ads have to follow strict government rules and norms regarding their content, size, location, and duration. This can make it more challenging to create and implement outdoor ad campaigns compared to other media channels that have more flexibility.

Here are some examples of creative outdoor ads in India:

1. Kit Kat and Google: To promote a new partnership between Kit Kat and Google, and the launch of the new Android Kit Kat operating system, these two companies found a creative way to invite people to take a break with their products. They installed benches shaped like Kit Kat bars with Google logos on them in various locations.

2. Coca-Cola with straw: To showcase the refreshing taste of Coca-Cola, this ad used a giant straw that went from the billboard to a nearby building, creating an illusion that someone was drinking from it.

3. Formula Toothpaste: To emphasize the strength of Formula Toothpaste, this ad used a ladder to make it look like someone was climbing up to brush their teeth with it.

4. AD Vantage Integrated Marketing: To demonstrate their expertise in outdoor advertising, this agency created an eye-catching ad that featured a man holding a huge magnifying glass over their logo, suggesting that they can make any brand stand out.

Conclusion

Overall, outdoor advertising in India offers many benefits compared to other forms of marketing. It can reach a larger audience for less money, has high visibility, and can engage consumers with creative visuals and messages. However, it also faces challenges in measuring its effectiveness and complying with government regulations. To improve outdoor advertising in India, companies can integrate it with other forms of marketing, use new technologies to track and measure its effectiveness, and work with government authorities to create more flexible regulations. By doing so, companies can maximize the benefits of outdoor advertising while minimizing its challenges.