Driven by growth, innovation, adaptability, 2024 a pivotal year for OOH advertising

As we conclude another year, it is essential to reflect on the key developments, challenges, and achievements that have shaped different sectors throughout the past 12 months. The year 2024 has been marked by dynamic shifts, rapid innovation, and the continued adaptation to both external factors and emerging trends.

Adgully’s annual feature – REWIND – revisits different sectors and identifies the key developments as well gauges the long-term impacts of those developments. We speak to a cross-section of industry leaders to bring a 360-degree view of the industry landscape, the growth trends, financial performance, disruptions, innovations, challenges and more.

In this Rewind 2024 article, Santosh Mishra, Senior Vice-President, Posterscope, reflects on the year gone by for the outdoor advertising industry in India, strong comeback by traditional formats, growing shift to digital OOH, brands’ increasing investments in OOH campaigns, and more.

Overview of Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising in 2024

The OOH advertising industry in India saw a pivotal year in 2024, underscored by growth, innovation, and adaptability. The sector achieving ~13% revenue increase, and reaching around Rs ~50 billion, reaffirmed its relevance in the advertising landscape. Traditional formats made a strong comeback, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where brands sought visibility in growing urban centers.

Meanwhile, the rise of Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) revolutionized the industry, claiming nearly one-third of all OOH spending. This shift was fueled by technology-driven formats such as dynamic displays, geotargeted campaigns, and phygital activations that integrated offline and digital channels seamlessly.

Furthermore, the industry’s ability to connect with diverse audiences from urban millennials to rural households – through vernacular messaging and hyperlocal targeting – proved that OOH is more than static billboards; it is an evolving medium capable of creating meaningful and memorable audience interactions and full funnel targeting right from awareness to consideration

Indian economy and OOH advertising

India’s robust economic growth in 2024 played a crucial role in shaping the OOH sector’s trajectory. The government’s focus on infrastructure, particularly metro rail expansions, new airport developments, and smart city initiatives, opened high-impact advertising opportunities. These projects provided brands with premium spaces for visibility and engagement, such as metro stations, transit hubs, and urban landmarks.

Rising disposable incomes among middle-class and affluent consumers also encouraged brands to increase investments in OOH campaigns, reinforcing their market presence. In rural areas, economic development enabled micro-targeted strategies through activations, hyperlocal, retail visibility, and localized messaging. The strong economic backdrop not only bolstered advertiser confidence but also incentivized innovation and creativity, making OOH an indispensable part of the marketing mix.

Key trends and developments

Rise of Programmatic DOOH (pDOOH): DOOH reshaped the industry by enabling real-time targeting and data-driven campaign execution.

Phygital Campaigns: Seamlessly integrating physical and digital channels, phygital strategies employed CGI, interactive displays, and QR codes, creating cohesive consumer experiences.

Focus on Sustainability: Brands embraced eco-friendly practices, from using biodegradable materials to leveraging solar-powered billboards.

Vernacular Connects: Campaigns in regional languages resonated deeply, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.

Advanced Analytics: Geotargeting, audience heatmaps, and ROI-driven dashboards enable precise audience movement tracking, allowing for more hyperlocal and foolproof campaign strategies. Additionally, seamless offline-to-online integration facilitates audience retargeting through multiple exposures in an impactful manner, extending beyond static media formats.

Posterscope’s performance in 2024

Posterscope had an extraordinary year in 2024, achieving several milestones that reinforced its leadership in the OOH sector. One of the most notable achievements was executing India’s largest DOOH campaign across over 5,000 screens in six metro cities, setting a benchmark for scale and technological innovation. We became the first Indian agency to adopt scientific campaign planning, using tools like OOHZone, Periscope, and CompOOH. These revolutionary tools enabled us to identify the right locations, quantify media, and deliver precise location measurements. They also enhanced campaign planning by providing insights into audience sizing, behaviour analysis, competitive seasonality, and media spending optimization.

Posterscope also successfully expanded its footprint in regional markets, reaching over 500 towns and executing 30-35 unique campaigns per month. These efforts included vernacular campaigns and rural activations that resonated deeply with hyperlocal audiences. Sustainability was a key focus for the year, as the organization championed green advertising practices. Notable campaigns for brands like Intel, H&M, Honda, Apollo Tyres, Airtel, Croma, L’Oréal, Garnier, and Toyota demonstrated Posterscope’s ability to blend creativity with measurable outcomes.

In 2024, Posterscope also successfully extended its Indian brand campaigns into international markets, setting new benchmarks for global outreach. These accomplishments not only elevated the brand’s reputation, but also showcased its ability to adapt to the ever-evolving advertising landscape.

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