Outdoor Advertising ~ Still going strong in changing times

Even when there was no newspaper, magazine or printing press or radio or cinema or television, there was merchandise and trading. To promote, to propagate, and to inform the consumers about a product, the only effective media was either word of mouth or outdoor propaganda.

From time immemorial, and even now, every time a train nears the station of an Indian city, the passengers find passing through a tunnel like passage of big or small house-walls or boundaries of various kinds of premises –  most of them choicely painted with promotional campaigns of various commodities. And people are greeted with advertisements of merchandises ranging from underwear to electronic gadgets, a bank announcing its loan scheme to mortised two-wheelers and swanky cars, Ayurvedic massage oil to  marriage bureaus.

Measure effectiveness of this seemingly prehistoric media from the fact that Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, when he was prime minister of the country, and posed with a question in the parliament as why he should meet the Pakistani head at all, he articulated his answer in his playful style quoting a popular marriage bureau slogan doing rounds in the public domain through outdoor advertising. The prime minister cited a caption which people had come across while entering Delhi railway station through a train during 80s and 90s. Targeting the prospective match-seekers, it read, “Mil to Lein” which, in the local vernacular, effectively urges the audience to meet them. Imagine the popularity, recall value and effect of these 3 facile words picked out of the wall paintings from the fact that the country’s top executive chose to quote these words to explain and justify his govt.’s policy regarding Pakistan. Elaborating on it, he said that you marry or not, make a relationship or not, but there is nothing wrong in at least a meeting.   

Many new media, say print, TV commercials, digital, radio have come up, and found their space. But the high place and effectiveness of outdoor advertising remains undisputed even in the middle of the first quarter of the 21st Century. Evolution from simplistic displays to more artistically and technologically advanced adaptations has taken place only because the charm of outdoor advertising is undiminished despite facing challenges from the other media.

There are strong reasons behind consistent growth and survival of outdoor media even though it sometimes appears costlier as compared to something like digital media.  Nevertheless, outdoor votaries have cogent arguments to offer against cost disparity. They say that it is the most cost effective media if considered in the totality of the purpose.

If we talk about a metropolitan city like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata etc, an average commuter spends nearly two hours every day in travelling. Many a time these outdoor sites become a landmark, acting like a bookmark, for the commuters’ memory. Habitually, the car drivers, or passengers, if it happens to be a shared vehicle or bus, turn their heads to gobble up whatever newness these flexes offer. A witty punch line, a delightful and clever design work, innovations of computerized enhancements, and a new product and service info together serve as a stimulating capsule of entertainment providing a refreshing relief from the monotonous drive on the traffic-jam infested city boulevards. No other media but the outdoor captures eyeballs for so many long hours a day and so many times in a day as Outdoor media.  With good designs and communications, outdoor advertising, which comprises big-sized unipoles, kiosks, utilities, bus shelters, street furniture etc., serves as a compelling and an effective communication. Not that an outdoor campaign only draws attention by repetitively presenting itself before the eyes of road-users, but leaves a lasting impression affecting the consumers’ interest as well. And, what to say of its effect when it enjoys a respectable mention by a man who heads a country of a billion people.     

When asked to share its experience about the efficacy of outdoor media, Graphisads, the largest concessionaire of outdoor advertising based in New Delhi, said that though theirs is 360 degrees advertising agency, they still put their best bet on outdoor which is a win-win for them as well as their patrons. The last decade has brought remarkable changes in outdoor innovations and their executions, thus keeping the ante up for the outdoor media, and fashioning it to match the taste of the changing times.