2024 General Elections: Outdoor advertising set to surge with Rs 400 crore political spends

As the 2024 general elections approach, Out-of-Home (OOH) and Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising emerge as pivotal tools for political campaigns. OOH will see investments to the tune of Rs400 crore in the coming months according to media buyers.

“Approximately 40 percent of the election budgets are earmarked for OOH, including DOOH,” said Rajesh Radhakrishnan, co-founder and chief marketing officer, Vritti iMedia.

OOH and DOOH are favoured for their affordability and direct impact, said Radhakrishnan.

“The versatility of an LED van as a moving platform allows it to connect emotionally with people at public places, making it a preferred choice. DOOH is increasingly being used for propagating public messages for institutions such as the Election Commission to raise awareness about voting rights, importance of voting in an election or voter registration process,” Radhakrishnan added.

According to experts, the Ram Mandir inauguration has already set the tone for the return of OOH as an impactful marketing tool.

In fact, Ayodhya OOH ad rates saw a 150 percent growth before the event and experts predict at least 15X to 17X surge in OOH spends moving forward.

“The first half of 2024 would be an event packed year with IPL and the general elections. Estimates suggest OOH would see almost Rs 400 crore plus spends in the coming months that would fuel OOH growth by 11 percent-12 percent this year,” said Partho Ghose, CEO, at full service agency InSync (a unit of Tribes Communication) that offers OOH, experiential marketing, activation and digital solutions.

Trend setters in OOH

The widespread use of LED vans, reaching every corner of the country, marks a revolution in OOH, said Radhakrishnan.

“DOOH, primarily associated with highway hoardings representing 5 percent of OOH ad spends, is expected to rise significantly to 20 percent in the next 4-5 years, particularly gaining traction in small cities and villages. Using DOOH, candidates can convey their achievements through 30-60 second videos displayed on vans that reach diverse locations, surpassing the limitations of other media,” Radhakrishnan said.

The space will also see tech innovations.

There is CGI (computer-generated imagery) - these artificial yet hyper-realistic ads are the latest trend in the OOH industry and experts expect to see a lot of such augmented reality solutions to create the buzz through larger-than-life and uniquely creative ads.

“With increased internet and mobile dependency within non-metros, we will see Influencer-driven OOH to be a catalyst for driving social media engagement this year along with geofencing to re-target the audience who is in vicinity of an OOH format,” said Ghose.

“At the end of the day, the goal is to create a strong visual presence that leaves a lasting impression on voters and helps build a positive perception of the candidate or party. Therefore, DOOH and traditional formats like hoardings, kiosks, mobile vans, wall paintings, wall wraps, banners etc. will not lose their charm,’ he added.

Centre vs state spends

Rachana Lokhande, founder of Glocal Bridge, partner at OOH Capital and advisor with the Indian Outdoor Advertising Association said that the state governments are heavily spending on political campaigns ahead of national elections to secure their candidates, while national campaign spending is expected to be lower due to a short window for advertisement approvals from the central government.

“Out-of-home advertising growth in 2024 is projected to be around 12 percent overall, with an additional 4-5 percent growth in some states due to increased political spending,” Lokhande said.

Read More: Ayodhya OOH ad rates see 150 percent growth