A Trick & A Treat Situation

Pramod Bhandula Dec 31, 2020

The year began with a series of unexpected events that turned our lives around entirely. The full force with which industry was hit by the coronavirus pandemic, caused a considerable drop in advertising spend. From the way businesses were done to making them take a sudden and haunting pause, 2020 was the trick, while the treat lies right in our future.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the advertising industry was shattering. Even out-of-home with its own share of crisis in the past had never been hit as badly before as it was this time. But my gut feeling is that out-of-home is among the industries equipped to bear the brunt of the storm, Outdoor advertising can never go out of fashion, for its most basic characteristic is reaching out to the masses in the most effortless way possible.

The shift in the lifestyle of our audiences was a transition for us too. It started with some murky days but made us ponder over new ways to make business more efficient. However, with the recent changes, consumers have become even more aware of what they need to do to drive brands to think on their feet. This requires that the industry be patient and ready to invest further with a pragmatic approach to see benefits in the longer run.

Brands will embrace the power of story-telling and understanding consumer needs more than ever. Out-of-home (OOH) has come quite far in terms of innovation and creativity; which brands are likely to leverage in revealing a part of their story to the consumers. Internal business practices have also changed majorly since the first lockdown, making us realize the unseen benefits of even work from home. Saving a lot of time and enhancing our productivity, has come out to be a great alternative for a lot of us.

The year 2021 will be a harbinger for digitization in the outdoor industry. The consistent increase in digital out-of-home is expected in the times ahead for it is key to solve challenges. In these unprecedented times, the persistent competition will bring advertisers to be more creative and targeted in their method. Digital OOH is certain to open up new doors with more accessibility and flexibility.

We are at the first step of the ladder, 2020 made us see a different side of the advertising world. But with years of experience and a better understanding of the challenges we face today, OOH will be a fine collection of fruitful practices and emerge stronger in the post-Covid-19 era.