OOH buying evolves as brands move beyond language-led localisation

Out-of-home advertising (OOH) is moving beyond language-led localisation to focus on context, placement, and data-driven insights. Marketers are increasingly using hyperlocal strategies to drive engagement and measurable outcomes across categories. Industry executives speaking at the recent e4m OOH Conference 2026 discussion said localisation today is less about translating copy and more about understanding consumer behaviour, dwell time, and city-specific nuances, with brands integrating OOH more closely with digital and commerce ecosystems to improve performance.

Piyush Sethia, Marketing Head at Atomberg, said brands often misinterpret localisation as simple translation, missing deeper nuances. “A lot of people stop at translation, but localisation is also about context, cultural cues, and even where the consumer is when they see the ad. A metro station allows longer engagement, while a highway needs a sharp message. The same creative cannot work across these formats, and understanding this difference is critical for effectiveness,” he said.

Amit Bhojani, General Manager, Marketing and Brand Experience at Oberoi Realty, said OOH offers flexibility to target different consumer segments within the same city. “Outdoor allows us to tailor creatives based on the segment, whether it is affordable, premium, or luxury. With digital screens, we can deliver short-format, high-impact communication that builds product experience within seconds. It is no longer just about visibility, but about delivering a strong proposition in a limited attention span,” he said.

Rajeeb Dash, Head of Department, Sales and Marketing at Adani Realty, said the role of OOH has expanded from product communication to experience building. “Today, large categories are moving beyond product messaging to experience-led communication. Outdoor plays a key role in creating that surrounding effect, not just for customers but also for stakeholders like distributors and partners. In many cases, outdoor becomes the starting point of marketing, which is then amplified through digital,” he said.

Pratik Ghate, General Manager, Media and Events at Bajaj Auto, said placement and scale play a critical role in building credibility. “Creative makes the brand relevant, but media makes it believable. If a brand is not seen in the right format and scale, the consumer does not engage with it. We have used large-format junctions and high-traffic zones to communicate specific product benefits, ensuring that the message reaches the consumer at the right moment with maximum visibility,” he said.

On the role of data, Himanshu Pandey, Founder and CEO at Segumento, said decision-making is increasingly shifting towards analytics-driven planning. “Creative contributes around 30% to campaign success, while context contributes nearly 70%. With data, we can understand pin codes, traffic patterns, dwell time, and even measure footfall before and after campaigns. This helps brands not only optimise media placement but also plan inventory and production based on actual consumer movement,” he said.

Panelists also highlighted the growing importance of hyperlocal insights in decision-making. Sethia said local teams are better placed to drive such strategies. “The central brand team cannot understand the nuances of multiple markets. Even a state like Uttar Pradesh behaves like several smaller markets. Local teams should drive most decisions, with minimal intervention from the head office, to ensure communication remains relevant,” he said.

Bhojani shared an example of a recent campaign in Thane where the brand relied solely on outdoor media to build awareness. “We activated the entire market using only outdoor for around 15 to 20 days with simple, high-visibility messaging. It helped us create strong awareness in a new micro market without relying on multiple channels. Outdoor continues to deliver strong visibility and supports other channels like digital, especially through channel partners,” he said.

The discussion also pointed to increasing integration between OOH and commerce platforms. Sethia noted that brands are beginning to track quick commerce data to assess campaign impact. “Outdoor and quick commerce are both hyperlocal. Some brands are already correlating their outdoor deployment with search and offtake data on quick commerce platforms. This gives near real-time feedback on whether the campaign is working,” he said.

As brands expand into smaller markets and consumer attention fragments further, marketers said OOH will continue to evolve as a data-led, context-driven medium, with localisation playing a central role in delivering both scale and relevance.