By Fatima
December 2, 2025
A casual stroll down the streets of Bengaluru has once again stirred up an industry debate that seems to flare up every so often: Why do brands continue using billboards when everything has gone digital?
A recent anecdote that a marketing professional shared while reflecting on a debate with a finance colleague has turned into a greater discussion of why out-of-home will remain a core channel for major brands.
The Question: “Why Are We Still Spending on Billboards?”
That friend from the finance department, according to the marketer, once asked him why companies were still budgeting money for billboard ads even with the rise of measurable and trackable digital channels.
At the time, the question didn’t have a straightforward answer.
But on a Sunday commute through Bengaluru, a few large OOH displays triggered clarity in this marketer as to why outdoor advertising still manages to hold its ground.
Reason 1: You Can’t Skip a Billboard
Unlike digital advertisements, billboards cannot:
- Skipped
- Blocked
- Closed
- Muted
They line up directly along high-traffic roads, reaching anyone who passes by: commuters, pedestrians, and residents of the local neighborhood. In an era of declining attention spans and ad fatigue, this guaranteed visibility is a major advantage.
Reason 2: OOH Builds Instant Legitimacy
Large-format outdoors, especially in premium locations, lend credibility to the brand.
Seeing a brand on a giant 40-foot structure subconsciously signals:
- Stability
- Seriousness
- Market presence
Marketers have further noted that OOH is usually used by brands when launching or expanding a product since this medium creates a perception of scale that digital ads alone cannot match.
Reason 3: Long-Term Exposure Strengthens Recall
Billboards stay up for:
- Weeks
- Months
- Sometimes entire quarters
This extended exposure will reinforce brand memory through the repetition that is needed to create recall, often difficult or impossible with digital advertising because of rapid ad rotations and algorithmic limitations.
Reason 4: OOH Amplifies Digital Marketing
Industry analysts underlined the growing synergy between outdoor and digital channels.
A typical consumer journey may look like:
- See the billboard on a daily commute.
- Later find the same brand on YouTube, Instagram, or Google
- Instant recognition
- Engage or buy because awareness was prebuilt offline
This integration is more often called OOH × Digital reinforcement; it is increasingly implemented nowadays by modern brands.
Traditional, yet timeless.
Yet despite being deemed old-school, billboards have remained right on course because they deliver something digital cannot: unskippable, high-impact visibility in the real world.
For marketers balancing both brand building and performance goals, OOH remains a reliable tool, not a relic.
As the Bengaluru observation suggests, some traditional channels survive simply because they still work.
