MAM
Bright Outdoor offers discounted rates to revive OOH economy during festive season
NEW DELHI: As the out of home (OOH) industry struggles to get back on its feet, Bright Outdoor Media has already come up with plans for the festive season. Bright Outdoor Media CMD Dr Yogesh Lakhani is optimistic that the OOH industry will pick up soon as people make the maximum use of festive season.
With Unlock 3.0 and relaxations given by the government, there has been a slight improvement. Lakhani opines, “The coming phase is a festive phase. Brands have started to invest in OOH advertising but it is still minuscule of what it would have been without Covid2019.”
The pandemic caused several hurdles for the OOH industry. He adds, “For three months there was zero revenue. All the hoardings in MMR were taken by MCGM for COVID2019 awareness. Traffic was almost zero. While the revenue remained a big zero, the expenses continued. The government hasn’t given us relaxations in taxes. On the contrary, it is charging us even for the lockdown period. It has become a matter of survival for some of the hoarding providers in the industry. We, at Bright, stand in solidarity with other OOH providers in this unprecedented circumstance. However, slowly and steadily the traffic is returning on the roads but, as per reports, 50 per cent of the people will still avoid travelling unless urgent. With only 10 per cent workforce permitted, fewer vehicles are on the streets.”
With no movement, he says that the industry saw a 20 per cent drop as only essential service people were allowed to travel during the lockdown. Lakhani shares that the coming two quarters are extremely important for the industry and festivals are the only hope.
“Brands have started to come back but the rate of purchase has drastically reduced. We are eyeing for a very big Diwali as the marketing spends of all other festivals will also be used during that time. Movies will hit theatres in the coming few months. The big-ticket films are due. Bright shall make a change rather than asking for change from others. We are providing a 30 per cent discount and are ready to sit across the table with the clients and get them the best value and offer value additions to their spends and power them to revive as early as possible to bring the economy back to normal,” he shares.
With shopping malls gym and other spaces opening up, Lakhani is optimistic that categories including entertainment industry, pharmaceuticals, online services, educational institutions and real estate will revive and avail OOH services.
Digital
The Indian Express appoints Nandagopal Rajan as CEO Digital & Shobhit Singhal as chief technology and product officer
Longtime editor steps up to lead next phase of growth and storytelling
NEW DELHI: The The Indian Express has announced a major leadership reshuffle in its digital division, naming veteran journalist Nandagopal Rajan as chief executive officer (Digital), while also bringing in Shobhit Singhal as chief technology and product officer.
Rajan, who has been with the organisation for over a decade, steps into the role after serving as chief operating officer and earlier as editor of new media. His journey with the company dates back to 2013, when the digital team was a compact setup. Today, it has expanded into a multi-city operation with over 500 employees, reflecting the rapid evolution of the publisher’s online presence.
In a note announcing his new role, Rajan said, “Stepping into the role of CEO of The Indian Express Digital, I am very aware that it is not about a title. It is about responsibility to the vision, to the belief that we must always be content-led, and to every reader who expects credible journalism from us.”
He also acknowledged the contributions of leadership figures such as Anant Goenka and George Varghese, while crediting Sanjay Sindhwani for building a strong foundation for future growth.
In parallel, the company has appointed Shobhit Singhal to lead its consumer product and technology functions, overseeing engineering, design, marketing, growth and subscriptions. Singhal brings extensive experience across digital product ecosystems, having previously worked with platforms such as Disney+ Hotstar and Moloco, and also serving on advisory initiatives with Google.
Singhal’s mandate will focus on strengthening user experience and scaling the publication’s digital offerings, as competition intensifies across India’s online news and media landscape.
The dual appointments signal a sharper focus on technology-led storytelling and product innovation at The Indian Express, as it continues to expand its digital footprint.
With seasoned newsroom leadership and a product-first strategy now aligned, the organisation appears set to push into its next phase of digital growth while staying rooted in its editorial core.
