MAM
I will take a break and then decide on options available: Pratap Bose
MUMBAI: After working for six years with DDB Mudra, the chief operating officer, Pratap Bose, is taking a summer holiday!
The news of him quitting the agency broke yesterday. However, not many were surprised with it as the reason of him putting down his papers was known. The group CEO and MD Madhukar Kamath has been given a four year extension at the agency and it is this reason why Bose resigned. Bose was expected to take over from Kamath, post his expected retirement.
Without indulging more on the subject Bose says, “It was a quick decision for me given the circumstances. But it has been glorious six years with the agency and I’m looking for the next chapter in my life and career.”
Bose has already been approached by other agencies, but he hasn’t taken any decision yet. “I might take a break for a while and then decide on the options.”
His last day in the agency is 11 April but will be available for handover or any work, if needed.
No one will be replacing him in the agency and people reporting to him will now be directly reporting to Kamath.
Prior to joining Mudra, Bose was with Ogilvy & Mather for 17 years; in 2006, he was named (youngest) CEO of the agency.
A chartered accountant by qualification, Bose has also worked across markets – national and international.
Last year, he was appointed as the president of the Ad Club and will continue to spearhead it.
MAM
GUEST COLUMN: How data and adtech are driving OOH growth in India
Data and technology are reshaping OOH and boosting advertiser confidence.
MUMBAI: Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising is evolving from a traditional, location-driven medium into a data-informed channel that blends physical presence with digital intelligence. For Nipun Arora, co-founder of Osmo, this transformation is redefining how advertisers plan, execute, and measure campaigns in India. In this piece, Arora explores how traffic, mobility, and AI-powered data are enhancing site and audience insights, why DOOH is accelerating precision planning, and how authenticity, creativity, and repeat exposure are driving renewed advertiser confidence in OOH.
For years, Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising operated with minimal reliance on data. Site selection was largely driven by visibility, location, and a planner’s understanding of traffic patterns.
That is now changing rapidly.
The first shift came with traffic data, offering basic estimates of vehicular movement. This evolved into mobility data powered by GPS signals, enabling deeper insights into audience movement and behavior. Point-of-interest data further refined this by helping advertisers understand who is likely to be present around a location.
Today, artificial intelligence and computer vision are unlocking an entirely new layer of site and audience intelligence. Together, these data streams are transforming OOH from a real estate-led medium into a data-backed one.
The rise of Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) is accelerating this shift. Campaigns can now be planned, scheduled, and optimized with increasing precision bringing OOH closer to an adtech model. That said, as a physical medium, OOH still operates within real-world constraints, making this transition gradual rather than absolute.
At the same time, advertisers are returning to OOH with renewed interest.
One of the biggest drivers is authenticity. Unlike digital platforms, OOH offers real-world visibility free from bots, fraudulent impressions, or ad blockers. What you see is what exists.
There’s also growing digital fatigue. Consumers are overwhelmed by constant online advertising, often choosing to skip or ignore it. OOH, by contrast, engages audiences naturally within their environment, without interruption.
Mobility further strengthens its impact. As people move through cities daily, OOH benefits from repeated exposure building recall over time in a way few channels can match.
Add to this the power of creativity. Large formats and contextual executions don’t just capture attention, they often extend beyond the physical space, finding life on social media.
Finally, the increasing availability of data at the planning stage is boosting advertiser confidence. Better insights mean better decisions and more accountability.
As cities grow and movement increases, OOH is uniquely positioned at the intersection of physical presence and data intelligence. Its evolution from billboards to big data isn’t just a technological shift, it’s a redefinition of the medium itself.
Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect our own.
