JCDecaux India unlocks programmatic targeting at Bengaluru International Airport

JCDecaux India launched programmatic advertising capabilities at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru on August 5, 2025, through its partnership with VIOOH, the global digital out-of-home supply-side platform. The announcement marks the first programmatic access to India's third busiest airport, which handles exclusive advertising rights for both domestic and international passengers.

The partnership delivers access to 64 digital screens positioned strategically across the airport, generating over 41 million monthly impressions. Kempegowda International Airport welcomed 41.88 million passengers in the most recent financial year, representing an 11.6% increase from the previous year's 37.53 million passengers. The airport connects more than 110 domestic and international destinations through 39 airlines, creating substantial reach for advertisers targeting business travellers and affluent consumers.

According to Gavin Wilson, Global Chief Commercial Officer at VIOOH, "Our partnership with JCDecaux India represents a significant milestone in expanding our programmatic marketplace into one of Asia's most dynamic transport hubs. India's third busiest airport, combined with its exceptional business traveller demographics and high-intent shopping audience, creates unparalleled opportunities for brands seeking to reach affluent, engaged consumers."

VIOOH's trading manager platform powers the programmatic offering alongside JCDecaux's Airport Audience Metrix methodology, which provides advertising impression data for JCDecaux airports worldwide. The technology platform enables seamless connections between buyers and sellers in the digital out-of-home space through streamlined programmatic advertising experiences.

The launch represents a fundamental shift in India's digital out-of-home advertising landscape. Frederic Brun, Managing Director at JCDecaux India, emphasized the timing of this development: "India is entering a new era for digital out-of-home, and we are proud to lead this transformation with VIOOH at one of the country's most dynamic and fast-growing airports."

Programmatic buying capabilities offer advertisers enhanced flexibility, precision targeting, and improved efficiency compared to traditional direct insertion orders. The automated trading infrastructure allows real-time campaign optimization and detailed performance measurement across the airport's premium digital displays.

The partnership builds on VIOOH's extensive global footprint, which currently operates programmatically in 34 markets and maintains partnerships with over 50 demand-side platforms. Founded in 2018 with headquarters in London, VIOOH specializes in premium digital out-of-home marketplace connections that make outdoor advertising easily accessible through programmatic capabilities and data integration.

JCDecaux, established in 1964 as a French family-owned company, operates as the world's leading outdoor advertising company with presence in more than 80 countries. The company maintains exclusive focus on outdoor advertising across three core areas: street furniture, transport advertising, and billboards. JCDecaux enhances more than 850 million people's daily experiences while delivering responsible outdoor advertising solutions.

Kempegowda International Airport's growth trajectory aligns with India's expanding air travel market. The airport's 11.6% passenger increase reflects broader industry momentum as India experiences unprecedented aviation sector expansion. Business travellers and frequent flyers comprise significant portions of the airport's passenger demographics, creating valuable targeting opportunities for premium brands.

The programmatic infrastructure deployment coincides with the digital out-of-home industry's broader transformation toward automated trading capabilities. European programmatic advertising demonstrated robust performance in the first half of 2025, with industry experts emphasizing decisive shifts toward outcome-driven campaigns.

Global programmatic advertising growth reached 72% among marketers planning increased investment in 2025, according to industry research. Connected television and digital out-of-home formats show particularly strong momentum as brands seek precision targeting capabilities with measurable performance outcomes.

The Bengaluru airport implementation represents VIOOH's continued expansion into Asia's dynamic advertising markets. Recent partnerships have extended programmatic capabilities across multiple regions, including comprehensive rollouts in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The platform's technical infrastructure supports both programmatic guaranteed and private marketplace buying options across its global network.

JCDecaux's digital transformation spans multiple airport installations worldwide, establishing programmatic capabilities as standard infrastructure for modern outdoor advertising operations. The company's Airport Audience Metrix methodology provides standardized measurement frameworks for advertising effectiveness across international airport networks.

India's digital advertising ecosystem continues evolving as programmatic technologies gain adoption across traditional media channels. The Bengaluru airport launch signals broader industry shifts toward automated, data-driven advertising solutions that deliver enhanced targeting precision and operational efficiency.

The partnership reflects growing advertiser demand for simplified access to premium digital out-of-home inventory through established programmatic buying platforms. Airport environments offer unique advantages for brand messaging, combining captive audiences with extended exposure times during travel experiences.

Technical specifications for the programmatic platform include real-time bidding capabilities, comprehensive targeting options, and integrated performance measurement tools. Advertisers can access inventory through major demand-side platforms, ensuring compatibility with existing programmatic advertising workflows and budget allocation strategies.

Implementation timeline began with the August 5 announcement, positioning the partnership for immediate advertiser adoption during India's peak travel seasons. The launch coincides with increased business travel as economic activity expands across India's major metropolitan regions.

The collaboration between JCDecaux India and VIOOH demonstrates the growing sophistication of programmatic DOOH implementations worldwide. Previous installations have shown substantial performance improvements through automated optimization and real-time campaign adjustments based on audience analytics and environmental factors.

Airport advertising environments provide unique measurement opportunities through passenger flow data and demographic analytics. The integration of programmatic technologies with these data sources enables sophisticated targeting strategies that align brand messaging with specific traveller segments and timing optimization.

For the marketing community, this development signals the continued maturation of programmatic digital out-of-home as a mainstream advertising channel. The ability to target specific audiences in premium environments through automated buying processes represents significant advancement in outdoor advertising precision and accountability.

Timeline

• August 5, 2025: JCDecaux India announces partnership with VIOOH for programmatic DOOH at Bengaluru airport
• July 2025: European programmatic advertising demonstrates strong H1 performance with emphasis on outcome-driven campaigns
• June 2025: Adform launches DOOH planner with inventory visualization across 15 markets
• May 2025: Google implements new requirements for CTV and DOOH inventory compliance
• February 2025: JCDecaux launches programmatic digital advertising at Dubai International Airport
• February 2025: Industry data reveals 72% of marketers plan programmatic advertising investment increases
• January 2025: ECN and VIOOH partnership brings programmatic DOOH to European offices
• January 2025: AFA Decaux expands DOOH network in Denmark with VIOOH integration

Key Terms Explained

Programmatic Advertising: The automated buying and selling of digital advertising space through real-time auctions and algorithmic decision-making. This technology eliminates manual negotiations and insertion orders, enabling advertisers to purchase inventory instantly based on specific targeting criteria, budget parameters, and performance goals. Programmatic systems process millions of bid requests per second, optimizing campaign delivery through machine learning and data analysis.

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH): A form of outdoor advertising that utilizes digital displays, screens, and interactive technology to deliver dynamic content in public spaces. Unlike traditional static billboards, DOOH enables real-time content updates, audience measurement, and programmatic buying capabilities. The format includes various screen types from large-format billboards to transit displays and airport advertising networks.

Supply-Side Platform (SSP): Technology infrastructure that enables publishers and media owners to manage, sell, and optimize their advertising inventory programmatically. SSPs connect to multiple demand sources simultaneously, conducting real-time auctions to maximize revenue while maintaining control over pricing floors, buyer access, and brand safety parameters. These platforms provide essential infrastructure for programmatic advertising ecosystems.

Airport Advertising: Specialized outdoor advertising format targeting travellers in airport environments, including terminals, gates, baggage claim areas, and concourses. Airport advertising reaches captive audiences with extended exposure times and specific demographic profiles, particularly business travellers and affluent consumers. The format benefits from high dwell times and premium audience demographics.

Business Travellers: Professional segment of air passengers who travel for work-related purposes, typically characterized by higher income levels, frequent travel patterns, and specific consumption behaviors. This demographic represents valuable targeting opportunities for luxury brands, business services, and premium consumer products due to their purchasing power and decision-making authority within organizations.

Kempegowda International Airport: India's third busiest airport located in Bengaluru, serving as a major hub for domestic and international travel in southern India. The airport handles over 41 million passengers annually with connections to more than 110 destinations through 39 airlines. Its strategic location and growth trajectory make it a significant advertising venue for reaching Indian and international travellers.

Monthly Impressions: Measurement metric indicating the total number of times advertising content is displayed or viewed within a one-month period. In digital out-of-home advertising, impressions typically represent potential audience exposure based on foot traffic, viewing angles, and screen visibility calculations. The 41 million monthly impressions at Bengaluru airport indicate substantial audience reach potential.

Real-Time Bidding: Core mechanism of programmatic advertising where advertising inventory is bought and sold through instantaneous auctions. When a user or audience member enters an advertising-enabled environment, multiple advertisers simultaneously submit bids for the opportunity to display their message. The highest bidder wins the placement, with the entire process completing in milliseconds.

Targeting Capabilities: Technical features that enable advertisers to reach specific audience segments based on demographics, behaviors, location, timing, and other criteria. In airport environments, targeting can leverage passenger data, flight schedules, terminal locations, and traveller characteristics to optimize message relevance and campaign performance through sophisticated audience segmentation.

Premium Inventory: High-quality advertising placements characterized by desirable audience demographics, brand-safe environments, and strong visibility metrics. Premium inventory typically commands higher prices due to audience quality, viewing conditions, and brand association benefits. Airport advertising generally qualifies as premium inventory due to affluent audience composition and controlled viewing environments.

Summary

Who: JCDecaux India, a subsidiary of the world's leading outdoor advertising company, partnered with VIOOH, the leading premium global digital out-of-home supply-side platform.

What: Launch of programmatic advertising capabilities at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, providing first-time automated access to 64 digital screens generating over 41 million monthly impressions targeting business travellers and affluent consumers.

When: Announced August 5, 2025, marking the beginning of programmatic digital out-of-home advertising access at India's third busiest airport.

Where: Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, India's fastest-growing transport hub connecting over 110 domestic and international destinations through 39 airlines.

Why: To provide advertisers with enhanced flexibility, precision targeting, and improved efficiency through programmatic buying while capitalizing on India's exponential air travel growth and the airport's 41.88 million annual passengers representing 11.6% year-over-year growth.