Residential Society Advertising in India

Who lives in these societies?

Lift and lobby screens sit in gated apartment complexes in large and mid-sized cities. Residents are mostly salaried and self-employed families. You reach working adults, homemakers, school children, retired parents and the drivers and helpers who run errands.

That mix suits household brands. Groceries, kitchen appliances, schools, coaching, health care, home loans, paints and furniture all fit. Society sizes and profiles vary a lot, and partners share them per network. We do not quote a single national figure.

Can you buy lift screens programmatically?

Yes, but coverage is patchy, so plan with that in mind. Some residential networks have connected their screens to DOOH supply partners. Others sell only directly. We buy available networks in DV360 through private or Programmatic Guaranteed deals agreed with the seller.

As with other DOOH, each play counts as an estimated audience. The partner applies an impression multiplier based on how many residents use that lift or lobby in that hour. You pay a CPM on those estimated viewers. Because the minimum varies by network and city, we confirm it per campaign.

One practical point. Residential networks tend to be built city by city, so a national campaign may need two or three partners. We combine them under one DV360 campaign, so pacing and reporting stay in one place even when the supply comes from different sellers.

What formats work in lifts and lobbies?

Most lift screens are portrait. Plan silent files of 10 to 15 seconds, static or video. A QR code is useful here, unlike on the road, because people stand still and close to the screen. Keep content family-friendly. Many societies reject alcohol, gambling-style or graphic ads.

When do society screens work best?

Mornings and evenings are the busiest lift hours. Weekends see more family movement and more time at home. School admission season, festive shopping weeks and the run-up to monsoon all bring relevant buying decisions.

A good example is a Bengaluru real estate developer launching a new tower nearby. Running lift ads in established societies within a few kilometres reaches families who may be ready to upgrade. A new supermarket can do the same with an opening offer.

Schools and coaching centres are another natural fit. Admissions usually open between November and February, and parents are the ones riding the lifts every morning on the school run. A short message with the school name, distance and a QR code for the admission form can do a lot of work in a few weeks.

How do you measure residential campaigns?

Start with proof of play and estimated audience impressions, reported in DV360 as publisher impressions. Then look at outcomes close to home. QR scans and coupon codes from lift ads are easy to track. Store or site visits from the targeted localities can be compared with other areas. Some partners offer footfall or brand lift studies, where available.

How does it compare with other DOOH venues?

Society screens give close viewing and household reach. Corporate park screens reach the same professionals during work hours. Mall screens reach families when they are already out shopping.

For a city-wide household campaign, many advertisers combine society screens with connected TV, which also reaches families at home. Read about that on our connected TV and OTT page.

Tips for better results

Choose localities with care. Societies within a short drive of your store, school or project matter far more than raw screen counts.

Use the close viewing distance. You can show a price, a short offer and a QR code, which you cannot do on a billboard.

Keep it clean and family-safe. Approval is faster and residents are less likely to complain.

Plan for portrait first, since most lift screens are vertical.

Run steady, low-weight flights over several weeks rather than one heavy burst, because residents see the screens many times a day.