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How one consumer durables brand saved Rs 18 lakh by verifying what actually happened (case study)

A top-five Indian consumer durables brand. A 1,200-hoarding festive launch across 180 cities. A 60-day deployment of Field Execution Intelligence that surfaced Rs 18.6 lakh of unverified billing before payment release. The full operational walkthrough, with named outcomes and stakeholder quotes.

G
gOGig Editorial
··11 min read

₹18.6 lakh

Unverified billing surfaced and protected before payment release in a single festive OOH campaign. The case for verified BTL execution, told through one brand's experience.

1,200Hoardings deployed
180Cities covered
4.2%Non-compliance rate found
7Days to surface issue

The CFO opened the campaign report on day 60. Verified execution rate: 95.8%. Unverified billing flagged: ₹18.6 lakh. Variance window opened with the agency. Resolution closed within 12 business days. Payment released for ₹2.41 Cr against verified work. ₹18.6 lakh of contracted invoice never billed. The first quarter ever in which the brand could substantiate every rupee of its OOH spend.

Brand and campaign profile

FieldDetail
Brand categoryConsumer durables (top-5 Indian player, anonymised at brand request)
Annual ad spend₹110–140 Cr range
Annual BTL + OOH spend₹35–45 Cr range
Campaign analysedFestive launch hoarding campaign, Sep-Dec 2025
Campaign budget₹2.60 Cr (gross)
Hoardings contracted1,200
Geographic spread180 cities across 28 states and UTs
Campaign duration60 days (festive window)
Agency partners2 lead agencies + 14 regional OOH vendors
Verification platformgOGig Field Execution Intelligence (FEI)

Why this campaign was selected for the pilot

Selection criterionThis campaign
Scale and geographic spread1,200 hoardings, 180 cities
Time pressure60-day festive window, no margin for re-execution
Revenue impact of failureFestive season = 35% of annual ad budget at risk
Vendor fragmentation14 regional OOH vendors, fragmented coverage
Historical painBrand had flagged OOH leakage internally for 3 consecutive years
Procurement readinessCFO had requested 3-way matching extension to OOH
BRSR Core readinessListed entity facing FY 2025-26 limited assurance

The starting problem in numbers

Pain point at campaign startQuantified status
Hoardings to be verified across 180 cities1,200
Manual audit feasibility5–10% sampling at best
Cost of full third-party audit (traditional)₹14–18 lakh + 3-week timeline
Verification cycle under legacy workflow14–21 days post-install
Vendor self-reported compliance96%+ consistently
Independent verification before pilotNone at portfolio scale
Historical OOH dispute resolution time45–60 days
Estimated leak based on industry data3–8% of OOH spend
Brand's prior-year unverified spend exposure~₹2.8 Cr (estimated, never quantified)

Why the brand chose to verify this campaign

DriverSpecific concern
CFO scrutinyAnnual marketing audit raised "non-substantiable spend" finding
BRSR Core readinessFY 2025-26 limited assurance approaching
Festive risk concentration35% of annual ad budget executed in 60 days
Previous-year dispute volume14 vendor disputes carried over from 2024 festive season
Internal audit findingsMarketing controls weakness flagged 3 years running
Agency relationship stressTrust erosion with 2 of 14 vendors

The intervention sequence

Day -14: Pre-launch alignment

Brand, agencies, and gOGig aligned on verification framework. PBP clauses added to OOH SOWs. Variance threshold set at 95% verified execution rate.

Day -7: Vendor onboarding

14 regional OOH vendors briefed on WhatsApp-based verification submission. Field installers given walkthrough of geo-tagged capture workflow.

Day 1: Campaign launch

Hoardings began going up across 180 cities. First verified submissions flowing through FEI platform within 30 minutes of first install.

Day 7: First batch of anomalies surface

4.2% of 1,200 sites flagged. 50 sites identified for re-installation or proof rework. Brand notified, vendors informed.

Day 14: Mid-campaign correction triggered

50 flagged sites either corrected or re-executed. Variance window opened with 3 vendors carrying highest anomaly concentration.

Day 30: Mid-cycle review

Verified execution rate 92.4%. Two vendors below 90% put on watch. Real-time dashboard shared with CFO for first time in brand's history.

Day 45: Final installation push

Last 8% of hoardings deployed. Verified execution rate climbed to 95.8% after corrections.

Day 60: Campaign closeout

Final report generated. 1,150 of 1,200 hoardings verified compliant. 50 still in dispute. Final invoices reconciled.

Day 72: Variance resolution closes

11 recycled photo proofs disallowed. 39 sites accepted with corrective evidence. ₹18.6 lakh held back from invoice. Payment released against verified execution.

See the full case study

Download the 24-page detailed case study including all campaign data, methodology, stakeholder quotes, and replication framework. Suitable for sharing with CFOs, audit committees, and procurement teams.

Download the full case study →

The verification engine outputs

Verification checkSubmissions analysedAnomalies flagged
GPS-EXIF coordinate match3,840 (1,200 x ~3.2 submissions each)192 (5.0%)
Server timestamp validity3,840168 (4.4%)
Image hash duplicate detection3,84011 recycled proofs identified
AI brand logo detection3,84034 with wrong creative
AI hoarding dimensions match3,84022 dimension mismatches
Geo-fence inclusion3,84056 outside contracted zone
Mock-location flag3,84014 spoofed locations
Image quality score3,84089 low-quality (re-shoot requested)
Clustering anomaly3,84023 suspicious co-located submissions
Net unique sites flagged-50 of 1,200 (4.2%)

What the 50 flagged sites broke down into

Flag categorySites affectedResolution
Recycled photo from earlier campaign11Payment disallowed, ₹6.8 lakh held
Wrong creative installed9Re-installed, payment partial
Wrong location (off-contract)145 corrected on-site, 9 disallowed (₹5.4 lakh)
Dimensions mismatch8Re-installed or pro-rata billing
Low-light / poor visibility install5Re-installed
Damaged hoarding3Replaced

The financial impact, line by line

Financial line itemOriginalVerifiedVariance
Contracted hoardings billed1,2001,150-50
Gross campaign value₹2.60 Cr₹2.41 Cr-₹18.6 lakh
Verified execution rate96% reported95.8% verified0.2% delta
Recycled photo disallowance011 sites disallowed₹6.8 lakh
Off-contract location disallowance09 sites disallowed₹5.4 lakh
Wrong creative correction09 sites pro-rated₹3.2 lakh
Dimensions mismatch correction08 sites pro-rated₹2.1 lakh
Damaged / poor-quality re-execution08 sites (8 x ₹15K)₹1.1 lakh
Total protected before payment--₹18.6 lakh

Stakeholder quotes

“For three years our marketing audit had flagged BTL and OOH as non-substantiable spend. This is the first campaign cycle where I could substantiate every rupee. ₹18.6 lakh protected is one outcome. Closing an audit committee finding that has carried over three years is the larger outcome.”Chief Financial Officer — Top-5 Indian Consumer Durables Brand
“Festive is 35% of our annual ad budget compressed into 60 days. There is zero time for post-campaign disputes. Real-time verification means we caught issues on day 7, not day 70. That single shift changed how we plan festive 2026.”Chief Marketing Officer — Top-5 Indian Consumer Durables Brand
“We brought BTL onto the same 3-way matching standard as IT, logistics, and capex. PO + invoice + FEI verification report. The process took 90 days to roll out. The change in vendor behaviour was visible within 14 days.”Head of Procurement — Top-5 Indian Consumer Durables Brand
“This is the first time I had a defensible BTL spend disclosure for BRSR Core. The 7-year audit trail FEI generates aligns with what limited assurance providers ask for. The marketing supply chain finally has evidence.”Head of Internal Audit — Top-5 Indian Consumer Durables Brand
“At first our regional vendors pushed back. Within 21 days, the better-performing vendors saw their payment cycles drop from 60 days to 12 days. After that, vendor conversations changed completely. Verification became something they wanted, not something they tolerated.”Lead OOH Agency Director — Pan-India OOH Specialist
“We did not need every site verified manually. The system flagged 4.2% as anomalous and we focused 95% of human review effort on those. The remaining 95.8% closed on auto-approval. That ratio is the operating efficiency unlock.”Brand Manager, Festive Campaigns — Top-5 Indian Consumer Durables Brand

Before vs after operational comparison

2024 festive campaign (legacy)

1,200 hoardings contracted. Agency-reported execution: 96%. Independent verification: none. Payment cycle: 45–60 days. Dispute resolution: 14 unresolved into Q1 2025. Audit committee finding: open.

2025 festive campaign (FEI)

1,200 hoardings contracted. Verified execution: 95.8%. Independent verification: 3,840 submissions. Payment cycle: 12–15 days for clean vendors. Dispute resolution: closed within 72 days. Audit committee finding: closed.

Year-on-year measurable outcomes

Metric2024 festive2025 festive (FEI)
Verified execution rate visibilityNone95.8% measured
Anomalies detected before payment050 sites (4.2%)
Recycled photo detection011 instances
Vendor disputes carried over140
Days from install to dispute resolution45–603–12
Payment cycle (clean vendors)45–60 days12–15 days
Manual reconciliation hours320 hrs across brand + agency teams45 hrs
Internal audit BTL finding statusOpenClosed
BRSR Core substantiationNot possibleFull 7-year trail
Unverified billing exposureUnknown (estimated ₹15–25 lakh)₹0 (all flagged before release)

Cost of FEI vs value protected

Cost / value lineAmount
FEI platform cost for 60-day campaign₹3.8 lakh
Internal team hours saved275 hours @ ~₹2,500/hr = ₹6.9 lakh
Re-execution costs avoided (mid-campaign correction)₹4.2 lakh
Unverified billing protected₹18.6 lakh
Dispute carryover cost avoided~₹2.5 lakh (legal + admin)
Total quantifiable value₹32.2 lakh
Net ROI on FEI deployment~8.5x in 60 days

ROI breakdown

₹3.8 lakhPlatform cost
₹32.2 lakhTotal value protected
~8.5xNet ROI in 60 days

What the audit committee saw

Audit committee report elementPre-FEI statusPost-FEI status
Marketing controls maturity score2 of 5 (developing)4 of 5 (managed)
BTL spend with substantiation0%95.8%
Open audit findings on marketing3 (multi-year)0
External auditor confidence ratingQualifiedUnqualified
BRSR Core readiness ratingBehind scheduleOn track
Procurement category controlsBTL excepted from 3-way matchBTL included in 3-way match
Quarterly board reporting depthAgency PDF summaryVerified execution dashboard

Vendor behaviour shift, by vendor cluster

Vendor clusterPre-FEI verified rateDay 14Day 60
Top 3 vendors (high-quality)Self-reported 95–97%96.4%97.8%
Mid-tier 8 vendorsSelf-reported 92–96%91.2%95.4%
Bottom 3 vendors (high risk)Self-reported 90–94%78.6%87.3%

Vendor classification after the campaign

ClassificationVendorsOutcome
Preferred vendor (>=95% verified)9Default for 2026 festive, premium pricing accepted
Standard vendor (90–94%)2Continued engagement with quarterly review
Watch list (85–89%)2Variance investigation, vendor improvement plan
Termination candidate (<85%)1Contract not renewed for 2026

Cross-functional impact map

FunctionSpecific outcome
MarketingVerified execution rate becomes a board-reported KPI alongside ROAS
FinanceBTL spend reconciliation moved from manual to automated 3-way match
ProcurementOOH vendors moved to PBP MSAs across 14 contracts
Internal auditMarketing controls finding closed for first time in 3 years
ESG / sustainabilityBRSR Core value chain disclosure now substantiable
Brand managementFestive campaign planning shifted to real-time-correctable model
LegalPBP clauses adopted into standard OOH MSA template
Strategy2026 marketing plan includes verified execution targets per quarter

The replicable playbook from this campaign

Pick the highest-stakes upcoming campaign

Festive, launch, or large multi-city activation. Pressure surfaces the value of verification faster.

Get CFO and procurement into the room early

Marketing-only buy-in produces marketing-only outcomes. CFO and procurement involvement unlocks the cross-functional value.

Set the variance threshold at 95% for OOH

Industry standard for OOH where physical install is verifiable. Tighten only if Q1 data warrants.

Brief vendors 14 days before launch

Sufficient runway for vendor field teams to learn the verification workflow without operational disruption.

Verify in real time, not at end of campaign

Day-7 anomaly surfacing is what made mid-campaign correction possible in this case study.

Use the variance window structurally

15-business-day window protects vendor procedural fairness while protecting brand cash flow.

Document outcomes for audit committee

The 32-page closeout report became the case for organisation-wide BTL FEI adoption.

Roll out to next quarter campaigns

The case study from one campaign became the foundation for the brand's 2026 marketing operating model.

What happened after the case study closed

Post-campaign actionOutcome
Internal case study presentation to boardBoard approved category-wide FEI rollout for Q1 2026
Extension to retail visibility campaigns4,500 outlet audits / month moved to FEI
Extension to promoter activations120 mall and society activations per quarter on FEI
Extension to sampling drives15,000 outlet sampling drive on FEI in Jan-Feb 2026
Extension to dealer board branding650 dealer locations under verified compliance
Vendor contract renewal cycleAll BTL MSAs updated with PBP clauses in Q1 2026
Internal team training22 brand managers + 8 procurement team trained on dashboard
External communicationCFO presented case study at CFO India Summit, Feb 2026

Q1 2026 outcomes following the case study

Q1 2026 metricBrand result
Total BTL spend under FEI78% of category
Verified execution rate average94.6%
Anomalies surfaced before payment~2,800 across all formats
Total unverified billing protected₹68 lakh+
Vendor disputes carried into Q20
Procurement workflow time reduction62%
Internal audit findings on BTL0 open

The first verified BTL campaign is the one that changes everything. After the brand could measure the gap, it could no longer accept it. The case for FEI made itself within 7 days.

Replicability matrix for other brand sizes

Brand sizeEstimated FEI cost for similar pilotExpected protected valueExpected ROI
Small enterprise (₹5–15 Cr BTL)₹1.5–2.5 lakh₹5–12 lakh3–5x
Mid-size brand (₹25–75 Cr BTL)₹3–6 lakh₹18–40 lakh5–8x
Large enterprise (₹100–400 Cr BTL)₹8–15 lakh₹40 lakh–1.5 Cr5–12x
Top-tier MNC / FMCG (₹500+ Cr BTL)₹20–40 lakh₹2–5 Cr8–15x

Why this campaign was not unusual

Industry benchmarkThis caseIndustry typical
OOH non-compliance rate (1,200-site sample)4.2%3–8% (FICCI / industry estimates)
Recycled proof instance rate11 of 1,200 (0.9%)0.5–2% typical
Geo-fence violation rate14 of 1,200 (1.2%)1–3% typical
Mock-location use rate14 of 3,840 submissions (0.4%)0.3–1% typical
Image quality below threshold89 of 3,840 (2.3%)2–4% typical
Total billed value protected7.1% of campaign budget3–10% typical at scale
consumer durables 18 lakh case study
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Glossary
Field Execution Intelligence (FEI)The category of verification platforms that delivered the verified execution data in this case study. WhatsApp-native capture, AI verification, real-time dashboards.
Ground TruthWhat actually happened on the ground, independently verified. The ₹18.6 lakh protected represents the gap between agency-reported execution and ground truth.
Blind TrustOperating standard the brand replaced. Payment based on the executor's self-report. The 14 carried-over disputes from 2024 are what Blind Trust produces at scale.
Proof Before Payment (PBP)Procurement standard tying invoice approval to verified execution. The clause framework deployed in this case study's MSAs.
Verified execution ratePercentage of contracted execution independently confirmed through FEI. 95.8% in this campaign.
Variance window15-business-day period for vendors to submit additional evidence. Used in 14 instances during this campaign.
Recycled proofPhoto from a previous campaign submitted as proof of current installation. 11 instances caught in this campaign via image hash fingerprinting.
Geo-fence violationSubmission whose GPS coordinates fall outside the contracted execution zone. 14 instances in this campaign.
Mock-location detectionIdentifies device location spoofing. 14 instances caught.
Image hash fingerprintingSHA-256 hash technique to detect duplicate submissions. Surfaced the 11 recycled proofs.
BRSR CoreSEBI sustainability reporting framework. The case study evidence supported the brand's FY 2025-26 limited assurance requirement.
Audit-grade evidenceVerification trails that survive board reviews, internal audit, external audit, and BRSR Core assurance. Default 7-year retention.
Replication matrixBrand-size-adjusted ROI estimates for similar pilots. Allows other brands to forecast their own case study outcomes.
Formats covered in this brand's FEI deployment

BTL and OOH formats verified through gOGig Field Execution Intelligence in this case study.

Wall paintingMobile vanAuto rickshawBus brandingCab brandingNo-parking boardsPole boardsShop name boardsVisual merchandisingSurveysLead generationRWA activationSales team verificationTechnician verificationFranchise compliance auditSecurity guard patrol verification
Cities in the festive campaign coverage

180 cities covered in this hoarding campaign across 28 states and UTs.

MumbaiBangaloreDelhi NCRHyderabadPuneChennaiKolkataAhmedabadJaipurLucknowIndoreGurgaonSuratTrichyCoimbatoreKochiVadodaraNagpurVisakhapatnamBhopal

See the full case study

Download the 24-page case study. Includes full campaign data, methodology, all 6 stakeholder quotes, the replication matrix, and the 8-step playbook for other brands. Suitable for sharing with CFOs, audit committees, and procurement teams.

1,200 hoardings

Campaign size

₹18.6 lakh

Value protected

~8.5x

60-day ROI

Download the full case study →Book a strategy call

Written by

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gOGig Editorial

Client Success Team

The gOGig Editorial team publishes case studies, research, and operational insights from real Field Execution Intelligence deployments across India's physical economy.

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