Activation versus OOH: Engagement is the winner

Activation as a threat to traditional outdoor

There is no collective effort being put up as an industry. We still are individual units and not an industry. So yes, activation is a threat to the OOH business.

Impact on budgets

Clients feel that the best way to induce trial is to get people to experience the product. Outdoor hasn't been able to generate experiences enough, therefore monies are gradually moving towards malls/multiplexes and activations.


Comparing effectiveness

The benefits are tangible in experiential. You can follow up on lead generation. Brands are only looking at short term gains and brand building is becoming very short term these days. I don't blame the CMO's really. They too are in the dominos effect...

Discernible trends in Activation

Handset manufactures would be the most active in this area and they have a reason too. Technology is changing by the month, one good feature change and telecom companies see that as a huge number changer for them in their market share. Audio/picture quality/touch features/etc etc have to be experienced to understand and gradually churn into a purchase. Has outdoor effectively been able to demonstrate use of these features? I don't think so, not yet.

Activations replacing traditional OOH

Activation is eating into outdoor's, yes. But OOH is a motherhood ship. It accommodates experiential and outdoor. So, complementary use of both will culminate in effective campaigns.

Challenges in Activations as against traditional OOH

Quality of manpower and the ability to pull audience is the biggest challenge. Unlike outdoor where similarity in innovation can still be complimented, in activation each experience has to be different. Not only from a provider's point of view, but also from the perspective of a user who interprets each experience as per his/her translative abilities.