‘Static and DOOH media work in tandem’

Mainstreaming DOOH is the veritable catalyst for wider acceptance of this media channel for advertising. However, what matters to the advertiser is the impact that this media delivers. Dipankar Sanyal, CEO, Platinum Communications shares his views on the prospects of large format DOOH, and how DOOH as a whole stacks up vis-à-vis conventional formats. Edited excerpts:

Traffic facing large format DOOH

“The larger format has helped increase the flow of advertisers in the outdoor space. At the end of the day, OOH is an impact-based media and about two years ago or so most of DOOH was concentrated in the ambient environment, and advertisers there were not getting any value for the amount they had spent on OOH. But once, DOOH was brought into mainstream OOH, they started to recognise its value and now we even have campaigns that are designed keeping DOOH assets as the primary modes of communication in mind.”

Conventional large format vs. traffic facing DOOH

“At this point in time, they are definitely complementing each other and I see that continuing for some time. There are two things to keep in mind here -- unless DOOH takes over the outdoor space entirely, there won’t be any competition between the two formats; secondly, a static billboard gives advertisers visibility 24/7 whereas a digital asset is visible for about 1/6^th of that time, hence advertisers still prefer the former.

“However, DOOH gives advertisers the chance to be more creative at a much lesser cost which helps them stand out and make them appealing. As DOOH develops, its preference among advertisers might increase but as of now, this is how things stand.”

Media buying patterns

“Perhaps, ‘shifting’ isn’t the right word. What we need to understand is that media owners set up DOOH assets only at high-impact locations, and impact is eternally in demand. So, advertisers always want to advertise in these areas, and if the assets in these locations happen to be digital, so be it. So, essentially there is no change in the buying patterns. Brands are still buying ‘impact’ but on a digital format.”

On impressions-driven media

“You have two sets of advertisers. The first is traditional users of outdoor such as real estate companies, FMCG brands, etc. for whom OOH has always worked. Then there is the set of new-age advertisers who are driven by numbers – investments, ROI, impressions, etc. For them, DOOH is an attractive opportunity as it aligns with their business objectives.”