Measurement metrics, ratings, self-regulation will enhance OOH relevancy: Brand marketers

The outdoor medium has constantly shown that it is capable of changing. Stating this in his opening remarks on the theme “Are brands under-leveraging the true potentials of OOH advertising in Gujarat” at the 1st Gujarat Talks OOH Conference that was held in Ahmedabad on December 16, Fabian Cowan, President, Posterscope India, said that location plays a vital part in how a brand interacts with consumers in the OOH space. Location is now marketer’s final frontier, he said, while adding that marketers are also figuring out how to engage with consumers who have rather limited attention span. Creating a context around an OOH display is another imperative.

Cowan said that OOH is no more about just billboards and bqs. Media owners would have to make media more interesting and engaging for consumers “If you create experiences using mobile for instance you can create magic,” he said.

Sharing his thoughts on the session theme, Chaitanya Rele, VP – Head of Marketing – FMCG, Havmor Ice Cream Ltd, said that brands need to know how efficiently the media can deliver. This would be possible only if a common currency for audience measurement is in place. He also underlined the importance of location when it comes to OOH advertising.

Talha Y Sareshwala, CEO & MD, Parsoli Motor Works Pvt Ltd, said that while location is important, it is equally important to find good quality media in a preferred location, that too in an unclutter environment. He explained how his firm, which is a dealer for BMW cars, using a digital screen at a prominent location in Ahmedabad for a one-year period drew the city’s attention to the card brand and the dealership. “Media owners need to introspect as to what works for brands and consumers,” he said.

Shaileen Patel, Head – Business Development & Marcom, N K Proteins Pvt. Ltd, said that their brand Tirupati Cooking Oil has being built using outdoor media. He said that his salesforce keeps a tab on the campaign deployment and reviews the OOH plans too.

Cowan said the challenges for the OOH industry lie in making the media bold, beautiful and interactive, setting a context around a media unit, developing suitable infrastructure, etc.

Rele said that Havmore is now present in 14 states, so managing the OOH campaigns is that much more challenging. He reiterated the need for site rating and audience measurement. He added: “Media owners need to collectively develop the industry and the providers have to work more closely with the brands.”

Talha expressed his concern over lack of metrics to judge the quality and effectiveness of each media unit. He urged the industry to undertake more intensive self-regulation to remove clutter from the OOH landscape.

Patel laid emphasis on the need for more aesthetically designed, better quality OOH sites.