'We resolve to"¦' OOH industry's Agenda - 2014

Sunil Vasudeva, Director, Pioneer Publicity:

"In 2014, we will endeavor our best to make the OOH industry more enhanced, transparent and try hard to bring the outdoor industry on the level playing field with other mediums.”

Sunder Hemrajani, MD, Times OOH:

"We look at next calendar year with lot more optimism as compared to last year. We were growing at single digit growth rates in 2012 and there was a lot of uncertainty. We expect that next year the industry would take a better shape. As far as New Year OOH resolution for the company is concerned, we do plan to stay the course regarding our strategy. We are also making some progress through the industry association IOAA in terms of bringing good practices and certain set of values in our industry. I agree it is a difficult journey but I believe we have made a good beginning. IOAA has taken some steps and we will push this agenda very hard. We need to make the industry process oriented and transparent if we want to attract the advertising budgets from other media. And I am quite optimistic as once people taste success, then others would follow.”

Nimesh Shah, Director, Adhunnik Mercantile Pvt. Ltd:

"Team AMPL believes in moving on. Apprehensive of much shallower market conditions, both in terms of slower business and delay of payments, we have designed a "Safety First” module for 2014 onwards. This module allows for consistency of payments, timely revenue collection and also educates the client before the business is signed. With our esteemed Outdoor Advertising Associations' SOP taking effects from 1st January, the resolution has become more practical and can be put into practice.”

Junaid Shaikh, MD, Roshan Space:

"I think this year we should focus on aesthetics and designs of billboards. Outdoor is a beautiful medium allows thinking out of the box larger than life ideas. So we media owners should spend a certain percentage of rentals on aesthetically designing the billboards. A visual delight needs to be created to bring out the real essence of outdoor and make it a value for money proposition for the advertisers.”

Aninda Banerjee, MD– Enkon Private Limited:

"Our New Year Resolution will be to invest more time in enhancing the standard of our media starting from flex to illumination and overall aesthetics. We will give instant service to clients and agencies and reduce the time taken in sending plans, pictures, sharing information on illuminations etc. We will reach clients across segments and create very selective media that would add on to our revenues. We will also invest time in developing new BTL activities besides helping our human resource and achieve greater heights.”

Bitan Roy, MD - Eden Media Pvt. Ltd:

"Eden Media is trying to develop some new media. We are expecting some big tenders to flow in from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation regarding the street billboards mainly of 20x10 backlit sizes and we are preparing ourselves for that in the coming new year because these days participating in any such project means huge investment. We are also trying to develop some new street furniture. Also, Eden Media expects that in the year to come there will be an increase of 30- 40% in the turnover and our graph as per the growth rate is concerned has always been on the rise, so we hope to maintain that. Eden Media is also planning to develop certain media in Dubai and we are in talks with the government there. We want to start our branch in Dubai in 2014.”

Tilak Dubey, Founder & Director - AD TOUCH:

"Structural aesthetics are still an area of challenge in OOH. So Ad Touch will continue to develop shape/ structure /formats which are not only aesthetically pleasant, but also create better visibility. The simple pilings of iron structure are being replaced by materials like alcabond steel framing, stainless steel framings coupled with creating beautification statues and fountain structures. Also, digital outdoor media is definitely going to be a major alternative option for advertisers and agencies besides options such as laser displays, a mixture of light and sound digital media, biosensitive digital options including beautification projects in various parts of the city/town across the country. We will also be focusing on these options.”

Alakh Advertising, Director - Neeta Gulati:

"Our New year Resolution would be to continue being a trust worthy, ethically and morally correct organization, be on the growth path and always be positive.”

Neha Sharma, Senior Manager Marketing - Accord Advertising Pvt. Ltd:

Our resolutions for the New Year are: "Conduct fair & transparent business practice adhering to all civic and Govt. rules as applicable from time to time. Participate & contribute to make this industry more organized and systematic.”

Atin Gupta, MD - Atin Promotions:

"Innovation, measurability with a touch of technology is going to be our new mantra for the coming year.”

Amreish Nath, Proprietor - Frank Advertisers:

"We won't be selling properties to those media buying agencies which have excessively delayed our payments. We have decided that we won't be giving any FOCs for short term campaigns, only for campaign of at least one month duration.”

Sachin Kumar, Proprietor - Shankar Advertising Agency:

"My new year OOH resolution is to bring in premium outdoor formats to the city and enhance the aesthetics. Along with conventional formats such as unitower, I am also planning to bring in  electronic formats like LEDs to Agra. My aim is to be acknowledged for some great work done in the OOH industry.”

Sapna P, Director - Sloke Ad:

"This year let's make the outdoor fraternity's industry bond stronger, let's give it better than our best and let's come up with self governing policies a little faster.”

Symbiosis Mangesh Borse:

"It's not a new year resolution it's a new year prayer that the Govt bodies across India recognize this beautiful medium.”

Yogesh Lakhani, *Director - Bright Outdoor:

"We are expecting the market to improve this year and I expect growth from builders and jewellers. We have to work hard and get new clients to make 2014 more successful. On a personal level, I look forward to spending some good quality time with my family and relax this year.”

Kalpesh Vora, Director - Creation Publicity Pvt Ltd:

"Less business but good business is the resolution of my company for this year. Also, I expect to see some unity in the industry in 2014.”

Global Advertisers, MD - Sanjeev Gupta:

"First of all, I wish everybody a Happy New Year! In the coming year we are trying to minimize the loss, that we have suffered from, because of BMC imposing rules on the industry and focus on coming up with a solution. As far as sales are concerned we are planning in a big way because digitalization, innovation, ideas and new technology has been introduced to the outdoor industry and we wish to grow in these areas.”

Gourav Tandon, Managing Partner - Apex Integrated Marketing:

"At the onset, I would like to comment that New Year resolutions are and will always be an individual's prerogative towards his goals in the coming year. I as an individual, having spent a substantial number of years in the Out of Home business would resolve this coming year that I will try and network more in order to recommence my relationship with the numerous folks

that I have known over these years. As far as Apex Integrated Marketing is concerned, it is and always will be the closest thing to our heart and having grown over the last two years from a handful of individuals to a full-fledged organization, the only resolution towards it will be to make it grow manifolds and carve a niche for ourselves in this ever competitive business.”

Shavinder Singh Sandhu, MD - Lead Ads:

"Starting 1st Jan 2014 our company will be planning and managing everything through Edge 1 ERP software which would help us getting even more organized than before.

To be ahead in the industry one has to be dynamic and has to forego the orthodox way of working and hence we plan adopt and gain from the available technology.”

Raminder Singh, MD - Glo agency:

"Our OOH resolution with regard to the OOH medium is to make our campaigns measurable in terms of site selection, effectiveness, ROI and OTS as this is biggest challenge we are facing from our client's end.”

Anirban Paul Chowdhury, Director - Bright Brandirection Services Pvt. Ltd:

"At present we are mainly into media planning and buying, but hopefully in 2014 we will enter into owning the mediums as well in a big way. We want to come in as a fair player in the market who would be able to make a difference to the OOH industry in terms of the solutions required by the brands and our clients. We will come up with novel innovations having a mix-n-match of digital technology and street furniture having utility at large. Also we wish that the government will formulate and implement a better and a clear policy. We also want media owners to create new media options for OOH. In Kolkata the infrastructure of OOH media has to improve in terms of structures. Innovation today is the key force which I believe can drive the OOH business and we are in talks with other agencies and media owners to come up with novel solutions.”

Kaushik Ghosh, Director - Reminder Ad:

"Just like we do not compromise on the quality of the work, we do not want to fight or compromise with the payments and fight for PO's. We want to consolidate the business in a more organized way, for that we may have to limit it but the work should be more selective. We want to bring in some technical changes too in order to strengthen our network in the East zone. We may go for some strategic tie-ups with a few agencies to cover the very interior areas of the north-east region specifically to handle execution and monitoring.”

Ashif Kumar Biswas, Director -- Arun Sign Service Pvt. Ltd:

"Our priority or sole aim for Arun Sign is to keep aside our own ego and work in unity with all the members who are associated with this trade, be it other media owners, agencies or any other body. We want to see every person engaged with the outdoor advertising business as our friend and not as our competitor and I feel this should be the aim of everyone for the greater good of OOH industry of Bengal. In terms of our work strategy we want to maintain our position as we achieved certain accolades in the last few years.”

Kaushik Chakravorty, COO -- Vivaki Specialist Services:

This year we will continue to trigger conversation between Consumers & Brands and keep on improving our abilities that will see a synergy of Ambient, Experiential, Retail & OOH solutions with improved and updated technological, planning & implementation abilities. Our network is also geared and in complete sync with our vision and together, we will collaborate, cooperate and co-create communications and campaigns that will essentially go BEYOND THE OBVIOUS.

Let me also tell you what we have not done till now and also not do in the coming year. We will not shortchange our clients, we will not shortchange our media concessionary partners and we will not allow anyone to shortchange us as well. We are not in the desperate business of becoming the biggest, nor are we in the self proclaimed ego trip of being called the best. We are however, definitely in the business of delivering honest, optimal, & value based delivery of services & solutions, and we will continue to do this.”

Haresh Nayak, Managing Director - Posterscope India:

"The first resolution for the OOH industry is to play my part as a responsible outdoorian and push the envelope and make the industry grow overall. I show my interest and participation to endorse and push initiatives creating a common currency which measures the efficacy of the medium. Creativity in OOH is a deep sea which needs to be dived into, the medium has many possibilities. While these are all industry related external resolutions, we plan to recruit and invest in fresh new talent and curate and nurture young minds through conducive working environments making work place more interesting. Now that my resolutions are inked in black and white, its time I gear up to manifest them into reality. Happy New Year Folks!”

Mandeep Malhotra, President, DDB MudraMax - OOH, Retail and Experiential:

"My New year resolution is to improve effective sales for my clients.”

Nabendu Bhattacharyya, MD - Milestone Brandcom:

I would like to list down a few changes I would like to see in the industry in the year to come.

1. There needs to be one common voice for the entire industry to bring all the stakeholders together. The IOAA (Indian Outdoor Advertising Association) must agree to bring in members with a neutral perspective, someone from outside the industry; ensuring a fair opportunity for everyone.

2. There needs to be a common industry unified research on a Pan-India level along with a tech-savvy monitoring mechanism.

3. A well-defined code of conduct needs to be drafted with support from the IOAA for agencies to adhere by.

4. A monthly meeting could be organized in line with the Ad Club of Bombay, encouraging every agency to participate & demonstrate a case study. This will ensure sharing of knowledge & also involvement by attendees.

5. A monthly mailer/newsletter can be created to keep people informed on the happenings of the industry.

6. Agencies and clients must be included as IOAA members; they would provide a fresh perspective.

7. Creative directors should shift focus to the OOH medium and implement some medium-specific ideas.

8. OOH Agencies should learn to plan their campaigns scientifically rather than based on instincts.

9. Clients should understand the potential of the medium & start asking for measurability of ROI on their campaigns.

10. Clients should place emphasis on a logical, scientific method of targeting communication towards the right audiences rather than planning a traditional campaign. Incorporating a bit of creativity & edge to the communication has always proved to be the formula for success.

11. New talent should be brought in from time to time to ensure a fresh new approach.

12. Media owners can look at increasing their investments in the business through aesthetically redefining structures & creating new formats driven by technology.

Manoj Gupta, Director - Marketing - P&B Media:

1) I alone can't grow; that's the bottom line to our DNA, it has to be combination of, Us clients- agency - vendors, most importantly my family.

2) We will like to achieve few more media acquisition in the coming year.

3) Will be working overtime to bring few more innovative media opportunities.