KAIA means business when it comes to campaign duration

The Kerala Advertising Industries Association (KAIA) means business when it takes a stand on duration of OOH campaigns in the state, in order to protect the business interests of member OOH media firms. In a strongly-worded circular that was issued by KAIA to the members before Onam in mid-September, the Association urged the members to bring down the Onam festival-centred campaigns on the very day the campaign duration ended.

In the past it was seen that national agencies would plan Onam festival-centred OOH campaigns until 1-2 days before Onam knowing well that the campaigns would stay on the media during Onam and the days after as the media owners would not remove the campaigns during the festivity and holiday season.

So, those campaigns would enjoy an extended period in the outdoor at no extra costs. The Association apparently saw this as a deliberate attempt on the part of national agencies to plan the Onam-centred OOH campaigns in the state in a manner that the campaign period ends a day or two before Onam, and thereon the campaign would enjoy a free-ride.

To short-circuit the covert practice, KAIA called upon the members to remove the campaigns from their respective media on the very day the campaign period ended. This was apparently complied by the members.

The Association stated in the circular that such concerted steps by the members would induce the agencies to plan longer-duration campaigns during the festive season so that the campaigns are up all through the festival periods.

Today, as most industry association are taking steps to firm up the norms governing campaign duration, among other issues that devil the media owning firms, this KAIA initiative could serve as a useful benchmark practice.