Sell solutions, not just sites: Raghav Subramanian & Habeeb Nizamudin

Speaking on the theme ‘OOH Connects, Influences, Inspires, Activates, Amplifies! Are media planners listening?, Raghav Subramanian, COO (Partnerships), IPG Mediabrands – India and Habeeb Nizamudin, CMO IPG Mediabrands – India said that lack of audience measurement metrics apart, the OOH medium is hampered by its siloed approach.

Agreeing with the view that brand custodians, creative agencies and media planners in general aren’t listening to OOH, Raghav and Habeeb posed a counter-question: is the OOH industry listening. The industry is way to occupied with selling sites instead of the medium, to the marketers. To make the whole outdoor industry noticeable on the media planning charts, the industry must make a paradigm shift to selling solutions, and not sites alone.

Raghav and Habeeb said that consolidation of OOH business could potentially draw in more investments and also enhance the accountability and transparency standards. The industry has to infuse dynamic OOH i.e. digitization, and adopt a collaborative approach, they said.