'Need more industry initiatives'

Spend on OOH in TN

Tata Docomo's campaigns in TN use a media mix that includes OOH. We look at OOH not just as large format billboards, but as a part of the bigger ambient contextual media planning exercise.  Ambient media has played a key role in the success of recent campaigns such as'TN's Largest Network' & co-promotions with movies like'Nanban' &'Thalaivaa'. Our spend on OOH depends on campaign objectives, and varies basis the media mix decided.   
 


Key markets in the state

Any campaign Go-To-Market (GTM) will focus on target clusters. The top 3-4 cities are always high on focus. However, considering that OOH is less cluttered and relatively cost effective in smaller towns, we reach out to towns like Coimbatore and Madurai as well.
 
Preferred formats which work better in this state

The biggest city in TN has restrictions on large format OOH. This presents a unique challenge in terms of identifying alternative formats for equally impactful delivery. Busy traffic in key cities enables OOH formats like wall-wraps, traffic junction panels,bus panels to work better. We continue pushing the envelope in terms of non monetized media(using remote controlled cars inside malls) and innovative installations for e.g. the ( Largest Network installation on Marina Beach )..
 
The number of properties per format varies and depends on the objectives of the campaign and the role that OOH is playing within the media mix.
 
Comparing OOH in ROTN (Rest of Tamil Nadu) with other states

We evaluate performance on effectiveness. The rules of being effective are universal, whether you are in Chennai or in Mumbai. We evaluate OOH performance at two stages: planning stage, where we use data from TGI and other IRS derivatives to identify pockets of TG concentration and the media consumption habits, in order to sharpen the delivery. After the campaign execution stage, we use internal tracks to quantify the impact of the execution. The key challenge in TN, specifically in Chennai, is the demand for premium sites, owing to restrictions. We work our way around this challenge by exploring non monetized contextual media and other ambient media options

 
Exploring new formats

As mentioned earlier, we have effectively used "installations” in high traffic areas like Marina Beach in Chennai . We recently created a new media inside malls by operating remote controlled cars that moved around inside malls, carrying "TN's Largest Network” message. We are currently working on options to leverage media that is contextual to our segmented users.


Factors that would drive spend

Relaxing of the rules and greater authority support is something we would certainly welcome.  We would like to see more initiatives from the OOH industry on two counts: a) Innovation eg, digital large LED boards that have been launched in most parts of the country. With such a brilliant option, it'd be great if someone explored an option of live feeds. b) more proactiveness from the industry to help bring in the science of quantified impact delivery across OOH campaigns