"OOH is of great help while doing target marketing"

OOH has been a very integral part of OLA' s marketing campaign. Talking to Outdoor Asia, Shuchi Chawla, Head - Media, OLA CABS says that agencies should not act merely as service providers but like partners by providing value addition to the brand.

How important is the OOH media for OLA?

OOH has been a very integral part of OLA' s marketing campaign. It has helped in providing great sustenance and visibility. In this competitive market, OOH has really helped us in establishing OLA as a brand, ready to serve customers. Moreover, OOH is of great help while doing target marketing. For example, if we run a campaign meant only for corporates, we have the freedom to choose preferred sites around IT parks. We can plan our campaigns by area, by locality and by target group.   

Which is your preferred OOH media format?

We always focus on the objective of the campaign. The format of advertising is secondary. We don't have a preferred format but would like to change or choose formats according to needs. For campaigns that are area specific, we choose road median of that locality or spaces available in key hotspots. For any new product launch that requires a bigger reach and visibility, we go for billboards & impact sites.  At the end of the day, no matter what format of OOH it is, the campaign has got to be successful.

How much importance does OLA give to creative and innovative campaigns in OOH?

Yes, innovative OOH ideas do help in building a good connect & recall. In Mumbai and Kolkata, we have tried some innovative OOH campaigns in the past years. Though we haven't explored opportunities in Bangalore, we are always open to ideas.

Talking about innovations, OLA boat service played a crucial role in rehabilitating people during the Chennai flood. How was such a noble idea conceptualized?

At Ola we believe, if there is a problem in point to point travel, Ola can solve it. Chennai in its spirit is such a vibrant city, floods & waterlogging had brought the city to a stand-still. We wanted to help Chennai. Ola deployed boats in waterlogged and partially submerged areas on the basis of information from the Fire and Rescue department. During the Chennai flood, it was more about serving humanity and helping people in need than building a brand or creating an impact. We collaborated with the local stakeholders in Chennai with the locations that require immediate relief. Once we had the data, we immediately got into action and helped people relocate to safer areas. Yes, it was a very noble act that was heartily welcomed by the people of Chennai.

How has OLA's outdoor campaigns helped in bringing all the service providers or drivers on a single platform?

Our campaigns are not just for commuters but also for driver entrepreneurs who want to be a part of this revolution in city travel. In order to target them, OLA has tried out many OOH formats like wall painting, branding local tea stalls, branding traffic barricades and bus backs. We have also collaborated with the traffic police of the city to help us in ATL activities.

Can you give an insight into how you plan outdoor marketing campaigns and how much of your marketing budget is allotted towards OOH?

When it comes to OOH, OLA extensively depends on billboards. We have identified different locations in different cities for promoting our brand. These are areas with high traffic and hence better visibility. We have also graded different sites depending on their reach and impact. About 30-35% of our marketing budget is dedicated to OOH campaigns.

What challenges do you face while executing an OOH campaign?

I would say that the OOH industry could be more regularised by bringing in a mechanism to measure the success of a campaign. There is no database for the traffic flow or the visibility. Though I understand it is very difficult to track the visibility for a billboard, it would be great if brands are provided with some numbers so that they can plan their campaigns area wise.