Outdoor Advertising Agencies have the unique task of
maintaining the oldest platform of promotional activities known to mankind. The
foremost step, in ensuring that Outdoor Advertising (OOH) survived and excelled
throughout the years, has been the continuous adoption of the latest
technologies. This has been a priority requirement for adapting to the changing
nature of markets over time. The current period marks another phase in the
history of Outdoor Advertising in India when a major
adoption is required. This required change in modus operandi is the integration
of the mobiles into the functioning of the OOH Billboards and Hoardings.
The mobile revolution has firmly hit across the generational
and socioeconomic divides in India. It is very important that the Outdoor Media integrates itself with
the mobile platform in order to create further reach and higher impact. The West
is already seeing executions of OOH Campaigns
where mobiles and handsets of the audiences are being extensively used. The
integration opens up unlimited ways of sending the brand message to the viewers
in a personalized manner. Before the integration, the brand message was almost
always passed in a general manner. But use of the mobiles enables the brand to
personalize the message so that it creates the maximum impact. The OOH
Hoardings and displays then can serve the purpose of grabbing the attention of
the audiences while their mobiles can be used to perpetuate the intended message.
Getting connected to the mobiles can also serve the purpose of creating a
database and a long term relationship with the target groups.
The major OOH Agencies in India are hoping that the
regulating authorities take the urgency of the situation in account and allow
for the modifications necessary for the digitization of the medium and integration
of the mobiles.
