Kerala is an emerging OOH destination for brands

A panel discussion on’What makes Kerala an attractive destination market for brands’ was recently held at Kerala Talks OOH 2015 in Kochi. Moderated by Rajiv Raghunath, Consulting Editor, VJ Media Works, the panellists included Vivek V – Ramco Cements; Vishnumurthy Hegde – Airtel; Rejoy Jose – Dalmia Cements and Sooraj Kurian – Vivo Global.

In the last few years, the OOH landscape has evolved, where brands no longer want to just plaster their ads around the city but engage the audience. With this, there is a lot of work to be done for the industry to fulfil its potential. Considering Kerala as an interesting market destination for brands to begin with Vivek said, “OOH is an industry which we can awake easily even though there are lots of restrictions in the Kerala market. The kind of perception people have on OOH is quite different. That’s how the growth happens in Kerala market.

Talking on the same, Vishnumurthy added, “OOH is considered as a reminding medium. When a brand is selecting a medium to advertise, the preference will always depends on the reach of the medium. So the agencies have to present clear plans about the campaigns which explains the reach aspect also. It has to be precise on how the brand will be benefited through this OOH media. Lots of brand managers and decision makers skip OOH medium because there is no relevant data. How to create more reach is prime importance than how to do a campaign. 

Explaining how the OOH media emerged as a preferred medium in Kerala, Rejoy said, “OOH is one of the most dependable media for us in Kerala. Outdoor is a high impact and a cost effective medium to reach out to the consumers. It is a medium with multiplier effect. It is very important to make your presence felt to the TG. We are focusing on both the rural and urban areas in Kerala. But the first preference goes to rural area. Last few years, OOH media in Kerala has become a key driver of how people communicate and this has made us focus on OOH media.
 
There are many options to advertise and the OOH space is extremely cluttered. However, this medium has a wide coverage in Kerala. “Compared to the cost of other media, the softer side of OOH media, is that it is much more cost-effective and comes with a wider reach. Considering the reach, OOH is one of the top mediums to advertise in Kerala even though there are many other options, said Sooraj to strengthen the point.

To transform Kerala into a more stronger OOH destination, Vivek explained that innovation is the key to attract more brands in to the market. “Anything that separates the campaign from other existing campaign is called an innovation and this has to be eco-friendly to protect our environment. Adding to this, Vishnumurthy said, “Kerala has a huge potential to make itself as a bigger platform for brands. Innovation and localisation helps brands to get more attention and sustainability in this market.

Elaborating the same point, Rejoy said “OOH media plays a vital role Kerala. But still the brands are facing some problems from this market. The services offered by the agencies are very limited. The agencies and media owners have to be more transparent to their brands. They have to be fair enough in service as well as budget. Another thing is that a single hand decision has to be taken to use eco-friendly materials for OOH campaign. It is a social responsibility with the intension to make a clean and clear industry for advertising.