agencyfaqs! news bureau | agencyfaqsi | Mumbai, March 21,2008  

 

Screen Media India 2008 brought under the scanner various issues that the out of home (OOH) industry has been discussing. It was held in Mumbai so that it emerges as place us Asia where both suppliers and users of screen media can do business.
  
 

Ishan Raina, chief executive officer, OOH Media, discussed the future of OOH. He started off by saying how with the immense changes in lifestyle, the future of OOH was brighter than ever. The life of a regular SEC A consumer comprises of him getting up, reading the newspaper while having breakfast, rushing off to work, being at work most of the day, getting back to his family, and then going to bed. He spends an average of 16 waking hours out of his home.
  
Ishan Raina

A study conducted by the IMRB Raina said, found that as compared to 2003, the amount of time that television was viewed went down by about 30 minutes in 2007. Print saw a drop of 10 minutes in the same period. All These factors add up in favour of the OOH Industry as the consumer spends most of his time outside and this could be well utilised.

Raina spoke of tapping a new segment of prime time. Earlier, prime time was defined close to 8pm, when the consumer got back from work and watched television. He said, 'We need to redefine prime time." The consumer is very busy and has a short attention span while he is on the move. So it is imperative to capture him in the interim period This interim period could be while he's waiting for the elevator, waiting at the cash counter, at point of sale locations, or even inside toilets in malls. This is when the consumer isn't doing anything in particular and is most receptive to messages "The improved lifestyle to the consumer has given birth to the LCD "said Raina.

  
     
 

As an OOH media provider, one needs to recognise the audience that will consume the material, and what sort of material he will consume. "In the new prime time you are capturing the consumer's attention much before traditional prime time and during the day," said Raina. In the television space the afternoon time slot is mostly watched by women, so the viewership is skewed towards women. In the OOH space, both men and women are equal receptors.

Raina referred to OOH as a compliment to television because it is viewed as top-up medium to television by advertisers.