IndustrySpeak: Does Mumbai need regulation for OOH advertising?
Following the adoption of Outdoor Advertising Policy in Delhi recently, and citizens of a ward in Mumbai calling for a hoarding-less region, the OOH advertising industry can come under the scanner in the business capital of India.
With Delhi’s out-of-home (OOH) advertising space coming under the scanner following the adoption of Outdoor Advertising Policy that forbids the placing of ‘unipoles’ within 75 metres of any road or crossing, there are calls for a hoarding-free region by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai, before March 2008. Questioning the need for OOH regulations in Mumbai with some OOH players across country, exchange4media tries to understand their perspectives.
Noting his observations on the present status of the OOH medium in the country, Indrajit Sen, Country Head and CEO, Stroer Media, and Vice Chairman, Indian Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA), was of the opinion that ‘regulations’ for outdoor advertising media appeared to have become the latest bogey in our country. “Regulations are necessary – they would make cities look better, make our citizens feel better, and would also result in better industry performance, etc. But now that we are seeing the real picture of the regulations, we simply must begin to vehemently demand that any change or new regulations should be first preceded by town planners that take care of overall aesthetics, cityscape, public utilities, cleanliness and emissions, road and public transport design, as well as a detailed guideline for the process of implementation of the regulations.”
Sen added that the intention to ‘improve’ the cityscape and reduce traffic hazards was all very laudable, but action was needed to substantiate them. “It is only to state the obvious when one says that specialised subjects like visibility, relationship to hazardous traffic, etc. need specialised handling and treatment. Examining the facts logically would lead any rational mind to conclude that none of the current ‘policies’ or proposed ‘guidelines’ would bring about positive changes or would benefit the society at large in a permanent way. Merely tinkering with some hoarding sizes and placing restrictions of placement will not improve the way any city looks,” he said.
Others like Farid Kureshi, COO, Times OOH, have taken a neutral stand about the issue. Kureshi observed that worldwide, outdoor media like street furniture and billboards complemented and enhanced the city landscape. “In India, unfortunately, it’s a huge visual pollution. Coupled with poor implementation and monitoring by the city, billboards are the biggest visual polluters of Mumbai. The city, like other major metropolis in the world, should limit the overall billboards, and implement a ban on billboards on heritage buildings, visual landmarks like Marine Drive, hospitals, schools, religious places, etc. These measures are already in place across major cities in the world, so why not in an aspiring city like Mumbai? Also, new guidelines should ensure that the major revenues from billboards should either go to the municipality or to the building society, so that the money can be used in the upkeep of the city or the building.”
Sanjay Pareek, President, Percept OOH, too believes in the need for a standard long-term policy akin to what is present for other media. “There are instances for this medium in India too, like Hyderabad, Bangalore and now Delhi. But they are still not long-term. The policy should be completely thought through, with both public and industry participation, so that the outcome would be beneficial to all concerned. Normally, such initiatives are highjacked by interested parties, who pretend to be neutral.”
Soumitra S Bhattacharyya, CEO, Laqshya Outdoors, supports the regulation and standardisation, and the recent law that restricts signages on heritage buildings and important landmarks. “However, we firmly believe that any regulation or standardisation should be unbiased and fair to all parties concerned, namely the people of the city, the authorities and media owners. In our opinion, what is important is to first take a long-term view of urban town planning requirements in terms of infrastructural needs, transport needs, easy of commuting needs, requirements of parks and open spaces and other such relevant aspects of any urban city. Once that blue print is made, it is only then that an out-of-home policy can be formulated around that blueprint.”
Bhattacharyya said that media owners, who were in reality experts in the field, had to be taken into confidence for the creation of a robust and long lasting policy. “This approach would be a win-win situation for all the parties, especially people of the city who would benefit the most by getting better infrastructure. Authorities get dual benefits of building the infrastructure without any cost to the exchequer, and they also derive revenue from it. Hence, we believe that long-term solution definitely cannot be just a policy in isolation meant only for the hoardings of the city, and any such move is not good for anybody in the long run,” he added.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
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ShareSwapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
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“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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