OOH Media and The Mosquito Analogy

I was reading this article in the Hindustan Times about out-of-home (OOH) media. Apparently, it’s the next big thing and the entire media industry is watching the situation carefully. A lot of players have jumped into the fray, providing a variety of services. These include moving billboards, LCD screens showing interactive content, bus handle ads and a whole lot of stuff.

I was wondering why it was happening. I do understand that we have more brands than ever before and it’s only going to get even more competitive. Brands need to advertise. Advertising is, at the end of the day, communication. Communication requires the presence of some sort of media and hence, OOH media. Doesn’t quite ad up eh? I think so too.

From where I look at it, there are a number of reasons. That’s another thing. I can’t think of a single phenomenon that can be explained on the basis of a single argument. Everything is a result of multiple factors and stating the same makes you an ‘expert’.

Anyway, the sudden interest in OOH media interests me. This is because it boils down to issues of tremendous gravity. I’d like to call it the ‘mosquito analogy’. There was a time when trucks used to pass through the lanes and by-lanes of our mosquito-infested cities, spewing thick white smoke that halved the mosquito population. Come to think of it, these trucks still do ply. But they aren’t that effective any more. Earlier, this smoke sounded the death knell to breeds of blood-sucking insects. Over time, the mosquitoes got used to the smoke. It didn’t even bother them anymore, let alone kill them.

Now why did this happen? When our fellows found out that this white smoke killed those beasts, they used it rampantly. They smiled to themselves, thinking of Nobels they were going to bag. But the Lord isn’t the Lord to humans alone. The mosquitoes prayed hard and soon God helped them tide over this threat. They simply evolved and the human plan, quite ironically, went up in smoke.

The exact same thing has happened with the advertising media industry. For years, it rained radio spots and television commercials, peddling everything from health drinks to fairness creams. And suddenly, WE, the audience, evolved. We’ve mastered the art of sifting through media content, selectively ignoring advertising. Though it isn’t a complete shutout, it’s a considerable change and it got the advertisers worrying. To put it my way, the audience has done to the advertisers, what the mosquitoes did to us.

So what happens now? When conventional methods don’t work, you come up with new ones. And the advertisers did. They’ve discovered the potential of OOH media and its uncanny ability to catch the audience unawares. The good thing about OOH media is that you have no choice but to look at it. When you spend a good two minutes waiting for the elevator at your office, you invariably end up looking at the LCD screen which, in turn, roots for a new pair of running shoes. Gotcha!

I think what has happened is that, since we’re averse to anything that even remotely resembles a traditional advertisement, advertisers have taken this war to a new level altogether. Innovations in the ‘message’ now include media innovations as well. Right now, effectivity is all about catching eyeballs and OOH media seems to be doing that quite well. Some call it intrusive. But ask any media planner and he’d tell you that all’s fair in love and advertising.