In-Store
In-store digital advertising: boosting up the sales curve
Walk in a retail store like Big Bazaar or Pantaloon, and you are attracted
towards a digital sign showing descriptive commercials of the products
stored there. Inspired by the commercial, you pick up that product from
the rack and decide to buy it. Such is the power of digital sign!
One such digital sign network successfully operating for the last
six months is Mumbai-based Future TV.
In July 2007, Mumbai-based Future Media, the
media arm of Future Group, launched Future
TV, a retailer-owned channel, aimed at converting
footfalls into eyeballs through consumer
engagement. Today, Future TV, the first in-store
consumer television brand, is being aired in
9 cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore,
across Future Group stores like Big Bazaar,
Food Bazaar, Pantaloon, Home Town and so on,
and it has become an effective in-store
advertising medium.
As per Anup Kotekar, business director – Audio
Visual Media, Future Media (India) Ltd, “Though
we are a part of the same retail group, we are at
arm’s length of each other. We are specialising in
creating and monetising opportunities within the
retail touch points. At Future TV, we are looking
after the dynamic signage part, which refers
closely to the audio-visual part of signages.”
So, what is the concept on which Future TV
works? “In the ambience of consumption, one
gets various opportunities to interact with the
consumer. These touch points could be visual
spaces, activations, radio, print or television.
Future TV is the audio-visual network to reach
out to the consumers, which
on one hand would engage
the shoppers who come to
the store and on the other
hand, create a platform
to allow these brands to
communicate with
them through advertising,”
told Anup.
On asking about how digital
sign media is different
from other media, Anup
replied that the digital sign
media aims at engaging the
audience who visit the store
for a specific purpose. “Here
the audience is looking for
relevant information and
we are leveraging on offering
them crucial content for the
TV network. The success of the
medium depends on addressing
that particular need,” he added.
What is the role audio plays in
the digital sign? “Ideally, audio
is the part of the digital sign
but it depends upon the kind
of environment and format it
is being used. If a digital sign is
used in a store or a coffee shop,
the effectiveness of audio is
minimal,” he explained.
Telling more about the content
of the digi signs, Anup said, “The
attention span of the in-store TV
is limited as it is not a lean back
media like TV and it is also not a complete lean
forward media like internet where time spent is
high. It is lean-forward as it attracts attention, but
time spent is fleeting - anywhere between
10 seconds - a minute, hence it is very important
for the client or the content provider to tell their
story in 10-30 seconds. We play generic relevant
content for distracting eyeballs and also stay
focussed on content related to the store. The
content should be cognitive and has to be more
inclined towards call for action.”
But, the use of in-store digital signs is not limited
to the advertisers whose products are stocked
there. Infact, it can be used as a perfect medium
for immediate brand recall for companies like
banks, airlines, etc. “For example, when an IPO
is launched, the companies mostly advertise it
on print, radio and TV but for brand recall, they
can advertise on such in-store signs, where the
footfalls reach one crore every month,” told Anup
as a matter of fact.
On asking about the points to be kept in mind
while placing an ad on the digital network, Anup
replied that it is same like any other medium
– selecting the right target audience and profiling,
besides keeping in mind the overall budget. But,
Anup also gives a word of caution, “This medium
is different and advertisers have to customise their
advertising. Since this is audio neutral medium, a
regular TVC will need to be edited further.”
So, how is the digital signages media picking up?
“This media is still in its nascent stage. Right
now, we are trying to educate the market on how
to use co-created content, which would be a
differentiator. For example, on TV, there is a cycle
of 15 minutes, out of which 10 minutes are used
for the show while the rest is given for
advertising. But, in digital sign, it is
just the opposite, here content is the
breather,” added Anup.
And, Anup emphasised that digital
signages are not competitors to other
media. “They are complementing
other media. An advertiser should
look for a 3600 media plan, where all
forms of media are used to put their
message across in a planned way. For
small advertisers who wish to advertise,
on select screens in the city, we can
technically slice our network into
smaller subsequent,” said Anup.
So far, 15-20 major brands have opted for
Future TV. “We have installed over 800 screens
in around 90 stores of Future Media, spanning
9 different cities,” informed Anup. But Future
TV does not intends to rest on this, they are
now planning to get third party media of other
retail groups and are also planning to pick up
existing networks.
Outlining the digital signage industry, Anup
concluded, “Since it is a new medium,
there’s curiosity amongst advertisers. It has
to pass through its learning curve and like
any medium, it will flourish in due course.
But since, the traditional media is getting
more and more fragmented, advertisers are
looking at alternate ways of advertising. They
are looking for a medium, which can reach
people when they are most receptive. And
today, people spend most of their leisure time
at retail outlets and shopping malls. For such
areas, the use of digital signages is one of the
best opportunities.”
