TAM outdoor monitoring services soon

After television and radio measurement services, TAM Media is closely looking at launching its own outdoor media monitoring services. The pioneer of television audience ratings in India is currently undertaking a pilot study on the outdoor medium.

"We are testing the system. It is a monitoring system as opposed to an audience measurement tool," said a senior company executive, without willing to give any further details.

The launch is expected to take place in about three months. Tam Media Research India is a 50:50 venture between the market research majors, IMRB and AC Nielsen.

Media buyers welcomed the move, saying that measurability always increases the growth of a medium. Manish Porwal, managing director (India-South & West), Starcom, said, "For any medium to grow, four things are very essential, sufficient number of buyers, sellers, market place and measurability. One of the reasons the outdoor medium in India hasn't been explored to its fullest is because of lack of measurability. If TAM initiaties a monitoring division, it is certainly a positive step."

Others, such as the Media Research Users Council (MRUC), are also looking at launching their own outdoor advertising audits.

The Indian out-of-home (OOH) advertising segment is on a surge, driven by sunrise industries such as retail. Industry experts observe that the industry has remained fragmented as many outdoor sites are owned and operated by local players, who directly market them to advertisers and agencies.

However, the OOH space has evolved over the years with technological innovations. For instance, the cell phone users receive an SMS alert when they pass by a particular billboard.

The entry of large advertising agencies such as the Interpublic Group's Initiative Media, Madison's outdoor media services and media companies such as Bennett, Coleman & Co, the Jagran Media group and Mid-Day into the outdoor medium space, has given the industry a fillip.

According to a report by management consulting house, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the out-of-home (OOH) media space in the country is estimated at Rs 1000 crore, accounting for 6 per cent of the total ad spends in India. The sector is expected to grow to Rs 2,150 crore by 2011.