The idea behind Lemma's revamp is to introduce an omnichannel approach in OOH: Gulab Patil
At the recently held e4m OOH Conference, Lemma unveiled its new logo to showcase the company’s omnichannel approach. According to Gulab Patil, Founder & CEO of Lemma, the rebranding was spurred by the increasing interest from advertisers and agencies in reaching their target audience through a unified platform. To share more on the revamp, the challenges faced by the OOH and DOOH industry, and the company’s plans for this year, Gulab Patil engaged in a detailed conversation with exchange4media.
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What was the rationale behind the recent rebranding of Lemma? Lemma's revamp was driven by the recognition of a growing interest from advertisers and agencies in reaching their target audience through a single platform. Originally established as a Digital Out-Of-Home (DOOH) platform, the company observed a demand for campaigns that could seamlessly extend across various formats, including Connected TV (CTV), OTT, and traditional online platforms like mobile and desktop. The idea behind the revamp was to introduce an omnichannel approach, allowing advertisers to execute campaigns across multiple formats with a unified strategy. This approach was validated through experiences like a campaign for a popular taxi-hailing service in New Zealand, where running the same campaign across different formats resulted in a significant increase in audience reach, demonstrating the effectiveness of such a strategy. What is the objective behind the rebranding? The goal is to bridge the gap between online and offline audiences by connecting them through various media channels, starting with emerging formats like CTV, OTT and DOOH. While Lemma's focus currently lies on these formats, there are plans to expand support to other emerging formats like audio and existing formats such as mobile and desktop in the future. The revamp aims to positioning the company as an omnichannel platform for emerging formats, catering to the evolving needs of advertisers and agencies seeking a cohesive approach to audience engagement across multiple channels. How has H1 been so far for the industry and for Lemma? The first half has been successful for us, and we continue to experience progress. However, a notable challenge that we encounter here in India pertains to the lack of awareness regarding real programmatic advertising within the outdoor industry. Much of our time is devoted to raising awareness and educating people on how real programmatic advertising works. In contrast, other markets, particularly the US, Europe, and some Southeast Asian markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, demonstrate a higher understanding of programmatic advertising in outdoor spaces. We observe this shift in India due to the increasing acceptance of digital technologies, particularly within smart city initiatives. Despite the positive trajectory in India compared to the previous year, we still focus on achieving incremental growth quarter by quarter. While the growth in the OOH sector may seem modest overall, its impact becomes more significant when we consider the adoption of new technologies and platforms. Integrating this segment into the broader digital ecosystem of mobile, desktop, Connected TV, OTT and other digital platforms has an apparent potential. Globally, the market size for DOOH alone is estimated to be around $25-30 billion. However, when we combine it with the broader digital ecosystem, which exceeds $800 billion, the potential for growth becomes evident. By connecting this segment with the larger digital pool and assuming a 5 to 10% shift, significant growth opportunities are sure to emerge. While the current growth rate may appear modest, the future holds immense potential for growth due to advancements in technology and innovation within the industry. What are the key challenges for the OOH/DOOH industry? The bigger gap is measurement, particularly for brands aiming to advertise on digital platforms such as CTV, OTT or mobile. These platforms provide detailed audience insights and data, facilitating effective ROI measurement at a high level. However, for the outdoor industry, connecting with the audience and measuring ROI directly is challenging. This discrepancy poses a major hurdle, and as an industry, we may need to address it by developing measurement standards or methodologies that assist brands in obtaining meaningful statistics or analysis regarding their reach. As part of our initiative under IAB, we are working with multiple data partners to introduce a transparent and trusted channel to measure audience reach. We, as an industry, need to work on that to solve the problem. How much have IPL and elections contributed to the overall growth of OOH? We are observing growth on both fronts. However, when it comes to elections, there is significant uncertainty as political campaigns involve fluctuating spends and daily variations. IPL, however, provides a more predictable business flow. As partners, our primary focus remains on the structured and long-term opportunities presented by IPL and similar events. While political advertising is still a part of our landscape, the inherent uncertainties lead us to prioritize other segments. How has DOOH evolved over the years, and what potential does it hold? We are seeing tremendous growth here in India. When we started the total number of screens in India was 25,000 screens, and this has grown to 1,50,000 screens today. We are seeing at least double-digit growth year on year in terms of the number of screens in India. Government initiatives, such as the smart city concept, are also contributing to the growth of DOOH. The government is actively promoting digital media by granting permissions for digital billboards in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Initially, obtaining permission from the government was a major challenge, with conditions such as restrictions on placing digital media near roads with heavy traffic. However, this restriction seems unwarranted considering the prevalence of billboards in other countries. What is going to be the focus area for Lemma this year? And how much growth are you expecting? Our primary focus in India is on raising awareness and educating stakeholders about technologies and programmatic acceptance. Secondly, our goal is to integrate all media into the online ecosystem. Currently, a significant portion of media, such as billboards in cinemas, theatres and restaurants remains unconnected to the internet. Many publishers still rely on traditional methods like running campaigns from pen drives. We aim to connect this offline media to the internet, enabling them to participate in the online and mainstream ecosystem. This integration will facilitate increased revenue generation through the programmatic channel. This represents the primary focus for the Indian market this year. In terms of growth, we are experiencing at least double-digit growth year-on-year in India.
Tags : E4M Ooh Conference Ooh Gulab Patil Lemma