ITV

Tag: Shekhar Narayanaswami

  • Out-of-home still rules the streets as brands chase the last unskippable medium

    Out-of-home still rules the streets as brands chase the last unskippable medium

    MUMBAI: At Goafest 2025, the session ‘Ignite The Attention – The Last Unskippable Medium’ spotlighted the enduring impact of out-of-home (OOH) advertising. The panel, moderated by Indian Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA) CEO Praveen K Vadhera brought together industry heavyweights who argued that while screens can be skipped, billboards can’t be scrolled past.

    Adani Group head of corporate branding Ajay Kakar opened the discussion by cutting through the jargon. “Stop dividing media into digital and non-digital”, he said. “What matters is strategy for the consumer, not the medium”. Kakar called on the industry to steer clients, not just serve briefs, and stressed that OOH creatives must be original—not borrowed from print. “The idea is what truly matters—it must create impact”.

    Times Innovative Media (Times OOH) CEO Shekhar Narayanaswami defined the category in plain terms: “OOH is the experience of stepping out”. He described the medium as a counter to screen fatigue, offering unavoidable visibility. He added that combining physical ads with social media can amplify brand recall.

    Adonmo MD Sandeep Bommireddi reframed digital as a horizontal shift across all media. “Integration, not isolation”, he urged. OOH, he argued, is already evolving into smarter formats through tech overlays and data targeting. “Choose media based on your audience—not out of habit”.

    Platinum Communications and Madison Retail Paradigm CEO Dipankar Sanyal emphasised that “gut instinct is no longer king”. Today’s OOH is data-rich, performance-tracked, and measurable. “We now speak in the language of impressions and outcomes”.

    Karukrit Advertising VP Promita Saha brought the consumer lens into focus. “The consumer comes before the canvas”, she said, advocating for OOH stories that adapt to cultural moments. “Melas and local events are missed opportunities when we reuse print assets. The environment deserves its own narrative”.

    Together, the panellists agreed that OOH is more than a medium—it’s a mindset. One that blends tech, culture, creativity and commerce in an unskippable format.

  • Times OOH acquires media branding rights of Chennai’s billboards

    Times OOH acquires media branding rights of Chennai’s billboards

    NEW DELHI: Times OOH has acquired exclusive media rights over Chennai’s central and southern billboards. Located in the heart of the city at Chetpet and iconic spots at OMR, these mediums cover some of Chennai’s prime and busiest areas from Chetpet bridge to Perungudi and Sholinganallur toll plazas. The diverse kitty comprises massive unipoles, impactful gantries, toll plazas and more. These strategically placed billboards can provide uninterrupted visibility to brands and reach out to more than 1 lakh vehicles per day.

    Times OOH CFO & head of acquisitions Shekhar Narayanaswami said, “Chennai has always been a lucrative market for us and its billboards are undoubtedly amongst the most potent OOH media properties for advertisers across the country. At Times OOH, we plan to serve 14 media units, offering high impact options like unipoles and gantries at OMR, followed by vibrant, eye-catchy butterfly panels in Chetpet. After our runaway success with Coimbatore and Trichy Airports, we are highly positive with this new crucial addition in our portfolio.”

    Brands like Amazon Prime, Zebronics and SPR Constructions have come on board to advertise on the billboards. Chennai’s Chetpet is a well-developed, prime residential neighbourhood, while OMR – the growing IT corridor with large number of offices and residential real estate, is on its way to becoming a highly developed sub-city by itself. In Tamil Nadu, apart from the billboards in Chennai, Times OOH also has exclusive media rights at Coimbatore and Trichy Airports.