MUMBAI: On the second day at Goafest 2025 a knowledge seminar was presented at Gyaan Podium by IOAA titled ‘IGNITE THE ATTENTION – The Last Unskippable Medium’. The session brought together Shekhar Narayanaswami, CEO of Times Innovative Media (Times OOH); Ajay Kakar, Head, Corporate Branding, Adani Group; Sandeep Bomireddi, Managing Director, Adonmo; and Promita Saha, Vice President, Karukrit Advertising. The session was moderated by Praveen K Vadhera, CEO, Indian Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA).
Industry leaders championed the evolving role of Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising as a high-impact, unskippable medium in today’s fragmented attention economy. Kakar emphasised that OOH grabs attention with minimal distractions, outperforming cluttered screen-based formats. He urged the industry to stop siloing media into ‘digital’ and ‘non-digital’ — what matters is a consumer-first strategy. “OOH needs original creative thinking — not print adaptations”, he said, adding that agencies must lead clients, not just follow briefs.
Narayanaswami positioned OOH as a break from digital fatigue. “You can’t swipe past a billboard,” he noted. He advocated for phygital storytelling — integrating physical formats with social media to boost brand recall.
Bommireddi redefined digital as a horizontal transformation, not a siloed channel. “Every medium, including OOH, can digitalise — integration is key”, he said. Dipankar Sanyal added that gut-led decisions are obsolete. Today’s OOH thrives on data, impressions, and performance metrics, bringing precision to the medium.
Saha meanwhile highlighted the importance of consumer context and local culture. “OOH must match mindset and environment — think melas, not metros alone,” she said, pushing for custom, location-sensitive storytelling. The panel collectively echoed: OOH is no longer static — it’s strategic, data-backed, and experiential — the last truly unskippable medium in a world of scrolls and skips.
