5 Minutes with… Karan Singh

As audiences become increasingly scattered across screens and spaces, brands are under growing pressure to build smarter, more agile media strategies. For Karan Singh, general manager at Vistar Media UK, the answer lies in returning to the brief, ditching the cut-and-paste mindset, and unlocking the full potential of programmatic DOOH.

Here, Karan shares with LBB’s Olivia Atkins how the channel is opening doors for independent agencies, where brands are still missing the mark creatively, and why thinking differently is the key to future-proofing your media mix.

LBB> With the rapid evolution of media consumption, how are brands and agencies adapting to this fragmented landscape? What strategies are proving most effective?

Karan> There's a lot of fragmentation in the marketplace today and a multitude of media pitching for business. In my opinion, it’s essential to go back to basics and listen to the client, build the relationships. Or if you're the marketer, look internally and figure out what you're trying to achieve and what sort of relationship you're trying to create with your customers. Then build a plan based on that.

The media strategy, in terms of which channels to use, should be dictated by a particular brief and its overarching strategic goals. It's about identifying which channels work best for your brand. When we move away from a cut-and-paste mentality and go back to the brief, the channel mix and media plans become unique. It shouldn't be copying something else you've done for a brand in a similar space - that's a strategic misstep. Even brands within the same space have very different objectives and plans.

LBB> Programmatic has transformed digital advertising, but what unique advantages does it bring to DOOH? And why should advertisers be willing to invest more in programmatic DOOH?

Karan> Programmatic has a plethora of benefits within digital out-of-home (DOOH). What it gives you is flexibility. Flexibility to buy at short notice and to adapt with data and audiences. It’s the same strength that’s made programmatic so powerful elsewhere - knowing who you’re trying to reach, crafting a message that speaks to them and using data to follow them as they move through their day.

One of the biggest benefits of programmatic out-of-home is how it democratises the channel. It makes it an open platform for brands of all sizes. Whereas typically OOH has been seen as the domain of big brands, programmatic DOOH lets smaller buyers who might have considered programmatic display before to branch out, create awareness and build their presence. It benefits both media owners and brands by opening up the ecosystem to a bigger selection of buyers.

LBB> Despite global growth in prDOOH, what are the key obstacles restricting its expansion in the UK, and what role can brands play in accelerating adoption?

Karan> There's a lot of OOH legacy in the UK that is holding back the ecosystem. For me, big brands and small brands can really help advance this by asking questions about their OOH activity – how it's planned, where it's planned from and how can we improve?
Sometimes the answer is that you’re already doing great work. But often, there’s room for innovation – like using tailored creative or making better use of your data assets.
It’s important to explore the opportunities available via DOOH and have conversations with a wider range of partners. This will help to remove obstacles and create a different way of thinking. Historically, it is a channel that's perceived to have rested on its laurels, because we've accepted the obstacles rather than doing things differently. We're now starting to see that change because people are asking smart questions and adapting their approach. We need to keep pushing this momentum forward to unlock the full potential of this powerful advertising channel.

LBB> As omnichannel strategies become the norm, how should brands be integrating DOOH into their wider media mix to maximise effectiveness?

Karan> It goes back to the brief and understanding what the client needs to achieve. Right now, attention is becoming currency over things like clicks. OOH has a huge place within the media plan - there's not a stronger attention-grabbing format in the market.

A good omnichannel plan will encompass things like CTV, display and OOH to grab consumer attention at various touchpoints in their journey. For me, it's a miss if you're focusing solely on channels that target customers in the home. If that’s your approach, you miss out on when they're travelling to work, in the gym or whenever they’re out and about in their daily routine. Their mindset could be different in these places - they may be more receptive to your message.

Adapting your message to where consumers are at a particular point in time creates a strong, effective omnichannel plan. This not only drives effectiveness for that particular activity but creates a halo effect across all the different media touchpoints.

LBB> How is the ad-tech ecosystem evolving to better support DOOH, and what advancements do you see driving the industry forward in the next few years?

Karan> There are a few players driving the growth in this space. I'd like to think that we're one of them, where we're supporting customers on their innovation journey. The advancements in media buying tools are crucial.

We’re helping evolve the industry by solely focusing on the channel – making sure every product and planning tool we build is designed to move both DOOH and programmatic DOOH forward.

That's super important because the channel is so unique. I didn't realise this when I joined Vistar Media – I thought DOOH was just another screen. But there's so much nuance with OOH that you don't get within other channels.
If we can create noise and continue to advance our technology, others will do the same, and omnichannel partners will follow. I think it's on us, as the specialist technology partners, to drive that forward because it's what we do really well.

LBB> Why should creative for DOOH be at the centre of omnichannel planning, and what are brands still getting wrong when it comes to leveraging DOOH effectively?

Karan> The biggest mistake is ‘copying and pasting’ creative that isn't designed for OOH, putting it on a screen, and just treating it like a bigger version of your tablet or mobile phone. You can do that, but it doesn't take advantage of what I always call marketers' most creative canvas - the OOH screen.

Jack Daniels is a great example of adapted ad creative. The whiskey brand creates different creative for each media channel. On the London Underground specifically, they'll have a whole story about Tennessee or the brand, which is unique to that specific channel and location. They're taking advantage of the dwell time consumers have, while they’re waiting for a train or travelling up a long escalator, to have a longer conversation with the customer. In my view, that's creative for DOOH done at its very best.

I'd love to see other brands follow suit - treat DOOH as a unique and specific media channel. Working with partners who can help drive that creativity helps to avoid copying and pasting creative from somewhere else, where you're neither doing justice to your brand or the channel.

Another mistake with DOOH is brands not being dynamic. Programmatic DOOH allows us to be dynamic with creative – whether that's leveraging proximity to certain places or changing the ad with the weather or time of day, etc. Not leveraging that capability feels like a missed opportunity.

LBB> How is programmatic DOOH democratising media buying for independent agencies, and what opportunities does this open up for smaller players?

Karan> Looking from a UK lens, the OOH ecosystem has historically been locked up within legacy relationships keeping a very tight hold on it. Programmatic OOH has opened this up to allow anyone to access it. We see so much growth within the indie agency group, and in turn, they see growth with clients because they're able to do different campaigns within OOH and create unique advantages. It’s extended the opportunities to a bigger pool of buyers and a bigger pool of brands. And arguably, is one of the biggest advantages we have in programmatic OOH.