MAM
Milestone Brandcom introduces measurement matrix for outdoor
MUMBAI: While marketers are still looking out for a measurement mechanism to understand RoI for the out of home segment, Milestone Brandcom has gone ahead to create one. The outdoor agency has come up with an audience measurement eco-system called ‘Milestone Optimizer’ that will make planning, buying and evolution processes transparent.
The agency has invested over Rs 5 crore in developing this apparatus and has covered top 10 cities in India which they believe accounts for 75 per cent of outdoor advertising spends. The cities include Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Ludhiana. The agency will cover additional 25 cities in the next 18-20 months. The system has registered 25000 site details of these 10 cities. The tool right now will be used by the agency for its own clients. In the long run, the agency is looking at gaining confidence of the industry to make ‘Optimizer’ as a standard mechanism.
“We wanted to move away from site level discussions,” says Milestone Brandcom MD and founder Nabendu Bhattacharya. The Optimizer introduces a new measurement matrix Gross Impression Points (GIP) which will help measure the reach and frequency of an outdoor campaign. Bhattacharya believes that the outdoor business is expected to grow to 12 per cent this year and he thinks this will happen because of the stability of new government in power and positive economic growth that is expected in the coming months.
“In the world of hyper local targeting it has become difficult to customise campaigns at the micro level especially in outdoor. With Optimizer we are sure to develop outdoor campaigns even with very specific briefs,” adds Bhattacharya.
Milestone Optimizer was developed with the support of industry veterans, media owners, marketing and brand managers across categories and brands. IRS iLAP (Hansa Research); TGI (IMRB Research), Traffic Study (Gfk Mode); Technology Partner (Unikov Technologies) are a few credible databases used in developing a robust scientific planning OOH tool.
Through GIP, outdoor campaigns can also be compared with the more conventional forms of advertising such as print, TV and radio. It will also allow brands to evaluate category benchmarking and market threshold level of activity giving a whole new dimension to media planning. The agency will soon focus on developing digital out of home campaigns.
MAM
BLS International launches #VisaReady campaign to guide applicants
Initiative targets visa myths, delays and rejections with practical guidance
MUMBAI: Visa woes may soon meet their match because paperwork, it seems, is finally getting a user manual. BLS International has rolled out a new awareness drive, #VisaReadyWithBLSInternational, aimed at simplifying the often confusing visa application process and reducing delays caused by misinformation and incomplete documentation. The campaign, led across social media platforms, zeroes in on a long-standing pain point for travellers: lack of clarity around procedures, timelines and requirements. By offering step-by-step guidance, documentation checklists and clear Dos and Don’ts, the initiative attempts to turn what is typically a stressful process into a more predictable one.
At its core, the campaign also seeks to bust common myths that frequently derail applications issues that often lead to avoidable rejections or last-minute complications. The idea is to equip applicants with practical, actionable insights so they can plan better and submit stronger applications within expected timelines.
The push will not remain limited to digital channels. BLS International plans to extend the initiative across its Visa Application Centres globally, reinforcing awareness at key touchpoints where applicants engage with the process.
BLS International joint managing director Shikhar Aggarwal framed the campaign as more than a communication exercise, emphasising the company’s attempt to embed guidance and preparedness into every stage of the applicant journey.
Operating in over 70 countries and working with more than 46 client governments including embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions, the company has built a sizeable footprint in visa and consular services. With this campaign, it is now leaning into education as much as execution, signalling that in the world of visas, clarity might just be the new currency.
