Geo-targeted TV ads woo SMEs

Founded in 2008 by entrepreneurs and alumni of Government College of Technology (GCT), Coimbatore, Baskar Subramanian, Srinivasan KA and Srividhya Srinivasan, the company provides geo-targeted advertising solutions to brands on TV channels.

The company, based out of Bengaluru, which has a big chunk of its clientele in TN, was founded in 2008. The founders had previously launched a wireless and Bluetooth tech company called Impulsesoft in 2000, which was sold to a US company in 2005.

Last year, the PwC Report referred to geo-targeting as an ad phenomenon for the first time. During this period, the sector is estimated to have been worth about Rs 250 cr. Trade analysts have cited that in India, the market for TV advertising is pegged at Rs 22,000 cr. And targeted advertising roughly makes up for 15 to 20 per cent of the revenues from TV advertising.

Baskar says, “In 2008, we decided we need a new venture which must be disruptive, in a big market business and should be available in India. We zeroed in on media as we were complete outsiders. We were looking at the absence of targeted advertising options for TV. We have now involved into the nation’s largest TV advertising company, from the perspective of geo-targeted business.” On the business interest in TN, Baskar says, “We have worked with a lot of SMEs in TN, which are first time media buyers. They also do not have quality data from a media planning perspective. As they hail from small towns, they do not have access to organised media agencies. It seemed like an opportunity for us last year to start our online media planning and buying system, for television ad spots – Amagi MIX. 

This platform offers an array of TV channels catering to south markets. A client living in Salem or Karur can book a package online, replete with analytics and reports.” The things going for TN are the highly dynamic SME network here and enough regional alternatives in terms of GECs and other TV channels. On the company’s growth, Baskar says, “We have an established presence in about 4,000 locations pan India. From 2013 to 2016 end, we have grown by about 12 times. We foresee a growth of 150-200 pc Y-O-Y. Our  revenues exceed Rs 100 cr annually.”