August 2018^91where the sales conversion takes place right at the time
of sampling.”
Delhi-based Media on Track handles the branding and
advertising rights on various Indian Railway trains,
and that includes product sampling – especially food
& beverages. The OOH firm is able to take the brand
communications to an average 5 lakh passengers every
day travelling on 2 lakh trains racks handled by them.
Like Coca-Cola, MTR, Parle, and other food giants are
part of its client list.
On the firm’s clientele, Rajiv says, “We have created our
niche space in the Indian Railway media space. Indian
Railway is the lifeline of the country; wherein the needs
can be altered but there can’t be any compromise with
the lifeline so it is one such platform in the outdoor where
the conversation between the TG and a brand leads to
sales conversion. We also provide rich consumer data
with SEC details, gender and reaction on the product
as feedback to our clients, which is valuable for their
product positioning and improvisation”.
Rajiv is a 3rd generation member of his family to be
associated with the Railways, and with this close and
deep association with the mega transit network, he
bets big on the medium. While the non-fare revenues
of the Railways has steadily grown, he reckons that
there is so much more potential that railway media has.
“So far, railway media was being bought and sold in an
unstructured manner. But to unfold its huge potential,
the media needs to be designed and packaged
properly,” he adds.
According to him, the non-fare revenue can reach up
to Rs 5,000 crore in the next 5-10 years with proper
R&D, new mindsets and investment from brands.
“Railways has around 64-65 divisions which needs to
be segregated and tenders should be rolled out on a
division basis.”
“Today, the Railways are taking crucial steps to augment
the media and we as the media industry need to come
forward and take steps to make the engagements
profitable,” asserts Rajiv. The biggest opportunity will
be unveiled with the re-development of a large number
of stations, tenders for which will be rolled out by the
station development authority soon.
TRANSIT MEDIA
Infotainment is the biggest emerging prospect for branding
and advertising at the stations. Currently, entertainment
screen are the only options for infotainment, on select
trains but with the digital initiative of the central
government, a new age branding interface will come
about in the railway media space. Media On Track
Entertainment is also cementing its place to leverage this
opportunity. “We have tied up with a European company
that is making a device for us which automatically
connects with passengers’ mobile phones and provides
entertainment channels like movies and cartoon along
with advertisements,” explains Rajiv. The module has
been implemented on a pilot basis. Apart from this, the
company is looking at unfolding opportunities like internet
radio and audio advertisement announcements.Semi-naming of trains is another advertising opportunity
that could be leveraged by the Railways. Rajiv says that
the Railways will likely take a conservative approach to
such avenues as the network and indeed the trains are
part of India’s heritage. “The marketers should use such
branding opportunities judiciously.”Rajiv is betting big on railway media. The company is
exploring various partnership opportunities to get the
best out of static and digital media. “We understand that
each opportunity needs deep research and exclusive
expertise and in this fast-paced era, we are looking to
partner with such companies which can leverage these
opportunities with their skills to build teams,” he says. In
the last financial year, Media On Track earned Rs 25 crore
revenues which will likely double in the current year. “We
are slow but on the right track,” sums up Rajiv. lBhawana Anand