Primesite launches digital OOH monitoring tool, Primealert

Mudra's out-of-home communication agency, Primesite, has launched a real-time digital alert service for its clients. Aptly called Primealerts, these are essentially first information reports on the campaign.

Primealerts will provide installation updates, illumination status, torn flexes information and more on a real-time basis to clients. Primealerts are uploaded via SMS on the website, www.primesitecrm.com, and simultaneously sent to registered mobiles.

Aneil Deepak, aka Andee, senior vice-president, Primesite, explains, “This is feet-on-street married to technology. The field staff work on a beat plan. They are equipped with digicams and mobiles. Information passes through SMSes and is uploaded automatically on the website. This includes photos of faulty sites.”

More and more brands today are deadline driven. For example, mutual funds want to close an offer on a specific date and apparel stores wish to move woollens before the end of the Christmas season. Thus, suddenly, every hour becomes crucial for the brand. It's not just feedback that is important, but the speed of the feedback, too.

With Primealerts, clients can get into the loop on a real-time basis. Primealerts ensure that corrective action is initiated immediately, so valuable media time is not wasted. The service is only for Primesite clients and is free of cost because the agency believes that it has an important responsibility towards clients.

Anurag Gupta, president, strategic initiatives, Mudra, says, “At Mudra, the entire gamut of experiential communication has moved on to the digital platform. Technology provides convenience and we feel clients should leverage it to help take faster and more scientific brand decisions.”

A lot of groundwork was undertaken before setting up the system. Pilot tests were held for the last three months to create a site census, train manpower, ensure rigorous discipline and set up a cross-checking mechanism.

More than 50 people are working currently on Primealerts in Primesite’s 32 offices. The reports will be uploaded from the Top 10 towns in India on a real-time basis. The next 40 towns will be on a beat basis, as has been agreed with the clients.

Andee explains, “Our operations executive has a beat plan for his region, meaning a definite route plan for various cities. On specific dates in a month/ week, he will monitor a particular city, then proceed to the next city in the beat plan. This way, clients can get regular updates even in upcountry markets that were hitherto unmonitored.”

Primealerts joins the list of client initiatives taken by Primesite over the years. The agency had also launched Primeaudience, which is a geo-clustering planning model currently available in the Top 20 cities in India. Primesite has been working with clients such as Aircel, Kotak and Castrol.