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: viewers prefer to shop in a store that has video displays, according to various dipstick studies done by retail managers and their agencies.

Of course, store TV operators warn that the gains may not be quantifiable all the time. Yet, such narrowcast networks remain the best bet for target marketing because the audience is tightly defined by time, place, and activity. “The industry is still very young and there is not much hard data to come by,” points out PR Satheesh, COO, TAG Media, which operates 650 screens across Spencer’s, Foodworld, Fabmall, Indiabulls Mart and Trinethra. “But various exit interviews done by us show that 50% of the people who made certain purchases saw relevant ads in the stores; again there was another 6% who didn’t see the relevant ads before making the purchase. Evidently, the gap is huge and most of the players are still trying to find their way forward. I would say much of the work we did in the first eight-nine months was missionary in nature, so to speak.”

Currently, most of these networks play content related to store products and promos as well as stock brand offers. But as the market becomes crowded content differentiation will be key. Says Partho Dasgupta, managing director and CEO, Future Media. “Everyone wants a good deal at every range—be it value for money shopping or at lifestyle shopping. Consumption is also a way of entertainment. Keeping these factors in mind, the content on Future TV is a blend of advertising/promotions, programming and a live element via a news ticker by Times Now.” In fact, the programming on Future TV consists of four separate feeds that cater to the four different retail formats of Pantaloon, Big Bazaar/Food Bazaar, Central and HomeTown. “While the feed at Pantaloon has more emphasis on lifestyle-based programmes, Big Bazaar lays emphasis on gags and humour-based content,” he adds. To engage shoppers, store networks also host interactive contests for their viewers. Future TV, for example, has hosted contests such as Future Cup contest and Future TV Box Office that have gained tremendous response and have started building loyalty, according to the company.