Right Angle Media expects to generate a healthy revenue in the next 10 years from its deal with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to market advertising space on the new air-conditioned bus shelters.
The Dubai-based outdoor media company has signed a deal to pay an annual flat fee of Dh17.5m to the authority for the rights to market advertising space on the shelters, which have sprung up along most of the city's major roads. The agency has invested Dh750 million to install, assemble, operate and maintain the bus shelters.
Right Angle officials told
Emirates Business they expect the investment to make excellent returns. Chief Executive Raman Multani said: "These are the first air-conditioned bus stations in the world and the first advertising medium of this type in the region. This is an effective means of advertising [as the leased space] is three metres high, visible from the roads and advertisers have options to target specific audiences according to the location of the shelters. Having them spread across the city means advertisers can select the demographic profile of the area to address."
Potential advertisers who spoke to
Emirates Business were split about the usefulness of the space. Mana Al Suwaidi, Marketing Director for Emirates Post, said the new space will increase options available to marketers.
"Air-conditioned bus stops are certainly an effective medium of advertising because they can ensure high visibility among the travelling public. The new medium offers many advantages and ensures the message reaches all types of audiences. People waiting at bus stops become a captive audience and advertisers can be sure their message is read. More importantly, people travelling in buses as well as motorists will read the ads on bus shelters. It is certainly a welcome addition to the choice of advertising mediums available to companies to promote their products and services."
Meanwhile, Tarek Al Bitar, manager of Dubai Waterfront Properties, was less keen and thought the space offered was too limited.
"It is a relatively good advertising medium, however, the slight issue we have with these bus shelters is the size of the advertisement. We find it very small and not enough to get the attention of drivers. We prefer larger, more bright and colourful forms. We also do not want anything that stays in its place. We prefer it to move from one place to another."
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