BEST seat rests up for ads

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport buses will soon have their seat backs sporting advertisments.This is the first time BEST is trying out the innovation.

The new advertising platform is being offered by Mumbai-based Tinta Media Creations, a sister concern of Emnet Samsara Media. Tinta Media, which has already installed TV screens and CCTV cameras in BEST's buses, provides advertisers the plastic moulded bucket seats that have replaced the old metal-and-cloth seats in BEST buses. The project will be implemented over a period of 18 months.

Bus panels, bus backs, grab handles are already used for advertising and the new concept is to generate non-operating revenue for reducing transport operating losses.
 
Tinta Media has been commissioned to replace the conventional BEST bus seats with new plastic-moulded seats with branding rights on the seat backs.
 
The company started installing these seats in June 2008. Currently, these seats have been installed in approximately 700 buses of the 3,900 BEST buses plying the roads.

In 650 normal buses, 41 seats have been fitted, while in 50 double-decker buses the number of seats is 62.

Each seat back is used as an ad medium where vinyls can be stuck. The size of each ad is 27 cm wide at the top and 30 cm at the bottom; and the height is 31 cm. Clients have to provide the creatives/vinyls; on request, Tinta Media can refer printers who can get the creative work done for advertisers. The seat back advertising activity will cost an advertiser approx Rs 4-5 lakh for 50 buses (excluding service tax) for a month.

BEST has 3,700 buses and transports about 4.8 million passengers on an average weekday. The average travel distance traveled by an individual on BEST buses is seven km everyday. With a traveling time of four minutes per km, each individual spends approximately 28 minutes on a BEST bus per day, thus giving an advertiser value for his money spent.

Some of the brands that have already experimented with this medium include RED FM, CROMA, Bank of India, Bank Of Maharashtra, Jet King, Just Dial, Idea, Surf Excel, 9 XN, Rajshri Production, Minute Maid, HDFC, ICICI and TATA SKY.