Dubai Municipality has awarded Emirates Neon, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) based outdoor signage and advertising company, a long-term contract for public transport bus advertising in the emirate. The deal follows the company's decision to invest in Transit Media, a form of advertising in which complete buses can be branded with a client's message.
"Since full bus wraps are billboards on the go they guarantee maximum exposure and penetration across the entire city," said Hanif Merchant, managing director and chairman of Emirates Neon. "We are confident that Transit Media will capture a significant market share. With over 500,000 vehicles on Dubai's roads and more than 2,930 daily bus trips it is the perfect way to get noticed,” he added.
It is the first time this kind of advertising has been available in Dubai. Previously, full bus wraps were restricted to government-supported events, such as the Dubai Shopping Festival. Private sector advertising on the emirate's buses was strictly limited in terms of size and location. Dubai Municipality has decided to sanction full bus and other wraps in response to demand from international companies for mobile advertising that is more creative and has greater impact.
Dubai Municipality operates 32 bus routes. It recently announced the purchase of 119 new buses to upgrade its fleet of 320 vehicles. In 2001 the buses carried over 140,000 passengers daily, covering 70,000 kilometers. "We recently opened two more bus depots in Rashidiya and Al-Qusais and we are intent on expanding the number of routes in tandem with Dubai's development,” said Abdul Aziz Malik, head of transport at the Dubai Municipality.
"We have also improved the interiors of the buses and increased frequency means that waiting times are reduced. This is not only good for our passengers but also for advertisers as their messages are constantly on the move,” Malik added.
Utilizing high-resolution graphics, Emirates Neon provides full bus wraps, bus back wraps, in which the full backside of the bus is used to display advertising messages, and bus panels stretching uninterrupted along the full length of the vehicle. Printing is carried out in-house on specially imported vinyl materials with our latest high-resolution Inkjet machines. Emirates Neon has been involved in signage and outdoor advertising since 1976. It employs 310 people. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
