30 October 2008
More than 350 air-conditioned bus shelters in Dubai are already operational attracting a large segment of advertisers for 'out-of-home' advertising campaigns.
This number will almost double to 650 shelters by next month-end providing an even larger selection of circuits for potential advertisers to run their ad campaigns outdoors, says Scott Rowe, Director, Sales, Marketing and Business Development of Right Angle media company that is responsible for these bus shelters in Dubai.
"We are only restricted by the availability of power supply, or else we could operate and provide more of these bus shelters," said Rowe categorically denying the myth in the market that Right Angle is operating on bus shelters that have already been sold to advertisers.
"We are more than a media company as we are responsible for DBOT (design, build, operate, transfer) of these bus shelters. And for that we operate as an engineering company that executes and operates these units," said Rowe.
"In addition, we recover money and make it a financially-feasible project by promoting this as an effective media platform for brands and advertisers that need to complement their communication strategies with that extra exposure.
"After all we are the only medium that's available to each and everyone in the emirate. Our initial research indicates that every person in Dubai will cross over at least one such shelter during the day - making it one of the most cost-effective medias for reaching the masses," said Rowe.
Right Angle was set up in Dubai in May 2004 in the Dubai Media City, but its involvement in the OOH platform on bus shelters in Dubai is as new as the concept itself. "Our first shelter was released to the public in April at the Wild Wadi bus stop and since then we have been receiving encouraging response from the market. However, our approach in the market has been two-folds - one unit comprising the sales team is responsible for direct selling while another set comprising professionals are in the process of educating the market, potential advertisers and even the advertising companies about this relatively new media in the region," he said.
The recent economic recession in the world, and in the region as such, has not affected the business of Right Angle. "There have been no cancellations and not even any decline in the number of queries since the recession in the West," said Rowe.
"Our business is for the benefit of clients who want to reach out to the local audience; and as such there's been only a reactionary influence on the economy of the region," said Rowe, adding that as the reason why there's been a negligible negative impact on advertising in the region.
Advertising in the UAE, according to the Pan Arab Research Centre (Parc) figures, has seen a healthy increase of 40.6 per cent over the same period last year and outdoors has seen a considerable increase in its share. However, print and TV remain the major share holders of the advertising pie in the country and outdoor remains a distant third. "It has lots of potential and bus shelters, in particular, give an organised exposure as against , for instance, larger-than-size billboards in one location on a Dubai road," said Rowe.
Right Angle is backing its claims with a metrix system of evaluating the reach of campaigns in outdoor media. "As a responsible media house we have initiated this data-gathering system that will help us evaluate the reach and effectiveness of outdoor media.
"The data gathering is a complex system and we are reaching out to the people to take their feedback and in a month's time we will be able to reach some conclusive figures, which will help us serve our clients as well as the industry at large more effectively with tailored campaigns," he said.
Right Angle has been operational in the region for almost four years and in the near future intends to take its activities across the Middle East and North Africa.
The company has an in-house team of designers and production staff to assist clients and advertising companies. By mid next year it will move into its new facilities at International Media Production Zone in Dubai.
More than 350 air-conditioned bus shelters in Dubai are already operational attracting a large segment of advertisers for 'out-of-home' advertising campaigns.
This number will almost double to 650 shelters by next month-end providing an even larger selection of circuits for potential advertisers to run their ad campaigns outdoors, says Scott Rowe, Director, Sales, Marketing and Business Development of Right Angle media company that is responsible for these bus shelters in Dubai.
"We are only restricted by the availability of power supply, or else we could operate and provide more of these bus shelters," said Rowe categorically denying the myth in the market that Right Angle is operating on bus shelters that have already been sold to advertisers.
"We are more than a media company as we are responsible for DBOT (design, build, operate, transfer) of these bus shelters. And for that we operate as an engineering company that executes and operates these units," said Rowe.
"In addition, we recover money and make it a financially-feasible project by promoting this as an effective media platform for brands and advertisers that need to complement their communication strategies with that extra exposure.
"After all we are the only medium that's available to each and everyone in the emirate. Our initial research indicates that every person in Dubai will cross over at least one such shelter during the day - making it one of the most cost-effective medias for reaching the masses," said Rowe.
Right Angle was set up in Dubai in May 2004 in the Dubai Media City, but its involvement in the OOH platform on bus shelters in Dubai is as new as the concept itself. "Our first shelter was released to the public in April at the Wild Wadi bus stop and since then we have been receiving encouraging response from the market. However, our approach in the market has been two-folds - one unit comprising the sales team is responsible for direct selling while another set comprising professionals are in the process of educating the market, potential advertisers and even the advertising companies about this relatively new media in the region," he said.
The recent economic recession in the world, and in the region as such, has not affected the business of Right Angle. "There have been no cancellations and not even any decline in the number of queries since the recession in the West," said Rowe.
"Our business is for the benefit of clients who want to reach out to the local audience; and as such there's been only a reactionary influence on the economy of the region," said Rowe, adding that as the reason why there's been a negligible negative impact on advertising in the region.
Advertising in the UAE, according to the Pan Arab Research Centre (Parc) figures, has seen a healthy increase of 40.6 per cent over the same period last year and outdoors has seen a considerable increase in its share. However, print and TV remain the major share holders of the advertising pie in the country and outdoor remains a distant third. "It has lots of potential and bus shelters, in particular, give an organised exposure as against , for instance, larger-than-size billboards in one location on a Dubai road," said Rowe.
Right Angle is backing its claims with a metrix system of evaluating the reach of campaigns in outdoor media. "As a responsible media house we have initiated this data-gathering system that will help us evaluate the reach and effectiveness of outdoor media.
"The data gathering is a complex system and we are reaching out to the people to take their feedback and in a month's time we will be able to reach some conclusive figures, which will help us serve our clients as well as the industry at large more effectively with tailored campaigns," he said.
Right Angle has been operational in the region for almost four years and in the near future intends to take its activities across the Middle East and North Africa.
The company has an in-house team of designers and production staff to assist clients and advertising companies. By mid next year it will move into its new facilities at International Media Production Zone in Dubai.
By Vigyan Arya
© Emirates Business 24/7 2008
