BMTC to bid farewell to 'obstructive' side panel ads; will the revenue be affected?
The decision came after constant complaints from passengers on not being able to look outside the bus due to the opaque advertising side panels

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has decided to bid farewell to the side panel advertisements on its 3,500 Non- Air Conditioned buses. The decision was taken after constant complaints from the passengers about not being able to look outside the bus due to the opaque advertising side panels. The BMTC authorities have now decided to display a list of destinations of the bus route on the side panels instead of advertisements. The display will be in both Kannada and English.
Talking to exchange4media, Hegade IV, BMTC Chief Traffic Manager (Commercial), says, “The advertisements will be removed by June 30 as it has registered several passenger complaints. Moving forward we will be providing back panel advertisements and we have called tender for back panel advertisements. But the tender for placing advertisements in 1000 BMTC buses were given recently and we are trying to provide best solutions to the issue.”
In 2013, the BMTC had signed a five- year contract for placing advertisements on the side panels of both sides and the back panels. According to media reports, BMTC garnered around 1.1 crore revenue every month in these five years. The revenue reaped through advertisement in FY 2016-2017 was Rs 13.42 crores. The same FY the corporation had a loss of Rs 260.91 crores as it faced challenges from Namma Metro and app-based taxis.
Advertisements are a major source of revenue for the corporation hence removing them could bring more losses. Hegade says, “Revenue of BMTC won’t be affected by the removal of side panel advertisements, we will be balancing out the loss with back panel advertisements. The tender for placing advertisements at the back panel has been called and nothing has been finalized yet, once it is finalized we will be able to provide more information.”
Although the officials are confident about balancing out the revenue, experts in the industry are sceptical. The corporation’s decision to provide only back panel advertisements is limiting the option for the advertisers. And it’s doubtful whether advertisers will be spending the same amount of money for just the back panel advertisements.
Sandesh Marla, Co-Founder, Centigrade Brand, says, “The decision to remove side panel advertisements are sure to affect the revenue of the corporation. Now, the advertisers are left with less options and the same amount will be charged for single panels. We have to see which brands are ready for a challenge like that. Worldwide, panel advertisements garner a huge amount of revenue to the government bodies and I believe we have to explore more and utilize the same.”
“On a personal note I support the decision to scrap the side panel advertisements as it troubles the passengers. Especially, passengers who are standing in the BMTC buses are totally cut off from the outside world due to these opaque side panel advertisements. I believe the decision won’t have any effect on the revenue, as the corporation is quoting the same cost for back panel advertisements, but the question is who will be ready to go for that deal. From the point of advertisers, it doesn’t make any sense to over pay just for a back panel advertisement. Earlier a whole package was available and now it’s limited and we need to wait and see how brands are going to react to this decision,” says GV Krishnamurthy, a media planner based in Bangalore.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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