VOLO:TV have appointed KBH On-Train Media, the outdoor contractor specialising in traincards, to sell advertising and sponsorship across it’s First Great Western Intercity fleet.
VOLO:TV is the UK’s first on-train video-on-demand TV system and as of June 1st will go Free to view across 54 trains that run from Paddington to Reading, Bristol, Cardiff and as far south as Penzance.
The entertainment carriages are fitted with almost 3,500 interactive touch screens that have 80 regularly updated programmes including films and sport. There are also live news feeds and an interactive live moving map.
Digital advertising opportunities include videos, banners, screensavers, ticker tapes, channel sponsorships and the ability to communicate one to one with passengers, with messages being sent back to mobiles or tablets.
Ian Reynolds, Managing Director of KBH, said: “This represents a large step in our development. Our traincard format has become an established OOH format on media plans and we are very excited to now offer a pioneering digital solution on FGW, alongside our existing inventory.’
Ian Wright, Marketing Director of VOLO:TV said ‘With our system going Free to view, it is the perfect time to offer advertising and sponsorship opportunities. Given KBH On-Train Media’s success in the last two years, they are the natural partner to sell our offering.’
KBH On-Train Media, the outdoor contractor specialising in traincards, has won or extended the outdoor advertising contracts of three major Train Operating Companies and increased its poster universe by almost 20 per cent.
The deals make KBH a major player in helping advertisers reach affluent commuter, leisure and shopping audiences in the Greater London area. With more than 50,000 traincard panels on the fleets of 11 train companies running into London, KBH is aiming to build on a sterling performance this year when it achieved a 30 per cent increase in the number of campaigns booked, in contrast to a generally flat outdoor market.
London Midland has appointed KBH to install traincard frames on its fleet, which runs on the key business traveller line between London Euston, Birmingham and Liverpool. KBH will install 2,144 new square advertising panels on the fleet’s 268 carriages.
At the same time the company has renewed and extended its contract with Southern Rail and is tripling its poster holding with the train operator. KBH will install 3, 330 new panels on Southern fleets to add to the existing 928 existing spaces already on part of the Southern fleet, with the number of carriages carrying advertising increasing by 744 to a new total of 976.
KBH Transport Media, the outdoor contractor specialising in traincards, has renewed and increased the scale of the onboard advertising contract from London and South Eastern Railways Ltd. KBH is installing over 8,000 new square traincard advertising panels on Southeastern fleets. The number of carriages with advertising will increase by 50%. Included are the new high speed routes & the metro trains.
Southeastern runs routes out of various London termini including Victoria, Charing Cross, London Bridge, Blackfriars, Cannon Street & St Pancras International to destinations right across South East London & Kent. The new contract will run until the end of the franchise period.
KBH now has 50,000 traincard panels on over 4,000 carriages on its London commuter routes, they currently reach 2.6 million frequent rail users. With further developments in the pipeline, this is likely to increase this year.
Ian Reynolds, Managing Director of KBH, said: “This represents a huge step in our development and format standardisation programme. Our square panels are now almost universal across all of our lines which will reduce production costs and make creative easier. We are continuing to attract top brands such as British Airways, O2, American Express and VW who are recognising the exceptional value that the medium provides for targeting affluent rail audiences with longer dwell time messages.”
KBH Transport Media have launched several new packages to entice more advertisers that have smaller budgets but still need to reach the affluent commuting audience.
In addition to their standard light, medium and heavy weight packages they have created even lighter broadcast packages.
A new ‘Low Entry Cost’ Network package of just 2000 panels will still gain broadcast coverage across all of their 10 London and South East train lines. Ratecard for this package is just £18,000 for a 2 week campaign.
KBH Transport Media now have the ability subdivide line by line campaigns still further to enable precise geographical targeting. This facility is available on the larger networks, South West Trains, Southeastern and National Express East Anglia. The sales team can be contacted for more specific enquiries.
KBH Transport Media, the traincard specialist has investigated the attitude of the frequent rail user to education.
Research shows that frequent rail users are among the most ambitious people in the country and they believe education will help them achieve their goals.
Key findings:
• 37% of frequent rail users want to be top of their career.
• The frequent rail user is 33% more likely than the average South East resident to be starting university in the next 12 months.
• 94% agree that it’s important to continue learning and they are 29% more likely than the average to still be studying.
• They are ambitious and 48% of frequent rail users want a life full of challenge, novelty and change and will put the required effort into achieving this by way of education.
• They have the disposable income to afford to pay for their education; average personal salary is £29,000 pa.
To find out how to communicate effectively with rail users interested in education, please give our traincard sales team a call.
Source (TGI 2009)
KBH Transport Media has been appointed to handle all onboard advertising on trains on the London Overground rail network. The contract increases their traincard inventory to 50,000 panels.
Ian Reynolds, Managing Director of KBH, comments: “This is a vote of confidence from yet another rail network and strengthens our dominance of onboard advertising in the South East.”
Tfl comments: “We are delighted to be working with KBH to generate revenue from this key on-board medium.”
KBH Transport Media is extending its traincard coverage with the installation of 9,000 new square panels in South West Trains’ entire fleet --- 325 trains compared with the previous 91. KBH traincards currently reach 2.3 million passengers (TGI) across its total consumer network and this number will now increase considerably. Martin Kelway Bamber, KBH Commercial Director, says: “There are more exciting developments to come in 2009.”
KBH, the transport media specialist, is preparing for a green future with a new initiative aimed at reducing its carbon footprint. The company is concentrating intitially on making its traincard advertising operations more environmentally-friendly.
KBH is in advanced discussions with its suppliers to print onto recycled paper stock which conforms with the fire-retardant standards demanded by Train Operating Companies (TOCs). This will potentially allow it to recycle up to 88,000 traincards each month
Ian Reynolds, KBH’s Managing Director says, "We’re getting busier and busier - some weeks we are producing up to 20,000 advertising panels which keeps us on our toes! That’s great news for KBH but at the same time we’re conscious of our impact on the environment."
This is the first in a series of environmental moves for KBH. The company will also be conducting a comprehensive energy survey to identify further steps it can take and determining which off-setting measures to support.
KBH’s staff are also committed to improving sustainability in the company's day-to-day operations. This includes measures such as taking public transport to meetings, monitoring energy consumption by turning off electrical equipment when not in use, recycling wherever possible and influencing suppliers to adhere to the same high standards.
Reynolds says, "Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing us all and I feel that, as a responsible company, it is our duty to do everything we can to ensure that our environmental footprint is as small as possible."
Data recently published by the Office of Rail Regulation has shown passenger numbers in the London & South East region continue to grow at record levels in 2007. More than 820 million passenger journeys were made in the region, an increase of 78 million journeys (+10.5%) over 2006. This represents the highest number of journeys on the busiest part of Britain’s rail network for almost 50 years.
Ian Reynolds, KBH Transport Media’s Managing Director says “People are increasingly turning to rail as, for the first time, we see the environmental benefits of rail becoming a significant factor in how people choose to travel.”
Passenger Focus, the national rail consumer watchdog, also notes the change in sentiment towards rail travel, adding that "punctuality and new rolling stock have made the trains a more attractive alternative to congested roads."
Strong consumer support is expected to contribute to further growth on the railways over the next 5 years, with passenger volumes forecast to rise by around 6% each year. Structural support for this period of growth will be provided by an on-going programme of modernisation on the network.
The London & South East rail network in particular will be transformed by huge investments in infrastructure and new rolling stock. Initiatives already underway include the £3.5bn upgrade of Thameslink, where 380 new trains are on order to increase the number of services running through stations that serve the City of London. The £1.4bn East London Line extension is also due to open in 2010, with plans to create an overground orbital rail service extending to Clapham Junction. And 24 new trains will run on the North London Line from 2009.
“The future looks bright for the railways” says Reynolds “with the next large investments targeted at pinchpoints in the London & South East region, we believe consumers will continue to choose the train over the car or bus in even greater numbers.”
Office of Rail Regulation, National Rail Trends, 2007-2008 Q3, Published in April 2008
