Transit advertising has been one of the most beneficial and cost-effective outdoor advertising tools in India. However, buses still take the biggest bite of the transit advertising cake. As buses run all over the place be it local, inter-state or intra-state, they have the highest riders. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is the oldest public transport run by any state in India. The corporation has a fleet of 6,241 buses which run in the different zones as designated by the corporation. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is categorized into three zones, South, Central and North. The daily ridership of these buses is approximately 3.145 riders per day. Therefore, if you wish to put transit advertising to its best use in Kerala, advertising on KSRTC buses shall be the first thing to go for.
The KSRTC fleet of buses includes ordinary buses, low-floor AC buses and non-AC low floor buses, deluxe buses, superfast buses, luxury buses etc. The buses vary according to the route and destination. The fare of the buses is calculated according to the fare-stage system. The minimum fare of any KSRTC bus is 8 rupees and the maximum is 90 rupees.
Let’s list the benefits of advertising in KSRTC buses:
- Kerala is typically famous as the ‘God’s own heaven’ and therefore it attracts tourists from all over the world. There are separate luxury tourists’ buses by KSRTC to facilitate travelers. Advertising on these tourist buses take any brand message beyond borders.
- The daily commuters like college students, office goers and bus staff develop brand familiarity with the brand advertised on the KSRTC buses as they get exposed to the brand message on daily basis.
- The fleet of KSRTC buses includes everything from ordinary buses to luxury buses. This gives brands to segment the audience and target them accordingly. For instance, a local brand can advertise itself in ordinary or non-ac buses to reach masses while a premium brand can advertise itself on luxury tourist buses or low-floor ac buses to communicate with the segmented set of audience.
- The state run buses are spacious and well maintained offering enough space to put up posters on both inside and outside the buses.
- The external bus advertising options include side panels, back panel and roof top advertising space while the internal advertising options include, seat backs, handle bars and window-side space.
- The brands communicate to the audience on one-on-one basis as the KSRTC buses offer clutter free advertising space. Only one brand can advertise on a defined fleet of buses at a time.
- Bus advertising attract dual audience attention, one of the riders and the second, of the pedestrians. Large font, crisp content and bright colors attract the attention of the on-lookers as well as the riders.
- Bus advertising has ‘captive audience’ advantage which means that the audience cannot ignore or miss the advertising message as they cannot escape before their destination arrives.
Transit advertising is in itself a wholesome advertising medium where one can target the audience on various parameters such as location, income-group and behavioral patterns. Kerala buses that run under the KSTRC offers comfortable, affordable and fast rides to both localities and tourists. Therefore, advertising in these buses is cost effective as well as result oriented.
