Subscribe to RSSAdvertising Moving Onto Train Stations?
At Ranui’s revamped train station , Adshel advertising “shells” have been placed on the revamped train platform. Is this the start of things to come?
Is this heralding the start of advertising moving onto suburban train stations?
Adshel at Ranui
With bus shelters, Adshel has an arrangement with councils to subsidise the cost of shelters for use of advertising space in them. The company calls it specialising in “advertising-funded street furniture solutions in Australia and New Zealand.”
I have no problem if they are doing the same with train platforms so long as train commuters also share in the benefits, such as more seating. And so long as the amount of ‘visual pollution’ is limited.
Already Britomart uses its tunnel walls for advertising billboards. I’m not sure they work well as I’m not sure many people notice. In places like Sydney, the companies have tried to make such tunnel wall advertising into multimedia ‘solutions” with video commercials being screened or a TV channel beamed in while people stare at the wall waiting for the train to arrive. I don’t mind that either until the noise of the TV commercials drive you mad and the train is delayed so you have to stand and suffer!
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Actually, the Adshel plinths at Ranui date from 2004/2005 and have been there ever since. Advertising plinths were installed at the first three “signature” stations of Glen Innes, Papatoetoe and Ranui which were the first existing stations to be upgraded in around 2004.
I have no problem with advertising as long as it is used to help pay for costs etc, thus helping to keep fares down. I also think they should put screens in the trains and buses to sell silent ads (a bit like some supermarket checkouts) and add wifi that can be accessed for a small fee.
I like your suggestions Matt! It would at least make waiting for the signals a bit more bearable.
I’ve often wondered why they don’t allow coffee/newspaper vendors into other stations. Maybe that’s on the cards for the revamped New Lynn station, but a coffee kiosk would do really well at Henderson.
For that matter I wonder why they don’t put vending machines selling tickets in the stations. If you don’t have cash to buy a ticket on board, you have to hunt around for an agent or wait in line for ages at Britomart. I should be able to buy with eftpos, cash, credit card from every station. Why make it harder for people to purchase your product?
I agree with the vending machines and coffee things Anne. Futher to the screen idea perhaps inbetween the ads it could display news headlines, weather and travel updates. That would help to keep people watching it (and therefore make people more likely to watch the ads)
These could be installed at stations as well for people waiting for the train.
If I were of the entrepreneurial type, I would be talking to KiwiRail about a deal that would involve keeping the rail corridors clean, and in return getting exclusive access to those corridors for advertising purposes.
It’d be a win-win deal.
Advertising in public like this is a huge potential source of funds. The French velib’ bicycle rental system was originally funded solely by advertising at the rental stations (sadly, the vandalism costs eventually forced Councils to top up the money).
Brilliant idea jarbury. Paraparaumu had and may still have a taxi company office operating from the station which gives a 24 hour presence for in theory low rent.
Vending Machines to keep people happy and raise revenues for the rail company. Advertising on the wall to keep away some graffiti and gives even MORE money toward rail, It’s more like a win-win-win!
I never thought how good advertising actually is!
Public transport systems across Asia are booming with advertisements on lighten up poster boards, flat screen TVs etc etc. This adds colour, vibrancy, noise, activity and is a sign of a modern and busy city environment. Singapore has done this in a very neat and attractive way. Seoul’s metro systems and platforms are full of vending machines, coffee shops and small snack stores and shops selling cosmetics and clothes and everything else you would ever want. This makes using public transport interesting and even more convenient. Other cities have chosen to be completely food and almost iadvertising free such as Taipei, but definitely makes the journey less interesting.
From what I can see is that Auckland will never be an nteresting, exciting, buzzing, fast-paced modern metro. With this type of attitude towards simple things such as the way ads are put up, I can’t really see the place as being ultra modern and competitive. Foreigners always say Auckland is boring and it’s obvious that it’s because Aucklanders just talk too much, block too much, complain too much and then all lose out.
I hope more ads and interesting things can go up in some of these train stations. Some of them look like stops you see way out in the countryside in China anyway, so add some colour, some activity and try and make the city look like one, because it certainly has potential if people want it to!!
The Ranui ad signs have been here since the station opened in 2004. They were used often early on, but these days they mostly just display adshell pics as not many businesses see advertising at railway stations as being of much value.
the London underground is plastered with advertising too…. Seems like a no brainer really
There should also be competition - typically the contracts are given to a large company for an entire system for a number of years. This shuts out smaller advertisers, and suits AdShell etc because they have a monopoly and lower costs.
The Good and Bad of advertising, The Bad: its Advertising. The good; its a revenue stream, the shelters are maintained and cleaned on a regular basis improving the commuters travel
I am absolutely dumbfounded having lived in Japan and travelled by rail in Europe at the lack of advertising on both trains and at stations on Auckland`s rail network, especially given the lack of funding that is continually brought up as a reason improvements or projects are delayed, or even cancelled.
I notice some people in another forum, have been anti-advertising. They want clean trains and stations. Clean and dead stations. Just like someone commented above, advertising and kiosks etc actually breathe life into the sterile enviroment of a railway station and they can inject funds into the rail system.
Sure, some people prefer, clean advert-free trains, but to me when there is a serious lack of funding, having adverts on train as they do in Japan and other places,is a no-brainer. If it means we`ve got more money to spend on improvements I can live with advertising.
By the way, here is some advertsing at Ljubljana Station in Slovenia from a recent trip of mine.
C:\Documents and Settings\simoncox\My Documents\My Pictures\Europe Trip Nov2009
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/simoncox/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/Europe%20Trip%20Nov2009/Europe%20Trip%20Nov2009%20Ljubljana%20Station%20Advertising.jpg
Ugh!! Sorry, I guess we can`t upload pictures directly on here
hehe, yeah those ‘new’ ad signs are the same as that new ATM at Britomart