Rohit Nautiyal
OOH

Giant LED screens for Delhi now

MCD has awarded the contract to install 50 audio-visual LED screens in prime market locations to International Techno Media

Recently, afaqs! reported that for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in 2010, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) plans to bring in 1,000 world class utilities-cum-food courts. Continuing with its attempts to transform Delhi into a world-class games village, MCD has awarded the contract to install 50 audio-visual LED screens to International Techno Media (ITM). The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyderabad-based MIC Electronics, which will manufacture these screens.

Giant LED screens for Delhi now
Confirming the news to afaqs! Amit Kaushik, vice-president, ITM says, "LED screens as a media have been present abroad. This is one of our attempts to beautify Delhi and usher in a new media in the OOH space."

With an investment of Rs 50 crore, the screens will be installed in prime market locations across Delhi, including Greater Kailash I and II, Saket, Lajpat Nagar, Karol Bagh, Kamla Nagar, South Extension I and II, Nehru Place, Vasant Vihar, Janakpuri, Rajouri Garden, and Vikas Marg. While 10 screens of 16x9 ft will be operational by month-end, the entire project will be completed by January 2010.

Besides advertisements, these screens will run content like news, sports capsules, and film promos; social messages by MCD and Delhi Police; and updates related to weather, stock and astrology. Also, for the purpose of community viewing, ITM plans to air recorded episodes of some popular reality shows. Ads and content will be run in a 50:50 ratio.

MCD will be paid a monthly fee of approximately Rs 50 lakh for the next five years. Thereafter the contract can be extended for two more years.

To measure the reach and efficacy of the screens, ITM, in collaboration with AC Nielsen, conducted two surveys in the 50 areas chosen for the installation of screens. The first survey, carried out in June, recorded a daily footfall of 2 lakh people across all the locations.

As part of another survey, an LED screen was put up in PVR Saket, running both ads and content. The respondents were 15 years and above and belonged to SEC A, B and C. Seventy-two per cent of shoppers noticed the LED screens and considered it as an attention catcher and relevant. In terms of time spent on viewing ads on various media, the highest time was spent on the LED screen (more than a minute), followed by television and internet.

Amongst those who noticed the screen, 9 in10 shoppers recalled some of the ads shown. More than 75 per cent respondents found the LED screen attractive and unique. Also, the screen figured as the second most entertaining media, followed by TV.

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