JCDecaux gets exclusive rights for Chennai Metro advertising

The 10-year contract includes exclusive external wraps, internal train branding and complete train dominations with both internal & external branding

Archit Ambekar | Chennai | January 21, 2016

Outdoor advertising leader JCDecaux yesterday announced their exclusive contract for advertising rights for the Chennai Metro Rail Limited's (CMRL) rolling stocks.

Unveiling their first train wrap at the Koyembedu Metro Station, the event witnessed representatives from CMRL, Renault – the first advertiser on the train wraps and JCDecaux. Reliance Trends is their second advertiser. Currently, JCDecaux has seven trains to wrap in the existing Chennai Metro corridor but eventually they intend to grow in the market.

The 10-year contract with CMRL comprises of exclusive external wraps, internal train branding and complete train dominations with both internal & external branding. The contract further strengthens JCDecaux's Transport portfolio in India, which also includes the exclusive advertising rights of the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line and the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.

JCDEcaux is present in 3700 cities across 60 countries and reaches about 340 million viewers every day. JCDecaux in India started in 2006 with their first contract of bus shelters in Delhi. Focusing on their 'DNA' of cleaning and maintaining the installation, JCDecaux won the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line. In the following years, MMRDA approached them for bus shelters contract in BKC and later other bus shelters in Mumbai. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru is also another key in JCDecaux's portfolio in India.

Having done a good ground work, JCDecaux was successful entering Chennai. Pramod Bhandula, Executive Chairman, JCDecaux India said, “It took about six to seven years to enter this market. Chennai as a market for advertisers is very rigid. It has a very strong foothold on local brands. When we felt that policies are favourable, we tapped on it and got the Chennai Metro contract.”

On the growth front, Bhandula mentioned that the OOH industry is growing by 10-12% and will continue to grow. “Like it is said, new media will not kill old media. All forms of media will exist and there will always be someone who will use the medium. Apart from that, the industry has huge challenges which make it difficult for the brand to aggressively enter various markets. 2016 will have some more additions to the JCDecaux portfolio in India,” he said.

Commenting on the contract, Bhandula said, “We are elated to have been appointed as the media partner for CMRL. We look forward to rolling out the comprehensive media solutions, as part of our plan to build a high-quality media platform for the Chennai Metro.”

CMRL became operational in June, 2015 and currently has 2 Metro Lines spread over 45 km covering 32 Stations: 19 underground & 13 elevated. The two metro lines cover the key locations and intersections in the city with an estimated 282 Million commuters per year with a 5% traffic growth.

Olivier Heroguelle

Elaborating more on their way forward in the Chennai market, Olivier Heroguelle, Managing Director- JCDecaux India, said, “We begin with the Chennai metro. But the idea is to develop and tap on the advertising market here. So in the years to come, we intend to achieve that as well.”

“Chennai Metro is an important addition to our Transport portfolio in India. The larger than life train branding format moving on the elevated corridor is poised to become a much sought media in a billboard free city. We strive to deliver best services to our advertisers and this media will prove to be a unique opportunity to reach a targeted, receptive and captive audience, which are traditionally hard to reach especially in Chennai,” concluded Heroguelle.

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