THE EFFECT OF EMERGENCE OF TRANSIT TELEVISION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SMEs
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The concept and emergence of transit television for the purpose of this study will be linked to the overall concept of transit advertising in Lagos State. Transit, Advertising refers to the placement of advertorial materials within public transport vehicles and also on their exteriors. The Ads on the exterior of the commercial vehicles which are also called out-transit Ads come in form of
king and Queen Signs which are located on the sides of transit vehicles. Another form of our-transit Ad is the tail
signs which are located on the rear of transit vehicles. The in-transit Ads are the interior cards which line the tops of
the bus windows and other strategic places in the interior of the bus. While the other form of in-transit Ads which is
the key item for this study is the installment of LCD screens within the buses to air programmes such as voxpops,
sports highlight. Music, ad campaigns etc.
All over the world people and companies have been utilizing the use of transit Tv as a great alternative to the
traditional medium (TV, Radio and print). Countries like South African conceptualized the BRT-TV and companies like
ITAP and transit television network in Ghana have found ways to maximize the use of transit television. This medium
gained momentum within the Lagos metropolitan with the introduction of the Lagos Bus rapid transit system
(LAGBUS) in 2007 by the then Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. He initiated it as a megacity project which was
aimed at solving the transportation challenges faced by the state’s commuters with over 500 buses and 40 routes in
operations.
As a result of the LAGBUS initiative, companies saw it as a revolutionary platform that will allow for efficient
interaction with the captive and economically active target market with the public transport commuters audience. So
companies like Elev8-mediaEfull media, thery-technology and value media got concession to install and operate the
TV screens in the buses and this has given birth to transmit television in Lagos state commercial buses. In 2011 the
transit television network was also spread to other newly introduced commercial buses (BRT service) which was
being operated by the Nigeria union of road transport service authority (LAMATA). Citing from the (LAMATA) states
that the average daily ridership is 180,000 passengers and an average load factor of 800 passengers per bus daily.
It is the light of this that the purpose of this study is being founded. it is perceived that with such an influx of a
concerted audience of the BRT buses that this will be a viable means for SMEs to project their products and service
through the transit TV at a relatively low cost when compared to traditional media. This study hopes to analyse how
the key elements of cost, reach, demography and recall can be aligned with the emergence of transit TV in Lagos.
THE EFFECT OF EMERGENCE OF TRANSIT TELEVISION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SMEs