News
KBH bring Fashion Heaven to the High Street
Cult Swedish label H&M has hired the services of taxi advertising firm KBH Transport Media to support the launch of its new flagship store in London's Regent Street
The taxi advertising specialist handed over a fleet of liveried taxis to the retailer for the month long campaign to promote the opening of the store.
London's fashionable folk turned out in force to celebrate the opening, including Sophie Ellis-Bexter, Peaches Geldof, Kelly Osbourne and Kimberley Stewart. Producer and DJ Mark Ronson provided the music with a stint on the wheels of steel.
As well as operating in normal service, the fleet of 35 cabs were also on call for promotional activities at the launch event. An elite group of hand-picked drivers collected the celebrities from their homes and dropped them off at the rose-adorned arch marking the entrance to the store. Guests then made their way down to the lower ground floor where a haven of sweet treats à la Charlie and the Chocolate Factory awaited them.
Ian Reynolds, managing director of KBH, said the campaign demonstrated "the creativity, versatility and flexibility of the taxi medium".
According to TGI, 2.2 million Londoners see a taxi ad every week, while 66% of people who notice such ads in London are ABC1.
KBH Goes Green to Help Combat Climate Change
KBH, the transport media specialist, is preparing for a green future with a new initiative aimed at reducing its carbon footprint. The company is concentrating intitially on making its traincard advertising operations more environmentally-friendly.
KBH is in advanced discussions with its suppliers to print onto recycled paper stock which conforms with the fire-retardant standards demanded by Train Operating Companies (TOCs). This will potentially allow it to recycle up to 88,000 traincards each month
Ian Reynolds, KBH’s Managing Director says, "We’re getting busier and busier - some weeks we are producing up to 20,000 advertising panels which keeps us on our toes! That’s great news for KBH but at the same time we’re conscious of our impact on the environment."
This is the first in a series of environmental moves for KBH. The company will also be conducting a comprehensive energy survey to identify further steps it can take and determining which off-setting measures to support.
KBH’s staff are also committed to improving sustainability in the company's day-to-day operations. This includes measures such as taking public transport to meetings, monitoring energy consumption by turning off electrical equipment when not in use, recycling wherever possible and influencing suppliers to adhere to the same high standards.
Reynolds says, "Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing us all and I feel that, as a responsible company, it is our duty to do everything we can to ensure that our environmental footprint is as small as possible."
Growth in Rail Passengers Accelerates Again
Data recently published by the Office of Rail Regulation has shown passenger numbers in the London & South East region continue to grow at record levels in 2007. More than 820 million passenger journeys were made in the region, an increase of 78 million journeys (+10.5%) over 2006. This represents the highest number of journeys on the busiest part of Britain’s rail network for almost 50 years.
Ian Reynolds, KBH Transport Media’s Managing Director says “People are increasingly turning to rail as, for the first time, we see the environmental benefits of rail becoming a significant factor in how people choose to travel.”
Passenger Focus, the national rail consumer watchdog, also notes the change in sentiment towards rail travel, adding that "punctuality and new rolling stock have made the trains a more attractive alternative to congested roads."
Strong consumer support is expected to contribute to further growth on the railways over the next 5 years, with passenger volumes forecast to rise by around 6% each year. Structural support for this period of growth will be provided by an on-going programme of modernisation on the network.
The London & South East rail network in particular will be transformed by huge investments in infrastructure and new rolling stock. Initiatives already underway include the £3.5bn upgrade of Thameslink, where 380 new trains are on order to increase the number of services running through stations that serve the City of London. The £1.4bn East London Line extension is also due to open in 2010, with plans to create an overground orbital rail service extending to Clapham Junction. And 24 new trains will run on the North London Line from 2009.
“The future looks bright for the railways” says Reynolds “with the next large investments targeted at pinchpoints in the London & South East region, we believe consumers will continue to choose the train over the car or bus in even greater numbers.”
Office of Rail Regulation, National Rail Trends, 2007-2008 Q3, Published in April 2008