APG focuses on digital advertising space
Advertising on large screens and panels in public spaces: The APG billboard company is driving digitalization forward. While cities are still holding off on issuing permits, APG is taking over the two dominant train station advertising companies.
In order to be able to finance the digital advertising spaces, locations with large pedestrian flows are necessary, as APG CEO Daniel Hofer said on Thursday at the annual media conference. With this in mind, APG is buying the remaining 50 percent of Impacta and Ecofer from the Scheidegger advertising family in Berne. The two companies have been concessionaires of SBB for more than 40 years, as well as BLS, other private and mountain railroads and other partners. The undisclosed purchase price will be paid in APG shares. With the share swap, Markus and Andreas Scheidegger increase their APG stake to over 3 percent. APG already held a 50 percent stake in Impacta and Ecofer since 1970. Competition law problems are not expected as a result of the full takeover, Hofer said. While Ecofer specializes in special advertising formats such as neon signs, MegaPosters and 3D displays, Impacta offers all classic poster formats as well as state-of-the-art digital products such as ePanels, eBoards and Rail Beamers. The new underground station of the Durchmesserlinie in Zurich will soon be added as a platform.
Pilot test at Zurich Bellevue
APG also wants to conquer city centers with digital advertising. The city of Zurich is currently evaluating a pilot test conducted last fall with ePanels at Bellevue. In a survey, 78 percent said they rather or even very much liked the digital advertising pillars, Hofer said. The entertainment value and a greater sense of safety, especially during the dark hours of the day, due to the illuminated advertising panels were appreciated, he said. APG plans to ask all Swiss cities for permits to convert existing sites and create new ones. Regarding criticism of further commercialization of public space, Hofer said cities must weigh the use of their real estate property against additional revenue that relieves the burden on taxpayers. The digitization of advertising stelae will come, Hofer expressed confidence.
At the push of a button
In other countries, they are already part of everyday life. Advertisers see great potential: just three minutes after the birth of Prince George, heir to the British throne, the first related advertising campaigns were launched in London. "In the past, the poster was the slowest advertising medium, today it is the fastest," Hofer said. (SDA)
