Home » Opinion » Chinese Views
Help! Passengers don't know how to turn off ad screen
By Rachel Yan |
December 25, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IN-TAXI advertising screens have come under media scrutiny these days after a passenger in the back seat died in a traffic accident in October. ("Advert screens stir safety concerns," A4, November 2, Shanghai Daily).
The victim's family and friends are pointing fingers at the touch screen, saying it was a major reason contributing to the man's death.
A media frenzy ensued. A CCTV report aired recently again questioned in-taxi safety hazards, mainly the ad screens that distract passengers who then may not fasten their seat belts.
No conclusion has been reached concerning the ad-screen factor, if any, in the death. So, why has touchscreen operator, Touchmedia, been thrust into the spotlight?
The answer is simple: the accident simply ignited accumulated public discontent over the in-cab ads targeting a captive audience.
When you finally get into a taxi going home after a long day of work, don't you find these constantly playing ads annoying when you want nothing but quiet and rest?
When you are chatting with fellow passengers, isn't the loud music in the ad distracting?
When it's night and the cab interior is dim, isn't the screen too close and too bright?
What can we do if we don't need or want these ads?
A taxi management regulation enacted last December requires an on/off switch so the advertising screen can be turned off if passengers don't want to watch.
But most passengers have no idea there's an inconspicuous switch, which seems to be hidden in the same place as the volume adjustment button. You need to press three times to switch off both video and volume. Chinese newspaper reporters randomly surveyed dozens of passengers, but only 10 percent know the ads can be turned off.
It's understandable that the company places the required on/off button in an inconspicuous place, since loss of viewers would jeopardize their ad sales. But cabbies and tax companies have failed to remind passengers that they have an option.
Unlike other advertising companies, Touchmedia is self-reliant and independent of traditional media in publishing or airing its clients' ads. This distinct advantage fueled the company's leap forward in recent years. Last month, it predicted 22 percent increase in viewership this year and said it "is planning explosive growth in 2013."
But the growth, to some extent, may come at the cost of the company's public image if more passengers are "deprived" of choices in the small taxi interior. The same is true for video ad screens installed in elevators, which have generated complaints.
The victim's family and friends are pointing fingers at the touch screen, saying it was a major reason contributing to the man's death.
A media frenzy ensued. A CCTV report aired recently again questioned in-taxi safety hazards, mainly the ad screens that distract passengers who then may not fasten their seat belts.
No conclusion has been reached concerning the ad-screen factor, if any, in the death. So, why has touchscreen operator, Touchmedia, been thrust into the spotlight?
The answer is simple: the accident simply ignited accumulated public discontent over the in-cab ads targeting a captive audience.
When you finally get into a taxi going home after a long day of work, don't you find these constantly playing ads annoying when you want nothing but quiet and rest?
When you are chatting with fellow passengers, isn't the loud music in the ad distracting?
When it's night and the cab interior is dim, isn't the screen too close and too bright?
What can we do if we don't need or want these ads?
A taxi management regulation enacted last December requires an on/off switch so the advertising screen can be turned off if passengers don't want to watch.
But most passengers have no idea there's an inconspicuous switch, which seems to be hidden in the same place as the volume adjustment button. You need to press three times to switch off both video and volume. Chinese newspaper reporters randomly surveyed dozens of passengers, but only 10 percent know the ads can be turned off.
It's understandable that the company places the required on/off button in an inconspicuous place, since loss of viewers would jeopardize their ad sales. But cabbies and tax companies have failed to remind passengers that they have an option.
Unlike other advertising companies, Touchmedia is self-reliant and independent of traditional media in publishing or airing its clients' ads. This distinct advantage fueled the company's leap forward in recent years. Last month, it predicted 22 percent increase in viewership this year and said it "is planning explosive growth in 2013."
But the growth, to some extent, may come at the cost of the company's public image if more passengers are "deprived" of choices in the small taxi interior. The same is true for video ad screens installed in elevators, which have generated complaints.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
