A new form of advertising is to soon to hit the streets aboard Knutsford Express coaches, when customers access free Wi-Fi on their mobile phones on their trips across the island.

The idea of businesses offering free Wi-Fi is not new in Jamaica, but this concept goes a step further by offering advertising opportunities on the sign-in page.

The product is being rolled out for the executive bus line by Richard Cardoza, managing director of Paradise Media, which is contracted to sell advertising on the MiFi Jamaica Ads4 WiFi platform aboard Knutsford Express.

According to Cardoza, up to 520,000 people can travel via Knutsford Express on its 28 buses per month, and about 92 per cent of those customers belong to corporate Jamaica.

“When you get in the bus you log in, and on the log-in page there will be access to ads, videos and trailers.”

“Advertising is more targeted than ever when you advertise where your customers spend most of their time…on their smart devices. Seventy-seven per cent of folks connect naturally to Wi-Fi,” he said. “Your reach is 100 per cent as the Wi-Fi log-in screen displays your ads and offers prior to the user getting online. They see your ads/videos in exchange for obtaining free Wi-Fi.”

Cardoza is certain that the new advertising medium will be a hit. He notes, ”Today, consumers want things faster, and you literally can connect with customers immediately upon signing into the Wi-Fi network.”

Cardoza would not yet state the proposed rates for the Wi-Fi advertising platform, but noted that the method is one of the most innovative and effective ways to reach customers. “It is about communicating a message or content directly to potential customers or users near the point of emission,” he said.

The system will allow Knutsford Express travellers free Wi-Fi access, but to take advantage of it they will have to first navigate paid advertising, giving companies the ability to show their products, services, offers, promotions, or simply information related to their business.

“Once the user has visited and browsed this original content, the connection will be opened to access to any service they want,” Cardoza said.

“We have developed a platform specifically to satisfy connectivity issues locally that has allowed us to maximise the throughput islandwide. Essentially, we designed a firmware that significantly improves the experience and that has led us to Knutsford Express. We sought to solve their connectivity issues and we see the opportunity for adding value through advertising based on the established clientele, so we partnered with a company that has the ability to help us pull this off.

“Later down the year the platform will be opened to other entities, but for now we are focusing on Knutsford Express,” Cardoza said.