The digitisation of Nottingham is well under way, following Nottingham City Council awarding JCDecaux UK a 15-year bus shelter and free-standing digital advertising contract. The contract not only provides the council with income from digital advertising screens, but it also includes a refurbishment of bus shelters and the introduction of smart technology benefits like free public Wi-Fi and real-time air quality monitoring.
Nottingham is the 12th largest city in the UK in terms of catchment population and retail spend – a vibrant business and leisure hub in the East Midlands. The new contract will provide advertisers with a new city-wide network of 136 digital 6-sheet screens, providing an exciting new opportunity for local, national and international advertising clients to brand new audiences in this important city. The digital network will comprise of free-standing units, bus shelter screens as well as ‘classic’ paper poster sites.
All 830 bus shelters have been totally refurbished; hand-painted in an iconic Nottingham green, benches and glass replaced, the addition of UV protective film added, and rebranded in the city’s ‘Robin Hood Network’ livery and will include energy efficient LED lighting helping to work towards the city’s carbon-neutral goals. JCDecaux will be introducing ‘smart city’ tech to the city centre, providing free Wi-Fi and air-quality monitors across the city centre, enabling the council to access real-time air quality information across the city via an app - all funded by advertising.
Aligned with the council’s climate strategy, the high-quality design and robust maintenance of JCDecaux’s bus shelters means they have been able to be refurbished - reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 90% compared to the installation of replacement street furniture.
JCDecaux will also fund a range of important environmental and community initiatives, paid for by the advertising network. This includes financial support for the Mayor’s Charity, local community group funding as well as supporting city University research projects and city-wide biodiversity initiatives.
The digital screen network is set to include the main retail and business hubs of: Beastmarket Hill, Carrington Street, Clumber Street, Lister Gate, Milton Street and Upper and Lower Parliament Street. Nottingham is a major hub for business growth, home to iconic brands including Boots, Capital One, Center Parcs, Experian, GoDaddy and Paul Smith. Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are undergoing a transformational period of economic regeneration. There’s £2bn of investment opportunity in the city centre alone, with £650m of construction currently taking place¹. With two-world class universities, Nottingham has one of the youngest populations of UK cities, fuelling its vibrant business, cultural and sporting life.