Dreamers Media Will Pay the customer’s Car EMI

Dreamers Media and Advertising has launched an interesting scheme for Out Of Home (OOH) advertising. The company will pay the EMI of the car which the customer buys through them, in return the customer will have to allow Dreamers to run advertisements.

All of us have seen radio taxis with advertisements  on them, which helps the taxi companies in boosting profits. Dreamers is trying to do is quite a similar thing and this can benefit those who don’t care much about what the exteriors of their cars says or has on it.

So how does it work? The customer decides a car he wants to buy (up to a maximum of Rs. 6 lakhs) and pay 25% as down payment on the 5 year loan. The car will be brought through Dreamers who will then pay the first three years EMI on the vehicle. The remaining 2 years EMI will have to be paid by the customer. Any one who travels a minimum of 1500 kms a month is eligible. The company will cover 40 to 60% of your car’s exterior with advertisements and the customer has to keep your car clean and not tamper with the stickers or VTS (a device which tracks how many kmshave been driven by the customer)

Dreamers Media and Advertising is targeting customers from middle income group who have an annual income of less than Rs. 10 lakhs. The stickers used on the vehicle will be Vinyl printed using eco solvent inks. Clarity about other terms like in cases of dents and accidents as to who will bear the cost of replacing the stickers is still not clear .

The scheme is open all India. A 24×7 call center has been put in place to ensure smooth functioning of the system. The company is betting big on higher budgets from advertisers, increasing commuting distance and decreasing penetration of newspapers and television. A turnover of Rs. 150 crores is being targeted in the first fiscal.

So what is the benefit? Let’s take the  Honda Brios MT for example. The vehicle costs Rs. 5.55 lakhs (on-road, Mumbai). The ex-showroom price is Rs. 4,89,425/-. Thus 25% down payment will be 1,22,356/-. The pending amount which will be the loan which is Rs. 3,67,069/-. Thus the EMI will be Rs. 8064/- at an interest rate of 12% (Dreamers might get lower interest rate as they will be having higher volumes). Thus Dreams will end up paying Rs. 2,90,304/- and the remaining two years EMI will be Rs. 1,93,536/-. So in total, the customer will end up paying Rs. 3,81,584/- for a Rs. 5.55 lakh car. The customer’s saving will be Rs. 1,73,416/- although he will really end up saving Rs. 2.90 lakhs since the interest payment is there whether you opt for this scheme or not.

There are very few cars which fit in this scheme since most cars go above Rs. 6 lakhs in price. A diesel car will be easier to live with since your minimum running has to be 1500 kms a month.

I have many doubts about this scheme

1.   Will people like this idea?

2.      Will you like being a part of a big advertisement?

3.      What if the company where you are working is a competitor for the company advertised on the car?

4.      What if the general public mistakes youas a representative of the company being advertised and asks you for a demonstration and for free samples?

5.      They might think of you as a travelling salesman?

6.      The general public might think that you are a part of a cab company?

7.      How would the car be taxed - as a private vehicle or a commercial vehicle? 

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