Car Quids – Innovative Outdoor Advertising That Sparks Conversations

Listen to this article

Written by: Viraj Ratnalikar, UK based entrepreneur and co-founder of Car Quids startup;
 

Car Quids is an outdoor advertising startup with an innovative twist. We enable brands to advertise on personal vehicles, driven by ordinary people like you and me. The concept of advertising on vehicles isn’t new – we see it on buses and taxis around the world. What makes car advertising unique for advertisers is that you’re not just branding some media space seen by lots of people – you’re also weaving your message into the daily routine of the driver and their network (family, friends, neighbours, colleagues etc.). Car advertising has been shown to spark conversations and it easily lends itself to virality.

Since Car Quids launched earlier in the year, we have built a network of close to 5000 drivers across the UK, a media estate big enough to rival some of the biggest media owners who have been building their networks for years.

To sign up, drivers complete a quick registration form outlining who they are and their driving habits. This allows advertisers to select drivers and their cars based on a range of factors that include location, the kind of car they drive, where the car is parked, and the driver’s occupation. This information helps match drivers with advertisers.

For most of us, our car is at the centre of our busy lives, one of our most personal possessions along with our smartphones. Car Quids drivers are busy parents, they are tradesmen, they are hospital workers and more. Each has a different use for their car (or van) and as a result, each can help reach a very specific audience.

For advertisers, Car Quids’ technology platform means that advertisers can quantify the results of their spend. Combining driver routes with government data on traffic and footfall, we can estimate the number of impressions for the campaign (i.e. how many times has the advertising been seen). In many cases, it’s even possible to track conversions. This brings a level of analysis to outdoor advertising that so far has only been available to online advertisers (think Facebook Ads and Google Adwords).

It’s commonly accepted wisdom that different marketing channels should be tested to discover what works best for a particular business. Car Quids aims to make it as easy as possible for advertisers to test the car advertising channel. For one, our minimum spends are low enough to be viable for startups and SMEs (small business) to run tests with. Combined with the data we’re able to calculate, it is straightforward to calculate ROI (return on investment for a particular marketing campaign) and determine whether the channel works for your business.

We’ve come a long way since we had the idea for Car Quids in a pub and built the website that same weekend. As more advertisers begin to use car advertising, we are focused on making sure that both advertisers and drivers have a great experience with us and want to come back for more.