Get a free car just for whoring yourself to the wonderful world of advertising! OR earn a little extra income just for sporting a logo on your car! Trend Hunter covered paid vehicle advertising back in 2005, but the concept is starting to gain momentum. For example, FreeCar Media now claims to have a million interested drivers who are willing and ready. The kicker is that the demand from advertisers has yet to catch up to the supply.
How does it work? You sport a banner on your car, wrap your car like a billboard, or get a brand new car that comes with billboard like advertising already on it. Then, you get paid. Be warned that you might have to agree to certain rules. For example, if you're advertising Coke, you can't be seen drinking Pepsi.
The NY Times recently profiled FreeCar Media's president, who noted, “A company like Procter & Gamble will come to us and say, 'We have a new and improved Tide, and our target is stay-at-home moms with two-plus children who live in these 20 markets,' †Mr. Livingston said. His company then finds drivers in that demographic. “We feel that when you can wrap a mom's car and get it to her P.T.A. meeting or Curves gym, you're getting the acceptance from her social circle.â€
Free Cars (With Billboards)
Paid Vehicle Advertising
Trend Themes
1. Vehicle Advertising - The growing trend of paid vehicle advertising presents untapped opportunities for advertisers to reach their target demographic and for car owners to earn extra income or receive a free car.
2. Brand-wrapped Cars - The concept of wrapping cars in brand advertisements presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for traditional outdoor advertising, creating a new avenue for reaching larger audiences.
3. Micro-influencer Marketing - Paid vehicle advertising allows for targeted, hyper-local marketing to specific demographics and communities, providing a cost-effective form of micro-influencer marketing.
Industry Implications
1. Advertising - Paid vehicle advertising presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the advertising industry, as it provides another avenue for reaching targeted audiences through unique, eye-catching mobile billboards.
2. Transportation - The free car with billboard advertising business model provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for the transportation industry, which can leverage this model to offer new car-sharing services to consumers.
3. Consumer Goods - Paid vehicle advertising presents a unique marketing strategy for the consumer goods industry, enabling companies to reach highly targeted demographics through branded car wraps and potentially drive sales in new and innovative ways.