14 DAY TRIAL // Having acknowledged the advertising potential of international ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft, brands were prone to appeal to taxi drivers to ensure that their marketing campaigns reach a larger audience.
Viewswagen, a program launched at the beginning of this month, is an unofficial rideshare advertising service which delivers targeted ads inside Uber and Lyft vehicles. Drivers can add an extra $500 (€447) to their salary if they agree to team up with the marketing company and allow ads in their cars.
This initiative comes from a former Uber driver who gave up his job as a taxi-driver because he was unable to lead a decent life with the salary that the transportation company was offering him. This is how he came up with the idea to install a tablet or a smartphone on the backseat of the car which would display ads from brands paying to have their products and services promoted.
However, Uber doesn’t seem very keen on the whole idea. Buzzfeed reports that one Uber driver who was interested in making some extra money was denied permission from the company and was told that cars which become involved in such advertising deals will be excluded from the system.
Uber rebuffs the claims
When contacted, the company denied the allegations, claiming that they do not forbid their drivers from concluding a partnership with Viewswagen, but that they discourage such practices.
The reason that Uber has invoked for not supporting the initiative is that they want to provide the best services for their customers and that this kind of advertising method could interfere with a passenger’s riding experience, making it less comfortable and less enjoyable.
Which is not entirely far from the truth given that people have had enough of ads, and the last place where they would want to be invaded by them is while enjoying their fare. But, on the other side, the program is a perfect way for taxi drivers to increase their income without having to do any extra work.