PETALING JAYA: According to the Transport Ministry, there were over 36.3 million registered vehicles in Malaysia as of last year. No surprise that cars made up the highest number with over 17 million and counting.
The increased number of vehicles has contributed to traffic woes and road congestion. Based on the findings of Ismaniza Ismail, a senior lecturer at the School of Chemistry and Environment in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at Universiti Teknologi Mara, commuters in the Klang Valley can spend up to two hours daily in traffic.
With the huge number of cars and the time spent on the road, it has created a unique opportunity – car advertising.
“Everyone on the road can view ads and these car wraps and advertisements are great for creating brand awareness,” said Daniel Raz, business development director of Positive Media.
Daniel: Car advertising allows businesses to reach a wide range of consumers.
Ads on wheels
Established in 2017, the company offers a wide variety of advertising services through multiple channels, including vehicles such as e-hailing cars and taxis. Daniel opined that car advertising allows businesses to reach a wide range of consumers.
Additionally, these colourful wrapped vehicles also draw attention on the road, enhancing their visibility. “With technology, these ads can encourage call to action or divert to their websites for more information about clients products and services,” he added.
The segment is an area that VOOH Media also plies it trade-in. Providing car advertising as a media solution, the company has turned vehicles into mobile billboards. Since its launch in the middle of last year, the company has mobilised and stickered over 10,000 vehicles across the nation.
Rajiv Rai Singh, the co-founder and chief executive officer of VOOH Media, explained that at the beginning it was difficult to convince advertisers of this strategy. “Vehicle out-of-home (OOH) is relatively new compared with things like traditional billboards, and most marketers aren’t familiar with it.”
However Rajiv admitted that VOOH had become an alternative solution and amplifier of the company’s OOH strategy.
“We have certainly received significantly more inquiries this year compared with the last,” revealed Rajiv.
“Today, our portfolio includes multi-national corporations, government-linked companies and small and medium enterprises. Thus far, we have delivered over 2,500,000km of exposure.”
One of the many benefits of car advertising is that cars are constantly on the move.
This consistent movement allows brands to gain access to citywide exposure for their campaigns. “When you compare the cost of this level of exposure, VOOH becomes significantly more affordable compared with outdoor billboards,” said Rajiv.
Rajiv Rai Singh, co-founder and CEO, VOOH MediaAdding to this is the cost-effectiveness of car advertising. According to Daniel, clients just have to foot a one-time printing and installation cost of the stickers and the rental of the car advertisement for the campaign. “We do advise clients to commit to a three-month minimum for their adverts for a better return on investment (ROI).”Income provider
Beyond offering brands a cost-effective platform, car advertising is also helping to create a lifeline of income opportunities for the B40 community.
In Malaysia, the B40 community, representing the lowest 40% of income earners, is fighting a daily battle against financial instability.
As many turn to the gig economy, the struggle for a steady income remains a persistent challenge, with over 26% of the workforce engaged in freelance or part-time work. The pressing need for innovative income-generating solutions has never been more urgent.
Car advertising has created an opportunity for this narrative by turning everyday vehicles into lucrative mobile billboards. “Our driver partners enjoy a flexible earning opportunity that varies depending on the duration and scope of each campaign,” explained Rajiv.
“With the potential to work on multiple campaigns throughout the year, drivers can significantly boost their income by participating in both short-term and long-term advertising projects. This flexibility allows them to earn extra income without changing their day-to-day routine.”
For driver partners of Positive Media, they must complete a minimum mileage set to earn this extra income. Daniel revealed that some can earn between RM150 and RM500 from these advertisements in addition to their e-hailing revenue.
Car advertising also offers income opportunities for drivers and vehicle owners. – VOOH MediaRules of the road
Although there are numerous positives, both Positive Media and VOOH admitted these advertisements are subject to restrictions and guidelines by the authorities. “For instance, all private and public vehicles require the Road Transport Department approval for advertisement,” said Daniel.
“We must adhere to the guidelines provided by these authorities to ensure compliance and ensure that all campaigns are legally compliant,” added Rajiv.
Additionally, drivers selected for campaigns also have to adhere to certain requirements.
VOOH driver partners must have the PSV licence and are actively doing e-hailing jobs. “We do not use normal drivers because e-hailing drivers have much higher mileage which translates to more kms of exposure,” Rajiv elaborated.
Daniel agreed, adding that Positive Media only selected full-time drivers as they needed to make sure ads were on the move as much as possible and in many locations.
As car advertising continues to evolve, Rajiv said the segment would continue to expand and innovate. He revealed that VOOH media was looking at offline-to-online media integration to connect some of these campaigns to clients’ digital marketing strategies.
“Also, as consumers can spend an average of about 20 minutes on their e-hailing ride, we are also looking to find ways to entertain passengers during this idle time,” said Rajiv. Another area VOOH is looking at is measurement.
“Our primary goal is provide actionable insights from our VOOH campaigns,” added Rajiv. “We hope through this, marketers can actually boost the ROI and make further improvements on their VOOH campaigns.”
