CAB-E MEDIA: The new taxi media firm looking to ‘cabtivate’ audiences
THERE ARE TWO OF YOU BEHIND CAB-E MEDIA. CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND ON YOURSELVES AND HOW YOU BOTH FIRST CROSSED PATHS?
Jayne Alexander: “I am Managing Director of a Mayfair-based media agency called Dovetail which is a respected communications agency with media and marketing expertise in travel, hospitality, real estate, restaurants, chefs, luxury goods and wellness. Before setting up Dovetail, I worked as Marketing Director for The Virgin Group.
“I met Jack at a time when I was researching a taxi advertising campaign for a client. I just so happened to hail down his cab and we started talking about business, with Jack giving me an insight into how the business works. We then decided to join forces.”
Jack Dredge: “I am a London cab driver and former owner of a Knowledge of London School. Together, Jayne and I have an extensive network across the black cab community as well as internationally amongst luxury travel and lifestyle brands. We both recognise the potential and power of branded black cabs in London.
“After a few meetings and some interesting ideas we used a play on words including the term ‘cabbie‘, the electric cab, combining with ‘Media’. The brand CAB-E Media was launched to ‘cabtivate’ brands in London - bringing your brand to the hailing hand, being our strapline.”
WHAT MAKES CAB-E MEDIA DIFFERENT TO OTHERS ALREADY ON THE MARKET?
Jack: “Our all-electric fleet of black cab model has been developed as a fair-trade model and owner- drivers benefit from a working partnership based on transparency. Our business model is designed to support the London cabbie and an industry that has thrived in London since 1662. Our objective is to help build and strengthen the trade which has been impacted by the pandemic in recent years - helping the drivers to earn additional income from their vehicles having seen an increase in expense with the new LEVC taxis costing around 30% more than the diesel predecessor.
“We support the industry with membership to various trade organisations and actively campaign for one of the longest established professions in London - working with luxury brands to deliver a powerful above the line platform.”
Jayne: “We choose to work with luxury brands where the design is important to both the client and the driver. Very importantly the driver needs to be proud of the partnership. Our focus is on high quality vinyl printing and installation with a recyclable policy, an impactful call to action and creative content creation for social media activity.”
WHAT MAKES THE BLACK CAB SUCH AN ATTRACTIVE BILLBOARD FOR ADVERTISERS?
Jayne: “Increased visitor numbers to the city of London mean that brands are overhauling their advertising and marketing strategies in favour of physical advertising as an alternative to the over- saturated and competitive digital space. As a result, London’s Black Cab drivers have seen a resurgence, giving brands a cost-efficient and effective advertising medium.”
Jack: “Black cabs are seen as an icon of London and both locals, as well as international visitors, have a trust and respect for their black cab driver with a knowledge unmatched by any other professional driver in the world. A fleet of all electric black cabs provide creative advertising concepts with fully wrapped livery, interactive QR codes, a backdrop to launch events, VIP, media and influencer transportation.”
Jayne: “They are also the most cost- effective for advertisers - a digital billboard advert in central London is extremely expensive with some of the cheaper options in quieter streets running from as much as £200 per day for a proportion of coverage whereas a CAB-E media campaign provides a mobile billboard in the most affluent areas of London including the city of London where billboards are usually unattainable for as little as £14 per day - making CAB-E Media a serious operator of OOH space in the world’s most exciting city.”
WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT AND LONG-TERM PLANS? ARE THERE ANY FUTURE PLANS TO EXPAND OUTSIDE OF LONDON?
Jack: “We are currently investing in the expansion of our electric cab fleet which will provide safe, reliable, and sustainable transport in London with drivers who are part of our business and as such are valued members of CAB-E Media.”
Jayne: “We are developing our agency relationships and direct client base.”
Jack: “Long term, we plan to build our international profile and grow into other cities – we already have fleets in other destinations in the UK and just this week, we received an interesting enquiry for a transatlantic campaign in London and New York.”
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