Infotainment in the taxi fleet: Gäuboden-tested!

How did it come about that you chose Taxamedia's digital advertising displays? Was there a specific occasion, or did you actively look for new revenue streams for your taxi?

We first saw the screens at the Taxi Fair in Cologne. I must admit, I was initially rather skeptical; my wife thought the idea of equipping taxis with the screens was great. So we equipped six taxis with the screens to begin with.

How involved was the installation of the screens in your vehicles? Did you mount them yourself or arrange the installation through Taxamedia or a workshop?

We did that ourselves. In my view, as a taxi operator you need your own workshop—without it, it's not possible! We had received instructions from Taxamedia; that worked very well.

How do your passengers react to the screens in the vehicle? Are there any responses from users—positive or critical?

As I said, I was skeptical at first. But the passengers found it great from the start. We also have a small game on it—it worked immediately.

Is the rating tool being used? What advantages do you see in it?

Yes. The passengers use the option to rate us very often. For us, it's a good way to receive feedback on our service. With one exception—in Straubing, the Gäubodenfest, after the Munich Wiesn, is the second-largest folk festival in Bavaria. What the passengers wrote into the rating tool there was largely unintelligible. But the screens also withstood that period well—so to speak, Gäuboden-tested!

Do you use the advertising spaces exclusively for external customers or also for your own content?

For example, to promote your own services, corporate rides or patient transport?

We actually also advertise our own taxi service. But otherwise we have sought partners we know. For example, a gas station where we regularly refuel, or a large pub. Overall we currently have seven regional advertising partners.

How easy or difficult was it to win regional advertisers for the displays? Which industries showed interest with you?

In the beginning we weren't quite sure how to proceed. My wife then made an overview. Our taxis average 30 trips in 24 hours – but we only counted the trips that lasted longer than ten minutes. We equipped six taxis with Taxamedia screens, that times 365 days. This allowed us to show that over 65,000 passengers could see the respective advertisement in the taxi. Then it was actually easy; basically everyone we asked agreed. We also have, for example, a dentist who advertises on the screen for dental cleaning and whitening.

What role does the support from Taxamedia play in this? Were you guided in design and technology?

That actually worked really well. If you have questions they are always approachable. It is also a big advantage that they can intervene with their software whenever needed.

Is the deployment economically worthwhile for you? Can the effort be offset by additional revenue or even exceed it?

At the moment I can say: We are a little in the black. But we have decided to prefer maintaining a good relationship with our advertising partners – and not to squeeze as much out as possible. In the future we will look for two or three more advertising partners, then the car insurance will be paid for.

How do you handle the contents and their maintenance? Do you have to regularly adjust something yourself or does it run through the platform?

That is done quite quickly. The big restaurant that advertises with us had, of its own accord, asked whether the current weekly menu could be displayed. Now we swap the menu every weekend – the restaurant owner sends us the file, then it's just a few clicks.

Were there technical problems in operation or questions about the stability of the devices? How reliably does the system run in everyday use?

In fact, everything runs completely problem-free. No, that's not quite true. One of the screens was defective after about two weeks – Taxamedia then immediately arranged a replacement and sent us the new screen.

Would you recommend to other colleagues to engage with the topic of digital advertising space? What should one consider beforehand?

Definitely. Just not in the Straubing area (laughs). No, seriously, you also have to bring the willingness to engage with it – for example to look for regional advertising partners. But then it is an unequivocal added value for the taxi!