Steering the time-tested medium of outdoor advertising toward modern inroads

(Photo: Nickelytics co-founders Judah Longgrear (L) and Sven Hermann)

Amid a now-fickle economy seeing a dramatic growth of gig workers, Nickelytics is putting dollars in the pockets of independent contract and rideshare drivers.

Founded in July of 2019, the company is acknowledging its first birthday with some serious momentum on the pedal. Fresh off participation in the Techstars Smart Mobility Accelerator program in Turin, Italy, Nickelytics (nickelytics.com) is steering the time-tested medium of outdoor advertising toward seriously modern inroads.

“We’re an advertising technology company that connects ad marketers to mobility partners and gig economy drivers,” says Judah Longgrear, Nickelytics’ founder and CEO.

Nickelytics’ métier of decorating vehicles in advertising signage is but the first gear of the company’s process. Employing analytics’ technology that cross-correlates geo-spatial sets of data, Nickelytics’ connection tools are able to track consumers physically around and exposed to the partner vehicles. The information is then communicated to target advertisers before linking clients outdoor/offline ad visibility to online engagement.

“It’s our ability to track how the ads are performing in the real world, giving clients a measured amount of insights — and we report back to them the types of consumers exposed to the advertising,” Longgrear explains. “And what’s really interesting is that we give our advertisers a chance to digitally target consumers who have been in the vicinity of the vehicles. Additionally, we also have the ability to report attribution, showing, based on this exposure, what action consumers may have taken, such as, say, downloading a company’s app.”

From the vantage behind the wheel, gig economy drivers have the ability to augment earnings concurrent to driving income. “What we see is that, for ride share or gig drivers on the road for 50 miles a day, they’re often, if not always, seeking ways to supplement income,” Longgrear adds. “The car is almost like a utility, and if we can pair drivers with a brand which matches their ethos, the drivers can make an extra $250 a month, on average, per vehicle – a lot of times, that’s enough to pay for that car payment.”

With some ride share drivers already making as much as $500 a month (a ceiling expected to grow as the company expands), Nickelytics’ partners behind the wheel can already be found in every state and across all major domestic markets; an expansion to the European market is also soon to take foot.

Domestically, to pair with the company, drivers simply download a mobile app, create a profile, and are then matched with specified ad campaigns. According to the CEO, it’s the company’s aim to pair drivers with campaigns and products that drivers are personally passionate about.

The custom designs for cars are done by Nickelytics’ in-house graphics team, coming in light or full wrap, along with back windshield options; application of the wraps are conducted by connecting drivers with a wide-reaching grid of automotive servicers.

“We have a platform to connect our process and drivers to a professional network of certified installers across the U.S.,” Longgrear says.

For the company’s newest product, however, no certified installer is required. In mid-June, Nickelytics debuted its “Ad Shield,” the company’s antiphon to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Subsidized through advertising, the 1/8-inch barrier Plexiglas shield between front and back seats serves a dual purpose: providing in-car exposure for advertisers, while also creating a layer of protection between passenger and driver.

“This is our response to the coronavirus,” Longgrear says of Ad Shield, which the company was able to release in a mere two-week turnaround from conception to actualization. “What our data was showing was that there was an eventual uptick in consumers getting back on the road, but there’s still a lessened supply of drivers, as many of the drivers still have concerns about safety and the pandemic. With Ad Shield, we wanted to find a way to add value to the work while protecting drivers.”

Helping to allay such health concerns and get gig workers back on the road, the shield is provided at no cost to drivers and takes mere minutes to install.

“It can be installed in one minute; I did it myself, and I’m by no means what you’d call ‘crafty,'” Longgrear laughs.

Aligning people and parties to work together at a time when the country is in need of cohesion is proving a win-win for Nickelytics, its marketing clients and its driving partners.

“It’s where we see ourselves adding value to the market. The landscape for the gig economy is drastically growing and, with the flexibility provided and the ability to earn on demand, it’s only going to get bigger.”