adverCar Drivers are What Gladwell Calls 'Mavens' - the Information Specialists

Well-educated, highly employed people are driving adverCar campaigns, posting to social media networks and influencing neighbors


San Francisco, CA, May 15, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- adverCar offers a new way for advertisers to permeate local communities with their brand, hiring everyday people to carry messages into intimate communities. adverCar has built a qualified database of thousands of car owners, 2008 or newer, who are employed, well-educated, and influential, wanting to showcase personally interesting campaigns on their cars.

"Our drivers are precisely the people brands want in their focus groups; they're influential 'mavens' with a cool, new way to tout favorite brands and products. They don't need the money, they have full time jobs; we've even seen people turn down campaigns because they aren't intimately connected to them. Something else is motivating them -- they want to share what they love and educate others, creating, as Gladwell puts it, 'word-of-mouth epidemics'," said adverCar CEO and founder, Neil Turner. "People tend to think our drivers are young, college-aged kids driving beat up cars, but it's just not the case."

A current driver for the UrbanSitter campaign said, "I get lots of questions. I live in a family neighborhood and often park in front of the daycare or toy store. Many people stop and ask me how it works. And, I love sharing what I know, and helping people make more informed decisions when faced with the tough choices involved in hiring a good babysitter."

Turning away ~75% of its thousands of driver applications, adverCar screens for more than just new cars. They require a government-issued driver's license and proof of car insurance. As well, adverCar reps meet each driver and perform a full car inspection, looking for dents, scrapes, and offensive stickers on cars. Many drivers are turned away if their cars aren't in top shape and accident free. As a result, the company has qualified, safe and effective drivers. adverCar implements a zero-tolerance-policy, immediately removing aggressive drivers from campaigns, no questions asked.

Of its growing pool of drivers, adverCar ensures each campaign matches the best driver with the right advertiser campaign. For example, with a campaign like UrbanSitter, adverCar matched parents with small children who would most understand UrbanSitter's social, trusted babysitter model. Dashers Insurance wanted adverCar to match people living and driving in specific zip codes, with a specific demographic. And, McDonalds enlisted adverCar to match commuters who typically eat at their dining establishment in various markets around the US.

Oakland Raiders or Golden State Warriors Campaign Can Easily Be Developed

Today, adverCar could easily deploy 100 black-and-silver cars, being driven by Raiders' fans to drive a month-long campaign to sell more season tickets in the fall. The Golden State Warriors might want to showcase their successful playoff season with a fleet of blue and gold adverCars with mighty fans touting the excitement locally. And, these drivers are the best kind of people to carry the messages; in many cases, they are already advocates for teams (and brands) they love.

When hearing about adverCar's 'regular people' driver model for the first time, brands might assume drivers desperately need the money. But, having been in business for three years in 40 US markets, adverCar has found the exact opposite to be true. In fact, drivers are mainly fully employed, stay-at-home parents, or graduate students.

80% of adverCar drivers are between the ages of 25-54, with the majority being stay-at-home moms, single moms, and working professionals. More than 50% are married with children, single mothers, or stay-at-home moms who want to contribute to the family income. "Typical drivers are active members of their communities who drive their kids to school, do the grocery shopping, and drive carpool to afterschool activities like soccer or tutoring," added Turner.
 

Everyday adverCar drivers are providing telling feedback about their personal experiences:

"I had somebody come up to me after I parked to ask about [the campaign], and somebody stopped me at a stop sign and asked me if I had any cards or recommendations."

"I've had numerous people ask about it, and I've provided them with (supplied) flyers and explained how it works." 

 "The questions have ranged from "How does it work?" to "That's a really good idea!" Lots of thumbs up and smiles as well."

"We got a lot of looks driving around the Bay Area; most conversations happened at places like the kid's school, doctor's offices, and kid's activities where other parents would ask about the car."

About adverCar

adverCar provides a new way for brands to weave their message into the fabric of consumers lives using a technology platform that partners outdoor mobile ads with everyday drivers. Leveraging drivers' personal brand enthusiasm to trigger an influenced response, advertisers benefit by working with adverCar to produce old-fashioned Word-of-Mouth advertising. Advertisers wanting to start a campaign, or drivers wanting to sign up can visit adverCar at www.advercar.com, follow us on Twitter @advercar or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/advercar.


            

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