There's nothing new about media on taxi tops, but a San Francisco start-up called Firefly is trying to go about it with a different approach.
Firefly describes itself as the first mobility-based SmartScreens platform - an advertising media firm that gets it footprint and scale from the rideshare industry.
Firefly is working primarily with the drivers for services like Uber and Lyft, offering a supplemental revenue stream in return for fixing a hyper-local, geo-fenced digital sign on the cartop. Firefly absorbs the capital cost, and spins off an average of $300 a month to the driver. That money isn't huge, but it can be enough to significantly offset leasing or insurance costs and make driving for a living worthwhile.
Co-founder Kaan Gunay is a mechanical engineer by training, but in recent years has found his way to Stanford, where he got his MBA and where the roots of Firefly first developed. He's also very active in community good works, and we spoke about how continuing that was, and is, fundamental to how Firefly does things.
At least 10 percent of all media on screens goes to to promote and advertise local not-for-profit organizations and provide public service announcements for non-commercial entities such as charities.
The car-toppers have sensors - for things like air quality - that generate data that's open for government planners, and others, to use.
I spoke with Gunay last week, just as his company was announcing a big $18.5 million seed funding raise.
Subscribe to this podcast: iTunes * Google Play * RSS
David Niles, Niles Creative Group
Tomer Mann, 22 Miles
AVIXA Digital Signage Power Hour – October 2020 Roundtable On QSR & Drive-Thru
Joe King, Philips
Rod Roberson, Wallboard
AVIXA Digital Signage Power Hour - Roundtable on LED & MicroLED
Todd Hoffman, Krispy Kreme
ACE Roundtable: Making Connected Experiences Work Now, And Post-COVID
Dr. Erica Walker, Emma Mayes - ColorNet
Amahl Hazelton, Moment Factory
David Levin, Four Winds Interactive
Nancy Radermecher, JohnRyan
Bobby Marhamat, Raydiant
Stephen Borg, meldCX
Peiman Hosseini, Bodle Technologies
DCBolt, IMERZA - Water Street Tampa
Rich Ventura, Sony
Michael Schneider, Gensler (from InfoComm Connected 2020)
Frank Olea, Olea Kiosks
Jeff Rushton, Media Resources
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Insight Story: Tech Trends Unpacked
Zero-Shot
Fast Forward by Tomorrow Unlocked: Tech past, tech future
Lex Fridman Podcast
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg