Uber Vugo 2019 – How does Vugo work?
How much does Vugo pay?
Based on Uber’s tremendous success as a global rideshare provider, third-party advertising companies have begun offering incentives for rideshare drivers to install advertising platforms inside their ridesharing vehicles.
How do these platforms work – and how do they benefit Uber Drivers?
Rideshare Advertising with Viewswagen (Now Called Vugo)
As mentioned, Vugo is a new media platform — focusing on in-car advertising — that works hand-in-hand with established & emergent rideshare companies to provide dynamic ‘backseat’ media solutions to small-vehicle travel (an often-overlooked market).
Vugo aims to connect advertisers directly to rideshare passengers (i.e., a new ‘captive’ audience, constituting millions of passengers and a major growth market).
Vugo is unique, insofar that it offers Uber and Lyft drivers monetary perks for participating directly in the advertising process — specifically: drivers must agree to an in-vehicle installation of Vugo’s advertising platform, in exchange for financial compensation (outlined below).
Origins & Name Change
Initially founded in 2015 by James Bellefeuille (and originally called Viewswagen), the company’s core platform has since been renamed Vugo and re-headquartered in Minnesota (Vugo was not legally able to operate in Chicago or New York, due to both cities’ strong, restrictive advertising regulations — complicating the establishment of the world’s first bonafide ‘rideshare advertising company‘).
So – how exactly does Vugo work (in a business sense) – and what does the company offer advertisers and drivers?
With a series of patented technology applications, Vugo is able to offer relevant and highly-targeted advertisements to passengers who use Uber or Lyft.
Passengers are exposed to real-time deals and unique offers — and advertisers influence buying decisions by targeting high-value subgroups (specifically: high-frequency rideshare patrons). Meanwhile, rideshare drivers earn extra revenue for accommodating Vugo’s ad platform.
If You’re An Advertiser…
Local advertising-packages help advertisers target high-value passengers within a targeted geographic region. In this way (and, because Vugo is exclusively centered around backseat automobile marketing) Vugo serves an invaluable tool for small-scale, local advertising.
At the same time — Vugo’s platform is dynamic and customizable — it can be large or small, scaled up or scaled down.
Regardless of an advertiser’s overall budget, Vugo offers tiered options for every business — corporate giants or hyper-local outfits.
Since Vugo’s technology focuses on ads that passengers are going to care about (because of the company’s technological focus on smartphone information, and its use of detailed local data), Vugo’s advertising strategy ideally leads to ‘real impressions‘ – the veritable holy grail of advertising.
Using a system like Vugo, in-vehicle ads are (theoretically) more interesting, dynamic and relevant compared to the average ‘backseat’ ad regime (i.e., the all-too-familiar yellow-cab advertising systems of NYC-style Yellow Cabs) — thereby helping advertisers minimize spending while maximizing value.
With Vugo’s online ad portal, it’s extremely easy for advertiser’s to setup, manage and update ads anytime, benefiting & refining their marketing approach via access to real-time analytics. You can find out more information (including pricing and benefits) here.
(If you’re interested in getting in touch with Vugo, you can also simply call this number: 1-800-618-1424 and you’ll receive a free quote on advertising costs).
If You’re an Uber Driver…
As a driver, Vugo has two main benefits:
Firstly — with ‘active media’, passengers stay entertained more easily — whether they’re embarking on a short (or long) Uber or Lyft trip. Many passengers are open to watching local advertisements (and, contrary to expectations, often enjoy learning details about a new area, restaurant, or business through original media content). In fact, most passengers seem to enjoy the Vugo platform as a hybrid-television ‘diversion’ (and there is some evidence in-car media – as with airplane entertained systems – can actually lead to higher ratings for drivers).
Secondly — and most importantly — Vugo offers rideshare drivers real financial benefits — Vugo is not simply a ‘required nuisance’ (like the in-car advertising systems found in regular yellow-cabs).
Instead, Vugo lets drivers earn more money passively — by simply having a non-intrusive advertising setup in their vehicles. Drivers earn a little extra income all day long (as long as they consent to having the Vugo system installed & turned on).
Sounds good, right?
Moreover, Uber drivers will be (very) happy to hear that Vugo’s backseat system allows tips to be sent electronically (and then digitally deposited via a connected PayPal account).
Interested in participating in Vugo’s advertising program?
To get started, you’ll need:
- A smart phone
- A tablet
- A mount for your tablet
- An internet connection
- An active PayPal account
As stated on Vugo’s website, full-time drivers in North America will make an average of $300 more per month when partnering with Vugo, in comparison to driving for Uber or Lyft alone. If you have any questions about the process (or about how you’ll get paid), you can view all related information here.
Uber and Vugo Are Now Competing
Although Vugo has already faced a variety of obstacles in its quest to establish a nascent ‘rideshare advertising market’, the company is now actively competing against Uber (which recently launched its own ‘Trip Experiences & Uber Feed‘ app-based media solution). This feature connects riders with third-party apps, offering specific content during Uber trips. From Spotify playlists to Apple News, Uber is now aiming to point deliver to passengers what Vugo is attempting to provide: targeted; engaging; and branded content.
Unlike Vugo (which offers drivers an impressive 60% of all ad revenue) Trip Experiences does not share any additional income with Uber drivers. Since Vugo has already partnered with more than 5,000 drivers across 100 cities, the company has a strong (if still tenuous) hold on the North American rideshare advertising market.
As James Bellefeuille (Vugo’s owner) stated in 2016 — Uber can ”do as they please” — Bellefeuille does not believe Uber and Vugo are competing for the same market space — or even the same customers. Instead, Bellefeuille believes that Vugo offers a higher value advertising experience (based on key customer interactions) than Uber’s new media system.
Vugo – Conclusions
At the end of the day — for Uber drivers — the choice is clear — Vugo is a low-impact, zero-cost system which engages passengers and helps maximize daily revenue for Uber drivers, making it (at the very least) worth a look by all profit-savvy Uber drivers.
Interested in adding in-car advertising to your vehicle? Check out Vugo today.
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