Taxi Advertising Software Development
Summary
A US advertising company runs in-taxi video ads on displays installed in partner taxicabs and wanted to both grow that partner pool and personalize ads to each passenger's route. INNERLUXES built a web service that connects the advertiser's central ad system with a taxi dispatch system, matching each cab's display by unique ID and using live route data to serve and then stop ride-personalized ads. The result is a larger partner cab base, a stronger offering for advertisers, and more relevant ads for passengers.
About the Client
The Client is a US-based advertising company that helps enterprises promote their products and brands through in-taxi video ads, installing displays in partner taxicabs and letting drivers monetize the advertisements shown in their cars.
Personalizing Ads to Each Passenger's Ride
The Client wanted to expand its pool of partner taxicabs while enhancing its offering with in-taxi video ads personalized to a passenger's travel route. It had partnered with a popular taxi dispatch system provider serving drivers across the US, which holds information on passenger pick-up and drop-off locations and times — data the Client's central advertising system could use to tailor ads to individual passengers. The Client turned to INNERLUXES to improve communication between the two systems and to match an ever-growing number of taxicabs with the displays installed in them.
A Web Service That Bridges the Dispatch and Ad Systems
INNERLUXES delivered a web service with a local database that drives the full advertising cycle around each ride:
- Device-to-cab mapping — every partner taxicab and device is given a unique ID, and the Client's manager uses the web service to insert and update which device is currently installed in which car.
- Ride start — when a passenger gets in, the driver notifies the taxi dispatch system of the route and travel time; the web service retrieves this data and uses the car's ID to find the advertising device in that cab.
- Targeted ad delivery — the service then sends a request to the Client's central advertising system with the device's ID and the route information, so the system knows which ad messages to select and tailor to the passenger's ride and which device to transmit them to.
- Ride end — when the passenger gets out, the driver again notifies the dispatch system, and the web service identifies the device's ID and asks the central advertising system to stop displaying the ad.
A Larger Partner Base and More Relevant Ads
- The Client received an in-taxi advertising solution that personalizes ad messages to passengers' ride details.
- The company was able to boost the number of partner taxicabs and enhance its service for advertisers.
- Advertising became more relevant and engaging for passengers.
Technologies and Tools
PHP, Symfony 2, Bootstrap CSS, MySQL, FOSRest, RabbitMQ.