Earlier this month Winter Capital, an investment advisory firm backed indirectly by Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin, announced a $3 million investment plan in several tranches for StickerRide.
Created in 2013, this Moscow-based startup connects car owners with brands to organize advertising campaigns.
The StickerRide application helps car drivers earn a little extra each month by using their car as a driving billboard. Drivers choose an advertising campaign, put stickers on their car and drive it as usual. The app will add points per each mile of their journey.
A “fascinating adventure”
This is also “a fascinating adventure for drivers, and an opportunity to individualize their vehicle,” claims StickerRide, whose stated goal is to “let advertising enter all spheres of human life.”
A number of similar programs exist in western countries, such as Carvertise.com in the USA or Car Quids in the UK.
Among StickerRide’s clients are a range of Russian and international brands, from mobile operator MTS, to movie producer Central Partnership, to Procter & Gamble.
The startup has recently opened representative offices in London and Los Angeles, and plans to open another one next summer in Paris.
Winter Capital’s money will help the startup expand these international operations and develop such new products as StickerHunt and AdBike.
Victory Day and e-commerce to decorate your car
In Moscow, not all drivers put stickers on their cars with the sole purpose of making some money. Some do it absolutely free of charge, choosing stickers based on their ideology, values or sense of humor, as noted by Russia Beyond The Headlines.
Ahead of Victory Day (May 9), many motorists decorate their vehicles with stickers featuring red stars, the St. George ribbon (a symbol of military valor) or stickers that say: “Thank you for the victory, Granddad!”
On a more commercial note, several online stores offer cheap stickers of practically any size and content — enough to cover a whole car, should you want to.
Sources: CNews.ru, Russia Beyond The Headlines.
