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Anyone who has been stuck in traffic behind a lorry will know that the time spent staring at its rear doors can feel immeasurable. Now, young entrepreneur Ed Hollands has turned that time into a golden opportunity for UK advertisers. Hollands has been recognised for his initiative in setting up a company – the aptly named DrivenMedia – which sells spaces on the backs and sides of lorries to advertisers. He has been nominated for two awards at the 2017 Great British Entrepreneur Awards, an event that’s sponsored by NatWest. The 23-year-old is thrilled to have been nominated for both Young Entrepreneur of the Year and Creative Industries Entrepreneur of the Year awards in the Birmingham area. Where the Idea Came From Hollands says that he got the idea for selling advertising space on the back and sides of HGV vehicles when he got stuck in traffic on the A38 after having dropped his fiancé off at work. He recently graduated from university with a first class degree in business studies, and instantly started working on his idea when he recognised its business potential. “I immediately began my research by literally standing on the side of the road and taking down the details of trucks and lorries,” Hollands told HGVUK Online. “I then phoned the companies to find out if they would consider renting out their ‘space’ to potential advertisers. One finally agreed and others soon followed.” DrivenMedia Today From such humble beginnings, DrivenMedia has since launched advertising campaigns for Derby University and Hull Trains, working with agencies such as CWA and TT Express. While DrivenMedia continues to grow, Hollands is continuing to search for more fleets that are happy to earn extra money on top of their core delivery work by accepting advertising on some or all of their lorries. A Profitable Partnership Part of what drove Hollands to pursue this business was the natural partnership that he saw between third party advertisers and small- to medium-sized logistics companies, who are often up against difficult cost pressures. The idea of creating a new revenue stream for this hardworking group of professionals was one of the things that attracted him to set up the business. The partnership between the advertiser and the fleet manager relies on certain key agreements, including having a DrivenMedia GPS tracker on board so that advertising views can be monitored, adhering to agreed minimum drive times and, of course, keeping the fleet clean and in good condition. Whether or not Hollands finds himself walking away with the prizes on the award night, it is clear that his business model has been a great success. It is also clear that adverts on trucks and lorries that are out for delivery work is a legitimate revenue stream, which is well worth considering for many fleet managers in the future. Author Plate Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching delivery work with available drivers. Over 4,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.
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