The Advert Man is a Derby-based SME that aims to sell advertising space on lorries and trucks. SME caught up with founder Ed Hollands to find out more…
Who are your biggest competitors? What makes your company special compared to its competitors?
Our industry is quite small, I only have two direct competitors and the biggest and most established would have to be ‘In Your Space’.
As to what makes my company different, I am driving the medium to become more mainstream and better known to advertisers, which I feel my competitors haven’t done a particularly good job at. Many of the companies I speak to of all sizes still have no idea that truck advertising can be an option!
In terms of what the company does, it’s down to the fact we are so flexible; we can often find trucks on specific routes or covering specific regions. For instance, a client we are currently working with wanted to target the A50 just outside Derby, and we found a suitable trailer within 12 hours that travels along the A50 every day.
Tell me about your clients – who purchases your products?
My clients are within a mix of industries so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly who they might be; currently I’m working with business parks, housing developments, manufacturers and retailers, as well as city council initiatives.
How do you use social media? Does it help you engage with your client base?
Yes, although not as much as I should. It does help engage with potential and current clients. I have found local “Twitter hours” great for introducing the concept.
What new technology/apps are you considering using?
I have just started to use “CamCard” to capture the contact information of those I meet. I have a terrible memory so it gives me the best chance to find the right person without tipping all my contacts’ business cards on the floor and manually shifting though them.
