Taxi-hailing service firm taps ad agency

MiCab partnered with an adverting firm to help generate revenues as it seeks to expand its zero-booking fee taxi-hailing service across the country.

MiCab announced a partnership with HalloHallo Business Inc. to launch MiAds. The main feature of the partnership involves the installation of Android tablet computers on MiCab partner taxis. Ads will be viewed through the mobile device.

With its platform supported by advertising, MiCab said it could keep rates affordable for commuters.

“MiAds will help businesses reach consumers in an unprecedented form of ‘mobile advertising’ here in the Philippines: They’ll be able to reach their target market wherever they are, when they are most open to hear from brands,” said Eddie Ybañez, MiCab CEO and cofounder.

The taxi-hailing company started in Cebu in 2012. It initially launched with a P5 booking fee, which Ybañez decided to scrap after two years.

Ybañez said MiCab had no intention of entering the private car-hailing business. Several new players have entered this segment in the wake of Grab’s acquisition of the Southeast Asian business of Uber in March.

MiCab is turning to alternative revenue sources as it seeks a larger footprint in the Philippines.

It is set to increase partner taxis to 15,000 across six cities. These include 4,000 taxi units in Metro Cebu, 2,000 in Baguio, 1,500 in Iloilo City, 800 in Bacolod, 5,000 in Metro Manila and 2,000 in Davao City by the end of this year.

According to the company, MiAds can reach up to 80 passengers a day per taxi, totaling more than 31 million a month. Companies can avail themselves of an advertisement slot at P500 a month for a 15-second ad, repeated in 7- to 5-minute intervals, it added.