It's Back to School for College Students: Gotcha Ride Brings Gratis, Branded Transport To 10 Campuses - Brands That Can't Get On Collegiate Fields Can Get Very Close
Charleston, South Carolina (PRWEB) August 11, 2014 -- Over the coming weeks, thousands of college students will descend on campuses – presenting infrastructure issues (parking) and marketing opportunities (collegiate spending will top $120 billion this year, according to Harris Interactive).
That’s the perfect confluence of wants and needs for GOTCHARide – a start-up service that provides complimentary and sustainable transport on 10 college campuses. Free to student riders, GOTCHA offers a nice hook for advertisers: they can brand the specially designed rides inside and out, with colorful external wraps and video on internal screens. Gotcha currently operates at Florida State University, University of Florida, Auburn, Arizona State University, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Texas A & M, North Carolina State and University of Alabama, Texas Tech.
Gotcha Ride was born in 2009 when owner Sean Flood visited his alma mater Florida State University and heard a constant refrain: college students could scarcely afford to own cars or take taxis, couldn’t find parking, and feared DUIs after a night out with friends.
“Green Operated Transit Carrying Humanity Around” operates 100% electric cars designed by Flood. University partners get the vehicles free – and need only provide parking and charging. Drivers are recruited locally, vetted carefully, and work largely for tips. (Cars can be hired for special events for set fees.)
Gotcha rides have been wrapped by Coca Cola, LeBron James’s Sheets, Whole Foods, Hungry Howie’s and more. Says Flood: “It’s all about the experience – we give the students a good experience and they become loyal to the sponsoring brand.”
“The free ride is great, but we wanted to take it a step further and really allow these companies to showcase their brand and promote new products.” The rides fit up to six people and include a back section for sampling and storage. “We are successful when students start saying we just got a ride in the Coke Zero ride instead of the Gotcha ride.”
Colleen Troy, Touchpoint Communications, http://www.touchptcom.com, +1 (843) 296-2033, [email protected]
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