As the economic climate has increasingly become more difficult, so marketing budgets have come under greater scrutiny, propelling brands and businesses to seek more 'wow' factor and greater return on investment. In many cases, therefore, traditional means of advertising simply don’t hold enough appeal to as many brands anymore.

As a result of this global shift, businesses are increasingly finding that delivering their sales message via outdoor advertising to today's highly mobile consumer who is driving more, and spending more time out-of-home, is the key to gaining wide reach and obtaining what is now becoming widely recognised as the best value advertising possible.

Taxi advertising is one such means of outdoor advertising that’s now not only a burgeoning global business, but also experiencing remarkable traction locally. Comments Warren Weiner of new SA entrant, New Wave Outdoor Media, who specialise in taxi cab advertising, ''Things began by companies branding their own vehicles to expose their company to a wider market, but since then things have become much more strategic, with some of South Africa's biggest companies utilising vehicles to creatively expose their brands to a wider audience. Now we are seeing some incredible designs, where ads are not necessarily limited to the shape of the vehicle. Companies want to see their brands brought to life.''

Weiner began New Wave Outdoor Media as a result of seeing an unutilised yet highly effective means of advertising, literally passing him by every day. Offering innovative taxi cab branding with affordable set-up fees and budget friendly monthly rates, New Wave ensures that all vehicle branding is designed to exact client specification, using a high quality vinyl wrap that brings each vehicle to life. ''To see a giant cell phone protruding through the room of a cab, or a huge cooldrink can pouring out the back, is something we can expect to see more and more of,'' comments Weiner.

New Wave currently utilises over 130 vehicles nationally (Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria), mostly the popular Toyota Avanza, to offer brands extensive exposure on some of the country's busiest routes. “Targeting audiences and consumers in areas where traditional media has no presence, taxi cab wrapping proves an effective advertising solution that cannot be switched off, tuned out or turned over in the manner of traditional media advertising,” concludes Weiner.