Skedadle is a game changer for advertisers - Nick MacAndrew

It won’t be a surprise to learn that the number of people using public transport has drastically reduced in the last two years. According to the Department of Transport, bus use in 2020 fell by an average of 63 per cent but increased to 42 per cent below pre-Covid levels in 2021 – a move in the right direction.

As restrictions slowly eased, people defaulted to private forms of travel in order to maintain their distance. However, with the increase in fuel costs and a growing societal change towards greener living, combined with more people returning to their offices and wider society beginning to become more comfortable grouping together, the use of public transport is starting to come back to consideration.

But how do we encourage more people back on to trains, trams and buses, or even to lift share with a friend, colleague or family member?

Some would see that as a problem. I see it as an opportunity. An opportunity for commuters to earn money for having fun while they travel on public transport or via lift-share, for advertisers to reach their audience in a new way. In short, to change the way things have always been done – take a break from the norm as one famous advert once said.

Remarkably, the answer could lie in gaming – which is what prompted the development of Skedadle. Think Snake, Wordle and other games people are used to playing on their phones. The premise is that people play games via the Skedadle app while they are travelling, and get paid for every 15 minutes they do so, earning cash to spend on whatever they want.

With cutting edge tech, which has been developed in Scotland, the users can only earn money if they are on the move while they play. It’s a solution that gets people on to public transport, as well as helping them offset the cost of their journey, and possibly even turn a profit. On top of this, not only are they also helping the environment by reducing traffic on the roads, they are potentially putting money back into our economy as they visit bars, cafes, shops, gyms and other leisure facilities.

Not only is it a winner for users, but for advertisers too, as they benefit from a significant return on investment. Our back-end technology and algorithms mean we can guarantee that a real person is seeing their content. Not only are they seeing it, but they are viewing it in an environment where they're actually proven to be taking in what's going on**. Beyond the scientific research, our own user studies have confirmed it.

Our users are all real people, who are actively engaging with the content for at least 30 seconds when their brain is in an alert state. When compared to “traditional” online advertising options, who usually lose audiences after five seconds (the YouTube minimum) or less if on other social media platforms, this is a game changer for advertisers. Yes – the pun was intended.

When all of that comes together, it’s a win-win for everyone, including brands who get far more cut through for their money. It’s also making travel time pay for their customers by putting money into pockets so they can buy more products or services from them.

If anything the cost of living crisis has taught us, it’s one thing – every penny counts.

Nick Macandrew, Skedadle Founder and CEO