The Transportation Alliance is pleased to welcome our newest member, Ember, a unique company that brings its digital engagement screens to life.
After almost two decades in the digital media world and a unique Uber experience, Marc Tanguay founded Ember in 2019. In the summer of 2019, Tanguay booked an Uber and noticed that the driver had attached an iPad to bungee cords on the ceiling, and was selling him snacks.
Tanguay saw an opening. It was a “pretty cool opportunity for a new out-of-home digital network,” said Tanguay.
Tanguay immediately began to research how he could tap into this network, so he looked to a similar company, CMT. He studied the business’ operations and determined how he could provide a resource directly to Uber and Lyft drivers who wanted to provide entertainment in their vehicles.
“The goal was to create an immediate network that would sprawl the country to help entertain and inform riders, and gain some advertising money,” said Tanguay.
But, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the companies were moving away from doing any business, Tanguay made a quick decision to adjust his business plan and work with taxis that were still providing critical services throughout the pandemic.
Tanguay got the opportunity to work with Taxelco, a local, ecological and social project that supports the use of electric vehicles to install screens in the backs of its cars and observe how they would work in taxis.
“Once we got in the backseat and started installing, we saw all kinds of opportunities.”
Tanguay has met with a lot of taxi drivers and operators and has heard first-hand about how Ember can support their operations through its services like installing backseat payment processing and creating new on-screen features, such as a destination confirmation and giving drivers full control over pre-ride payments.
Ember has also partnered with Liberty Cab in Buffalo, NY to utilize a launchpad in vehicles, and is eager to partner with more transportation companies, especially in the U.S.
The Ember team is excited to meet with other TTA operators during Mobilize 2022 in Las Vegas from October 31 - November 2. Stop by and say hi to Tanguay at Booth #504.
“We hope that we can explore the opportunities, understand the unique problems and attributes, and see how we can create a solution.”
Please welcome Ember to The Transportation Alliance!