Taxi Advertising vs Leaflets: Which Works Better in Harlow?

Taxi screen advertising or leaflets? An honest comparison for Harlow businesses: cost, reach, repetition, tracking and when each one makes sense.

Leaflets have been the go-to local advertising for decades. Most Harlow businesses have tried them at some point, and many still do. Digital screens in taxis are newer, and a lot of business owners are not yet sure how they compare.

This is an honest side-by-side look. We run taxi screens in Harlow, so we have an interest, but leaflets genuinely suit some businesses and some jobs better. The aim is to help you pick the right tool for what you want to achieve.

How each one works

Leaflets are printed and delivered through letterboxes, handed out in the street or left in local venues. You pay for design, printing and distribution, usually priced per thousand.

Taxi screen advertising shows your video advert on a screen inside local taxis. Your advert plays on a loop alongside a small number of other local businesses, and passengers see it while they ride. At Space4Promotion, one advert runs across all 10 of our Harlow taxi screens.

1. How many times people see your message

This is the biggest difference between the two.

A leaflet is usually a single moment. Someone picks it up, glances at it and decides in a second or two whether to keep it. If they don't need what you offer that week, it is usually gone. To be seen again, you have to print and deliver again.

A taxi screen keeps showing your advert for as long as your campaign runs. Regular taxi users see it on different journeys across the month. Repetition is what turns "I've never heard of them" into "I've seen that name before", and recognition is often what makes someone pick you when they finally need your service.

Better for repetition: taxi screens.

2. Attention

Leaflets compete with post, bills, takeaway menus and everything else that comes through the door. Many are recycled without being read.

Taxi passengers are sitting down with little else to look at for the length of the journey. A screen at eye level, with movement on it, naturally draws the eye. That doesn't guarantee anyone will act, but it does mean your advert is far more likely to actually be seen.

Better for attention: taxi screens.

3. Holding on to the details

Here leaflets have a real advantage. A leaflet is something people can keep. If you are a takeaway with a full menu, or you want to hand out a voucher, a piece of paper on the fridge can do a job a screen can't.

Screens work best with a short, simple message: who you are, what you offer and one clear next step. A QR code on the advert helps, because passengers can scan it with their phone and save your details there and then.

Better for detailed information and vouchers: leaflets.

4. Targeting

Leaflets let you choose exact streets or postcodes. If you only serve one part of town, that can be useful.

Taxi screens reach people travelling around Harlow: residents, commuters, shoppers and people heading out for the evening. It is a broad local audience rather than a chosen list of streets, which suits businesses that serve the whole town. If you want something more targeted, our shop screens let you pick individual venues where your kind of customer already goes.

Better for street-by-street targeting: leaflets. Better for reaching the whole town: taxi screens.

5. Cost over time

Leaflet costs repeat every time you run a drop. Design, printing and delivery all have to be paid for again, and each run is a one-off contact with each household.

Taxi screen advertising is a fixed monthly cost. Our founding advertiser rate is £50 a month across all 10 taxi screens, against a standard rate of £150 a month. We estimate the screens reach approximately 15,000 local passengers a month. There is a 3-month minimum, then it continues monthly.

The fairest way to compare is to add up what a month of each would cost you, all in, and then think about how many local people would see your message and how many times. Our guide to how much local advertising costs in Harlow walks through that step by step.

6. Changing your message

Once a leaflet is printed, it is fixed. A spelling mistake, a price change or an offer that has ended means reprinting.

A screen advert can be updated. If your offer changes for the season, or you want to promote something new, just ask us and the advert can change with it.

Better for keeping your message up to date: taxi screens.

7. Knowing whether it's working

Both can be tracked if you plan for it. Put a unique offer code or a QR code on your advert, and ask new customers where they heard about you.

With our screens, every screen also reports which adverts it has played, so you can see your advert is actually running, rather than taking it on trust that a leaflet drop went out as promised.

So which should you choose?

Choose leaflets if you need customers to keep detailed information, such as a menu, price list or voucher, or you only serve a few specific streets.

Choose taxi screens if you want people across Harlow to see and remember your name, you want repeated exposure for a fixed monthly cost, and your message can be kept short and clear.

Or use both. Many businesses get the best results when the two work together: the screen builds recognition, so when your leaflet does land on the doormat, people already know your name.

Whatever you choose, give it time. A single leaflet drop or a single month on screen is rarely enough to judge. For more on avoiding common pitfalls, see 7 mistakes you're making with local business advertising in Harlow.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a video for taxi screen advertising?

No. If you don't have one, we can make the advert for you from your business details, photos and logo.

How many other businesses appear on the screens?

Your advert shares the loop with a small number of other local businesses, and we take only one advertiser per business category, so you won't appear next to a direct competitor.

Can I add a QR code to my advert?

Yes. A QR code gives passengers an easy way to visit your website or save your details on their phone.

How do I get started?

See the details and prices on our advertising page, where you can buy online or send us an enquiry.