The dual benefits of brands behaving responsibly.
It’s not by good fortune that Uber has become one of the world’s most recognizable brands. From it’s earliest days, Uber and UberEats have demonstrated an effortless ability to weave branding gold whilst retaining the edge of a disruptor – a double act not easy to pull-off.
Much like Virgin before them, Uber’s cultural disruptor status was earned by changing the taxi category forever, a service category many consumers the world over were dissatisfied with. They followed that up with the Eats service which brought us our favorite restaurant food right to our couch – convenience and treat, who could ask for more.
Along the way they have courted controversy through their management of their riders and drivers, a stain that has equally become a layer of their brand along side the positives. This management of positive and negative brand elements is part and parcel of owning, managing and building brands in every category.
In a fresh demonstration of brand mastery, Uber have launch ScUber; the world’s first ridesharing submarine, which offers riders the chance to see the Great Barrier Reef up close. All ride fees will donated to Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef to support their conservation work.
ScUber has provided Uber with a positive brand building story that will return on the investment many times over. They’re running a competition for International visitors with a five-night trip to Queensland, whilst locals can book a jaunt through the Uber app. ScUber is up and going and will run until June 18, 2019.
Dave Ansett
David is the founder of Truly Deeply, a Melbourne branding agency with 25 years experience working with brands to position them for growth. His deep expertise is in the creation of high engagement brands that attract the attention of their audience and stand out from their competitors. David has extensive experience working with corporate, retail, food & beverage and entrepreneurial clients. Find out more here
For monthly updates of our thinking, click here to receive our free Brand Newsletter
Pic courtesy Uber.