New Delhi: In over ₹50 crore marketing push to position itself as an inclusive and progressive brand, ride-sharing app Uber India has rolled out its second advertising campaign focused on driver partners. Titled ‘Badhtein Chalein’, the ad spot features brand ambassador Virat Kohli talking about the experiences of Uber drivers who are doing well in life.
Made by advertising agency Ogilvy India, the ad features eleven unique profiles of Uber drivers based on distinctive traits and representation across the spectrum of age, gender, geography, culture and religion. The objective of the campaign is to motivate the existing driver partner community and woo potential drivers by positioning Virat Kohli as a coach who will push them to unlock their true potential.
Sanjay Gupta, head of marketing, Uber India said that each and every person featured in the video is a real Uber top-rated driver partner and is a reflection of its strong 4.5 lakh driver community in India.
“The campaign highlights how these driver partners have gone above and beyond the call of duty to create a five-star experience for their riders. The story told by Virat can inspire other drivers to embody these special qualities. It draws similarities between a cricket team line up that makes a winning team (opener, wicket keeper, fast bowler, spinner and so on) and the unique traits of each Uber driver partner,” he said.
Uber, which brought Kohli on board in March this year, tweaked its advertising strategy to create an aspirational alternative to private vehicle ownership for India. Its first ad released in June this year featured Kohli highlighting how millions of Indians beat the odds and push hard to progress in life.
“So while our previous campaign emphasized what we do and the value of that to users, the new campaign taps into India’s collective ambition to move forward, to build affinity towards the brand. This stance is intended to build Uber as an enabler of movement, that is culturally progressive,” added Gupta.
The current campaign will be shown to existing driver partners on Uber’s internal channels including, in-app messages and videos, digital landing pages, and Green Light Centres created for drivers across the country.
Meanwhile, the company will also reach out to potential driver partners who are looking to use the Uber app to become entrepreneurs through a shorter version of the campaign which will be promoted across mainline media channels including print, television, radio and outdoor.
Niti Kumar, managing partner at media agency MediaCom feels that the new Uber campaign’s positioning has all the elements needed for a successful consumer connection initiative including local insight, cultural context and a celebrity in Virat Kohli.
“While the campaign is still too fresh to judge from a hard data perspective, I feel it’s a positive step from the brand. This inclusive and progressive narrative is likely to bring the brand closer to Indian consumers, enhance Uber’s credibility and give a more ‘human’ face to its partners/drivers,” she said.
Kumar believes that the campaign has been visible and talked about across media channels including social media. “While many factors drive media choices for brands, the touchpoint usage seems to be effective. This is a first-of-its-kind campaign from Uber so investing adequately behind multiple touchpoints would be a critical factor,” she added.