3 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE LAUNCHING UBER’S NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

by Adam Ortman, SVP Growth & Innovation, Generator Media + Analytics

 

There are few companies in the world that have changed the way we live as much as Uber. The ridesharing company has transformed transportation and the way we think about getting around our cities. They’re also continuing to innovate, with their new advertising offering, which is already gaining traction among brands and advertisers. Uber’s new advertising platform is designed to give brands direct access to their customers through targeted marketing efforts. The platform allows advertisers to reach consumers based on where they are located, what they do and what interests them. It also offers a variety of options for reaching specific audiences, including those who have used Uber in the past or have taken trips similar to what an advertiser wants to promote. We decided to take a look at some of the benefits and considerations for brands looking to get started with Uber’s new advertising platform.

 

Let’s face it, advertising on Uber is a great opportunity for brands. People are already using the app and they have already shown that they are willing to engage with ads. In fact, advertisers have an average click-through rate on their ads of 2.5%, which is actually higher than Facebook’s CTR (2%) or Instagram’s (1%).

 

While this seems like a great opportunity to get your brand in front of people and increase brand awareness or performance, it isn’t necessarily always easy. Just because someone clicks on your ad doesn’t mean that they will see the content you want them to see or do what you want them to do (buy).

 

So before diving head-first into an advertising campaign through Uber’s new program there are some considerations that need to be made:

 

Are Uber Ads right for my brand?

 

If your brand is looking to get in front of an audience that is already using Uber, then this advertising platform may be a good fit for you.

 

In terms of target audience, Uber’s ad offerings are primarily geared toward Millennials. But if your brand has other criteria to further segment your target, Uber’s ad targeting options include:

 

  • Demographics: Gender, age, education level, marital status, household size and income.

 

  • Interests Categories including fashion, travel, entertainment, and others.

 

  • Behavior: Uber product usage data such as number of trips taken in the past year.

 

How will Uber be used to support my media campaign goals?

 

One of the first considerations brands should make when evaluating Uber’s new advertising offerings is how they can be used to support media campaign goals.

Uber has a variety of offerings that can be used in support of various advertising goals, including:

 

  • Awareness ads: These are generally used to build brand awareness, with little emphasis on performance.

 

  • Performance ads: These are more focused on driving immediate action or engagement such as app downloads, signups and purchase conversions.

 

What types of ads exist with Uber Ads?

 

Uber’s ad offerings include:

 

  • Ride-Based Ads (RBA): A brand can run an RBA in the same market where it operates. This is ideal if you want to reach users nearby or if your brand has a physical presence in a particular area.

 

  • Ride-Based Marketing (RBMA): RBMA allows you to target riders who are planning on traveling from one place to another, but can also be used for broader marketing purposes. You can use this option if you want to reach people who might be interested in what your brand has to offer regardless of their destination points at that time.

 

  • Ride-Based Promotions (RBP): RBMA allows brands with physical locations near popular destinations or busy cities like New York City and London to run promotions with Uber drivers and riders during peak times when certain rides cost more than usual, such as weekend nights or holidays like Christmas Eve/Day or Valentine’s Day/Weekend respectively.

 

We hope that this article has given you some food for thought on how to approach Uber’s new advertising offerings. As always, we want to remind you that the best way to get started with a new product is by testing. Always be testing! We know how confusing it can be when there are so many options out there, so don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!