In the past, South Africans have been reluctant to part with their car keys, with the majority of drivers seeing vehicle ownership as the more affordable choice. However, a quirky new campaign by Uber is addressing these misconceptions at the source.
Ross Adami, Marketing Manager for Uber South Africa says, “Through this campaign, we wanted to convince the millions of car owners in South Africa to consider ditching their vehicles for Uber in situations where cars are painful. We set out to do this by showing them that in many cases, the collateral pain points of owning and operating a car simply isn’t worth it.”
Uber achieved this by talking to their audience at strategic moments using highly contextual messaging. Advertising was placed at points where those reading it were highly probable to experience one of the pain points of owning a car. These situations included finding parking at a busy shopping mall, filling up with fuel, maintaining and insuring a vehicle, and more worrying when they may be over the limit when driving home. Witty storytelling and prominent positioning ensured that South Africans started thinking about whether owning a car is actually worth it.
Adami adds, “Strategically placed billboards and digital screens were positioned across the cities in which we operate, bringing these pain points to the fore at precisely the moments car-owners experienced them.” These adverts were paired with memorable catch phrases such as, “Nobody ever got a speeding ticket from the back seat” or “All the benefits of a car – without the extra costs.”
From the outset, Uber was aware that this needed to be a sustained campaign among South African drivers. To add further clout to the initiative, celebs such as Khuli Chana, DJ Sphe and Khala Dhlanga got involved.
Khuli Chana addressed the nightlife pain point, saying, “Swag is being able to chill, and let someone else do the driving. I’m definitely down to #DitchMyKeys and @Uber_RSA are you? Khaya Dhlanga got the attention of those struggling through the traffic of their daily commute, “Join me and #DitchYourKeys! Imagine how much time you’ll have to live your best life if you don’t have to stress about traffic @Uber_RSA.”
The campaign has already started to change people’s lives. Hishaam Arnold, in Seapoint says, “Uber changed the fact that I can move around easy and quickly. Also it got me thinking how much money I have to spend on my car: insurance, parking fees. It all added up to being more than R5000 per month. That’s insane.” He now uses Uber two to three times per week, sometimes more when he goes out.
The benefits to his lifestyle and finances have caused him to sell his car. “The Uber & CarZar promotion was the last push for me to sell my car. I think people will definitely will get rid of the second car very soon. ”
The campaign also had an impact on Jessica, a Business Analyst from Johannesburg. “It got me thinking of what we are all doing in traffic jams sitting in our car, spoiling hours and hours a week. Now, with Uber, I can use this time checking my emails and making phone calls.”
Now, after selling her car through the CarZar Uber promotion, her Uber rides cover every aspect of her life. She uses Uber 12 times per week, for work, gym, shopping and going out. She adds, “I was already thinking about it for a while, but the hassle it normally is to go and sell your car stopped me from doing it before. The CarZar Uber promotion came at the right time and it was hassle-free. I literally sold my Renault within 30 minutes.”
Ditch Your Car Keys has been an engaging, immersive campaign, not only because it meets consumers where they need it most, but because it cleverly addresses a real need. Uber South Africa will continue to channel resources and creativity to help South African vehicle owners shift in favour of a simpler, more efficient, safer lifestyle.
About Uber
Uber’s mission is to help people get a ride at the push of a button – everywhere and for everyone. We started in 2009 to solve a simple problem – how do you get a ride at the touch of a button? Six years and over a billion trips later, we’ve started tackling an even greater challenge: reducing congestion and pollution in our cities by getting more people into fewer cars.
The Uber network is now available in over 470 cities in over 73 countries spanning 6 continents. To request a ride, users must download the free application for Android, iPhone, Blackberry 7, or register for Uber at www.uber.com/go. For questions visit www.uber.com
Social Media:
Uber:
Facebook: /Uber_RSA
Twitter: @Uber_RSA
Instagram: @Uber_RSA
