We want this campaign to change behaviour and get more users on Uber: Sanjay Gupta, CMO, Uber India

Conceptualised by Taproot Dentsu, the TVC tries to tell customers to think of Uber as their own personal car. Experts think it is an opportunity lost and could have easily been any cab-hailing service’s motto.

e4m by Venkata Susmita Biswas
Published: Aug 10, 2017 7:42 AM  | 5 min read


Uber India launched its first-ever TVC in India on Wednesday, after four years of operationsin the country. For their Indian users, their message through the TVC is that users can treat Uber like their own car, be it grocery shopping, a family outing or a ride back from office.


Even without the TVC, Uber is an ubiquitous brand with vast digital presence, partnerships with movies and others brands like Paytm, TVF, Forever 21, etc. Last year, Uber introduced a digital brand campaign titled Move Forward that was targeted at the supply side of the business.


Given all the brand presence that Uber has, we asked Uber India CMO, Sanjay Gupta, what role willthe TVC play for Uber. “The Move Forward campaign was more about brand purpose and stating the ‘why’ of Uber. The TVC is more about brand marketing. We want this campaign to change behaviour and get more users to use the platform,” he said. Cab-hailing apps like Uber have already changed consumer behaviour in India and owning a car is not being looked as a necessity anymore.


Uber currently has 5 million weekly active riders in India and team Uber is hoping to add more customers with this new campaign. The reason Uber has opted for a TVC this time and not just a digital campaign is because “our scale has dramatically increased since last year,” Gupta said.


Speaking about the business problem that Uber is seeking to address with this ad, Gupta said that the company noticed that customers used Uber sparingly. The team found that users either considered taking an Uber an indulgence or did not prefer an Uber over their own vehicle. They the learned from Uber regulars that those who frequently use Uber, think of Uber as their own car. “It is from that idea that the ‘apnapan’(kinship) theme was born,” Gupta said.


The ad campaign has been conceptualised by Taproot Dentsu. Speaking about how the team approached the brief from Uber, Umesh Shrikhande, CEO - Taproot Dentsu, said, “A genuine and warm thought that could tie it all together with ease was the need of the hour. The idea for this came from a simple cultural truth which is when something is ‘apna’ it is no longer an indulgence as it then becomes your own.  We often make our guests feel at home by saying “Ise apna hi ghar samjho.” Inspired by that insight came the line‘Uber. Ise apni hi gaadi samjho.’ The entire campaign is now being woven around this belief of ‘apnapan’ which in turn is the core brand truth.”


The sustained brand campaign will run for 12-18 months across all mediums. Gupta said that Uber will come out with fresh ad films under the ‘apnapan’ umbrella theme in a few months. While Gupta declined to comment on the marketing budget for the campaign, he said that Uber will use its marketing monies efficiently on television.


Expert View:


While the ad trended on Twitter within hours of its launch, experts feel that the ad does not deliver in terms of function or form. “The ad tells me nothing new. The reasons they list in the ad are exactly the same reasons you or I would use a taxi anyway. It does not give me a solid reason to prefer Uber over Ola,” said Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner/Chief Creative Officer at BangInTheMiddle. He added that the ad does not bring to light any unique features of Uber. He said, “This could be the ad of any other cab-hailing brand as well.” He added that the tagline “apnihi gaadi samjho” cannot ring true with customers because a cab will have tell-tale signs of the previous rider or the driver himself may have bad body odour. “I will never feel at home in a cab,” he said.


The expectations from the ad were high, given that this was Uber’s first TVC in India at a time when the brand is in the news for all the wrong reasons. “The ad delivers a message but fails to draw an emotional connect with the viewer,” said N Chandramouli, CEO, Trust Research Advisory. “The entire culture of Uber is supposed to be very cut and dry and what is really missing is emotion. They could have infused some emotion. This ad was an opportunity lost,” he added.  


Uber India is in the middle of fixing a lot of pain points for drivers and customers alike. From disgruntled drivers who are complaining of reduced incentives to customers forever grumbling about the Rs. 350 minimum Paytm balance, no one seems to be happy with Uber. “Uber has many significant problems that it needs to address and solve,” said Suthan.


Chandramouli echoed Suthan’s thoughts and said that he wished the company would first address the issues of the drivers themselves, who are in fact Uber’s brand ambassadors.



Agency- Taproot Dentsu India


Agnello Dias – Chief Creative Officer


Santosh Padhi – Chief Creative Officer


Umesh Shrikhande – Chief Executive Officer


Pallavi Chakravarti – Executive Creative Director


Neeraj Kanitkar- Creative Director


Shashank Lanjekar- Head, Strategic Planning


Almas Ahmad- Planning Director


Ayesha Ghosh – General Manager


Radhika Sabherwal- Senior Account Director


Production- Red Ice Films


Director- Shimit Amin


Music- Roshan Machado


Producer- Basab Dasgupta, Priyank Mishra and Gary Grewal

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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