Uber strikes a new deal with the NFL
This week, after a long series of public scandals, Uber is releasing 17 new NFL commercials that will air each week of this football season. Each commercial will last for 15 seconds and will air in a different team's city.
This release comes after major controversy surrounding Uber and it's founder, Travis Kalanick. Last week, after Kalanick was fired, Dara Khosrowshahi from Expedia stepped in as CEO. To add some more creativity to the mix, Uber also hired one of Apple's former marketing executives, Bozoma Saint John, as Uber's first Chief Brand Officer.
The first commercial for Uber played last Thursday during the Patriots vs. Chief's game. (Check out the video here) What is interesting is the timing of this release, as Uber and its executives are trying to recover from a major crisis over brand culture.
Uber faced some pressure after reports emerged over the behavior of its management and executive team, and particularly, CEO Travis Kalanick. For example, this video that emerged of Kalanick arguing with one of his Uber drivers over the falling fares. This comes on top of an investigation into workplace harassment at Uber following a blog post from employee Susan Fowler.
Needless to say, Uber is facing many different forces right now. Being one of the largest and most successful tech companies will put you in a very different light compared to a local startup. Where Kalanick, for better or worse, may have been able to get away with things when Uber was not fetured on every newspaper, radio, and television in America. Now being in the presence they are today, they must carry themselves very differently and be much more cautious of their actions.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi now faces many oncoming challenges. Particularly, how to reinvent company culture and image, and this NFL promotion may be their first step. Watching the video, you get a good feel for what the company is about. I felt that Uber elevated their presence, my initial reaction was more oriented towards getting drivers for Uber. It seemed as though the entire motive of the video was to show the feel-good side of driving for Uber, knowing how many other fans,- just like you - are Patriots fans. This can prove to hit the heart strings of many football fans, who may find themselves bonding with others over the love of football.
Despite this promotion being beneficial for Uber, they still face damage from the stories surrounding them. As they know, this is a step in the right direction, but it is only the beginning. I am excited to see what comes next for them and what step they will take to continue to improve their brand image.
The first commercial for Uber played last Thursday during the Patriots vs. Chief's game. (Check out the video here) What is interesting is the timing of this release, as Uber and its executives are trying to recover from a major crisis over brand culture.
Uber faced some pressure after reports emerged over the behavior of its management and executive team, and particularly, CEO Travis Kalanick. For example, this video that emerged of Kalanick arguing with one of his Uber drivers over the falling fares. This comes on top of an investigation into workplace harassment at Uber following a blog post from employee Susan Fowler.
Needless to say, Uber is facing many different forces right now. Being one of the largest and most successful tech companies will put you in a very different light compared to a local startup. Where Kalanick, for better or worse, may have been able to get away with things when Uber was not fetured on every newspaper, radio, and television in America. Now being in the presence they are today, they must carry themselves very differently and be much more cautious of their actions.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi now faces many oncoming challenges. Particularly, how to reinvent company culture and image, and this NFL promotion may be their first step. Watching the video, you get a good feel for what the company is about. I felt that Uber elevated their presence, my initial reaction was more oriented towards getting drivers for Uber. It seemed as though the entire motive of the video was to show the feel-good side of driving for Uber, knowing how many other fans,- just like you - are Patriots fans. This can prove to hit the heart strings of many football fans, who may find themselves bonding with others over the love of football.
Despite this promotion being beneficial for Uber, they still face damage from the stories surrounding them. As they know, this is a step in the right direction, but it is only the beginning. I am excited to see what comes next for them and what step they will take to continue to improve their brand image.
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