BOXES

Short List
TitleBOXES
BrandUBER APACX
Product/ServiceUBER
Category D01. Social Video
Entrant FORSMAN & BODENFORS Gothenburg, SWEDEN
Idea Creation FORSMAN & BODENFORS Gothenburg, SWEDEN
PR FORSMAN & BODENFORS Gothenburg, SWEDEN
Production INDIO Stockholm, SWEDEN
Production 2 SWISS INTERNATIONAL Stockholm, SWEDEN
Additional Company OATH NORDICS Copenhagen, DENMARK
Additional Company 2 MANO, DENMARK
Credits
Name Company Position
John Bergdahl Forsman & Bodenfors Art Director
Jacob Nelson, Rikke Jacobsen Forsman & Bodenfors Copywriter
Alison Arnold Forsman & Bodenfors Account Director
Helen Johansson Forsman & Bodenfors Account Manager
Sanna Fagring Forsman & Bodenfors Account Supervisor
Bjarne Darwall Forsman & Bodenfors PR-strategist
Emelie Lindquist, Johan Fredriksson Forsman & Bodenfors Designer
Tobias Nordström, Leo Bovaller Forsman & Bodenfors Planner
Alexander Blidner Forsman & Bodenfors Agency Producer, film
Jenny Ring Forsman & Bodenfors Music Supervisor
Adam Berg Indio Director
Johan Lindström Indio Executive Producer
Ben Croker Ben Croker Producer
Kate Wynborne Kate Wynborne Production Manager
Mattias Rudh Mattias Rudh Director of Photography
Tony Fernandez Tony Fernandez First Assistant Director
Mark Gethin MPC Los Angeles Grade
Paul Hardcastle TRIM Editor
Leo Wilk Swiss Post Production Supervisor
Joakim Kristensen Redpipe Sound Design
Eshan Ponnadurai APACx Marketing Director
Kunal Gupta APACx Lead, Rider Marketing

Background

2017 wasn’t a very good year for Uber in the APAC region. Up till then, they were regarded the most successful start-up ever. However, the perception changed after a series of controversies, resulting in bad publicity, a general public that had forgotten about the benefits of ridesharing, and issues with city officials, which resulted in Uber being suspended in a number of Southeast Asian cities. People had simply forgotten what Uber was all about and they needed to regain trust from the general public along with policymakers and governments.

Describe the strategy

Following the turbulence, Uber needed to regain control of the conversation around its brand in the APAC region and earn media’s and the public’s trust in the brand, as well as re-establish positive relationships with government officials and policymakers. Uber had to explain how they, as a ridesharing company, could cooperate with the cities and be an important part of improving urban transportation. And they needed to do this in each major city in the region, with locally adapted and relevant messaging to the general public, media and policymakers. In order to gain the attention and credibility, Uber commissioned two separate studies. One by BCG, bringing new data on the actual number of cars our cities needed to fulfill its transportation need. The other, a consumer-oriented survey among 8.000 people in eight of South-East Asia’s biggest metropolises, revealing how much time people spend in traffic jams.

Describe the execution

Launching a seminar in Singapore, where the entire APAC region was in focus, invited key opinion leaders, city officials, and top media discussed the traffic situation, with results from Uber’s own, and BCG’s research as a foundation. Local results were communicated through similar seminars in Jakarta, Taipei, Hong Kong, and Hanoi. In all markets, local data from the research was adapted and turned into communication assets for OOH, social media, influencer activations, and PR outreaches. To fuel the conversation online, we partnered with influencers who primed for traffic-related conversations, aiming to raise awareness on traffic/parking related issues and introduce conversations connecting with consumers’ own experiences. To build momentum, we launched the film and started conversations about how traffic affects people's lives. Finally, we turned the concept of Boxes into a movement through user-generated content, which sustained the campaign and anchored it in the online consumer culture.

List the results

Once Uber was on the agenda in a positive context: As an expert on traffic and an enabler to ease the traffic situation in some of Asia’s biggest cities. In every city, Uber succeeded to drive conversations based on the local insights derived from the pan-Asian research. They received good publicity across a broad range of media verticals, making contact with influential media and created positive conversations across all social media channels. Ultimately, city officials and policymakers now turned to Uber to deepen the dialogue and form co-operations. • +46 % uplift in Brand Awareness (Top of Mind) • + 10 % Uplift in brand consideration • +500 articles and TV-reports, including live interview with CNBC. • +31 million USD in earned media • +115 million views and 1,6 million engagements • 50 + countries reached • “I agree that Uber contributes to solving my city’s traffic problems” o + 57 % Singapore o + 52 % Jakarta o + 48 % Ho Chi Minh o + 35 % Kuala Lumpur