Internet taxi service Uber, which uses a mobile app connecting clients with drivers, has begun using print to increase its reach to new customers.
The company can’t use taxi ranks, and customers can’t hail Uber drivers int he street, so the controversial internet player has decided to use direct mail to increase its visibility and attract customers.
Kelly Northwood, VoPP and Two Sides Australia executive director
Kelly Northwood, VoPP and Two Sides Australia executive director, says this strategy gives Uber multiple opportunities to engage with riders as print affords a much longer one-to-one dialogue.
She says, “Uber has recently launched a direct mail campaign to combine with its digital marketing as they see the engagement and accessibility that print affords.”
Northwood adds that Uber numbers among several online and digitally driven businesses curretnly using print to grow their market. She says, ““For similar reasons as Uber, online retailers are now the fastest growing retail sector when it comes to print media buying.
“Because Uber does not have the physical store front, they use physical media to promote their stores and push consumers to online devices. There is no denying the sheer physicality of print has strong emotional connections with consumers.”
“It is something that digital will never be able to compete with and maybe this is why we are seeing such a drastic decline in eReader sales and an increase in book sales after years of uncertainty for the publishing industry. Handling a book or any piece of print is a tactile experience and not one easily replicated by digital.”
