Uber is launching a new Creative Studio for brands

Fast Company

a day ago

BY
Everyday, Uber books more than 30 million rides around the world. Each of these trips tells the company something about its customers. Where they're going, what they're doing, and when they are there. Then there are the tens of millions of Uber Eats orders processed each day, which clocks what people are buying, how often, and when. Combined, you have an incredibly valuable collection of data for other brands to use in order to get our attention.
Now, Uber is officially launching its own in-house Creative Studio to help brands to do exactly that. The new division of Uber Advertising will be working with brands to create not only adds on its digital platform, but custom IRL experiences like special ride offers, giveaways, and more.
Uber's global head of sales Megan Ramm says that this is more about formalizing something brands have been asking for given how the company's platform is such a natural bridge between our online and offline lives. 'Uber is where we feel culture shows up in real life,' says Ramm. 'When something big is happening in the world, we see it on Uber. If it's an event or a product drop, a concert, or even coming home from the office, it's all happening in real life. And we're seeing that's when and how brands want to connect with people that are using the platform.'
The rapid rise of retail media networks in recent years is well-documented. Everything from store shelves to ecommerce apps have become media opportunities for advertising. Dentsu research has reported that 75% of US consumers are influenced by brands advertised in-store, and eMarketer reported that U.S. Retail Media Ad spending was up by $4 billion in 2024. This new offering from Uber makes perfect sense. The company has already long utilized the captive audience on its apps as a vehicle for brands to get our attention, now it's expanding that to actually working to craft a wider variety of ways for brands to do just that.
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