Uber finds another way to “get” to us!
Uber’s next novelty has nothing to do with a transport-related service. Moreover, it’s not even one that most of us enjoy or like. According to a Wall Street Journal publication, citing company sources, users will see ads in videos and will not only appear on our mobile.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi recently said that advertisements become a key part of the company’s growth strategy. According to the executive, Uber’s active advertiser base grew 80% year over year. In 2019, Uber Eats was the first to offer static ads, then expanded to the main Uber app in 2022.
Uber will come to us and not on wheels
According to Uber executive Mark Grether, the app will display video ads while customers wait for the driver and during the ride. These can last up to 90 seconds, much longer than ads on most mobile platforms. He also confirmed that the company has plans install tablets on car seats to display advertisements to passengers.
If there is something that we cannot deny, despite the rejection they generate at the beginning, it is that Uber knows very well how to reach us, beyond the simple fact of being on wheels. Among the data it has about users is the places we visit and what we frequently order on Uber Eats. It also benefits you because many passengers constantly check the Uber app during a ride. Even so, Uber says it won’t share individual user data with advertisers.
In his statement, Grether also illustrated how advertisers can take advantage of this service. A restaurant, for example, could target a passenger whose destination is close to one of its locations by running a video ad in the ridesharing app offering a coupon for Uber Eats orders.
Like many other digital platforms that have begun to place more emphasis on ads, Uber is determined to grow its ad revenue, which is expected to reach $1 billion by 2024. As a result, these will expand for Uber Eats, which users will see right after placing their order. While Drizzlea company owned by Uber, it will also add advertisements to your app.
For now, we know that Uber will start rolling out this feature this week in the US, while the rest of the world is expected to get the update later this year. There are also no details on whether there will be a way for users to be able to skip these ads or if they will be forced to watch until the end.
