PR Campaign for Ubers Roads for Relief

By: Joanna Alden

Director of Communications

Executive Summary:

This brief outlines the research, objectives and strategies behind a public relations
campaign promoting Ubers CSR initiative: Roads For Relief. Uber will hire Edelman to
outsource public relations and public affairs services, though the in-house team will work
closely with the agency.

The report begins by giving background into the CSR project. In September 2016, Uber will
begin its work for Roads for Relief, a CSR initiative partnering with The Red Cross to build
roads in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, easing the transportation of medical
supplies and patients to hospitals.

A condensed PESTLE analysis then reveals key external opportunities and challenges Uber
could face while launching this PR campaign. The issues pertain to political opposition and
current consumer views on the concept of a shared-economy. We also created a
condensed brand audit exploring the current Uber brand identity in the U.K. and how Uber
can reinforce or reposition that identity.

After conducting a great deal of research, the primary research categories are deeply
explored and broken down into three categories: the impact of CSR on brand image; Ubers
primary demographic in the U.K.; and the political issues Uber currently faces in terms of
regulation. The brief also outlines possible future research methods including omnibus
surveys and focus groups.

Given this research, weve selected two target audiences for the PR campaign: the Mayors
Office of London and Generation Y consumers. These audiences are broken down and
discussed in-depth.

The core strategic plan follows by first stating the primary objective: to reposition Uber as
a socially responsible brand in the minds of U.K. consumers amidst the recent political
backlash and regulation issues. Exact strategies and tactics to achieve this objective are
discussed at length. Using a risk register, we then highlight some potential risks that could
threaten the success of this public relations campaign. We also discuss our proposed
solutions to mitigate these risks.

Afterwards, we lay out a detailed timeline for the campaign, which lasts about six months
from February through September, when Roads for Relief actually begins work. The brief
continues on to list the various costs of conducting this campaign. These costs add up to
786,650 for the entire campaign.

Finally, we list the exact measurements we will track and measure to ensure that our PR
efforts make an impact. As collateral, a sample press release and media alert can be found
at the end of the brief.

Uber & Roads for Relief: Overview and Analysis

Overview of Roads for Relief

Beginning on September 16 2016, Uber alongside the Red Cross will begin work funding
and building roads throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to help
improve transportation routes in the worlds most impoverished nation. Only 20% of the
population in the DRC has access to healthcare (The Guardian). This is primarily due to the
complete lack of paved roads that would allow quick access to healthcare facilities during
emergencies. Instead, families attempt homecare with herbal treatments instead of
professional help, typically resulting in a worsening prognosis or death.

To help provide relief to this struggling nation, Uber has joined forces with Red Cross to
build well-paved roads that would help close and ease distances from villages to hospitals.
This initiative is projected to last the next ten years. From this partnership, Uber stands to
humanize the massive company with a major CSR campaign while The Red Cross benefits
by using an extremely wealthy company to further their charitable goals.

The official mission statement for the campaign is as follow:

Our mission is to extend Ubers ability to bridge distances

between harm and safety for citizens of the Democratic Republic
of Congo. Working alongside the Red Cross, we are building roads
that will significantly improve the transportation network of
health supplies within the country.


Roads For Relief: Potential CSR Value

Its essential to understand the environment during the time of Roads for Reliefs
announcement and launch. These external factors greatly impact and influence potential
opportunities and threats that could affect a successful public relations campaign around
Ubers CSR efforts. After conducting a PESTLE analysis, the following paragraph
summarizes thee most relevant findings from the research with emphasis on the political
and economic factors.


PESTLE Overview for Uber:

The relentless battles between Uber and the taxi unions in the U.K. have garnered massive
media attention and put Uber in an unfavorable light as the black cabs continue to protest
Ubers legality. Despite these fierce protests, Uber continues to scathe by the legal suits. In
October 2015, the U.K. High Court struck down the taxi unions suit, declaring Ubers

operations in the U.K. legal. In January 2016, the Mayors office in London dismissed
Transport for Londons suit against Uber as nonsense (South Atlantic News Agency). With
Ubers victories in these suits, they can continue to operate in a deregulated space while
growing their customer base and revenue. In terms of economic opportunities, the concept
of a Shared Economy has continuously grown more and more accepted by consumers,
validating Ubers business model. Finally, in the time since Ubers launch in the U.K.,
unemployment rates have fallen 5.4% since 2008 (Office for National Statistics).



Uber: Our Current Brand Value Proposition

To best understand how Roads for Relief will help to improve Ubers brand image and
value, lets break down the elements that make up our identity. Ubers brand identity can
be defined by its company slogan, Everyones Personal Driver. This slogan, though short
and simple, perfectly exemplifies the companys brand promise of luxury and convenience
to the masses.

Through this strong brand identity, Uber has created strong brand equity. This equity can
be broken down into five segments: brand awareness, perceived quality, brand association
and brand loyalty.

!
!
!
!
!
!
!

Ubers'Brand'Equity'

Application!of!4!Ps!
of!marketing!
Building!off!success!
rates!in!other!
countries!
Great!deal!of!media!
coverage!on!brand!

!
!
!

!
Perceived!Quality!

Brand!Awareness!

Globally!recognized!
as!reliable!&!
accountable!
Inexpensive!yet!
trustworthy!brand!
Safe!&!efficient!!
!

Brand!Loyalty!

Brand!Association!
Cool!
Trendy!!
Great!value!
Nighttime!
transportation!
Elite!experience!!

Ubers!brand!
promises!are!true!
to!customers!
experience!
Over!1!million!
Londoners!use!
Uber!

!


In short, Uber has created a brand promise of consistency and good service that has been
both accepted and supported by customers. By establishing strong brand identity,
awareness and equity, Uber has positioned themselves as market leaders in their car
service industry within the UK. This is reflected in their mission statement which states
transportation is as reliable as running water, everywhere for everyone.

CSR Takeaway: How Does Roads for Relief Benefit the Uber Brand?

The ultimate goal with the public relations campaign surrounding the launch of
Roads for Relief is to reposition Ubers brand image in the U.K. as a socially
responsible, charitable company.

Critics claim that Uber is extremely threatening to existing industries and the
product of a lack of government regulation on corporations. However, by building
roads to help provide better healthcare for those in the Congo, Uber can combat
these negative comments by showing their dedication to helping those in need.

Through a great deal of media surrounding the launch of this initiative, Uber directly
links itself with improving conditions in the Congo. This helps to improve the
companys image amongst government regulators who are already doubtful and
suspicious of Uber.

Research Analysis & Plan: Current Research

Before delving into the strategies and tactics, weve prepared a concise summary of the
research and analysis tools used to validate knowledge behind our campaign plan. Weve
also listed potential options for further research that would give an even clearer picture of
Ubers current brand identity in the U.K.


Impact CSR has on Brand Image:

Current studies show that 61% of people are more likely to buy from companies with good
reputations (Econsultancy). According to The Carbon Trust, 20% of sales are directly
linked to corporate reputation. Its evident that while leading brands are adopting CSR
models, promoting their charitable projects effectively to influence consumers involves a
public relations campaign.

A common issue with CSR campaigns is maintaining customer loyalty over a sustained
period of time after the novelty of the campaigns launch has worn off (Stanford
University). So, while brands can see the reasons why they should adopt and sustain their
CSR strategies, many companies struggle to determine how to use CSR for long term brand
positioning.

According to CSR experts, video is the most impactful platform for companies to
communicate and publicize their charitable projects. As Forrester research recently
revealed, a minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. Also, statistics from the Nielson
VideoCensus report that 26.9 million people in the U.K. watched streamed video content

from their computers in 2011 during the month of April alone (Market Wired). Its clear
that video is a loud platform consumers cant ignore.


The Demographic: Who are Uber Riders in the U.K.?

Its important to first understand the audience profile of the primary Uber users in the U.K.
Then, its essential to analyze if this demographic aligns with the type of consumer who
respect or appreciate socially responsible companies.

The following show quick facts on Uber users in the U.K. (Global Web Index):
3% of online adults are using Uber at least once a month
Urbanities are the biggest users of Uber with just 5% living outside of an urban area
Over 25% of users come from the top income quartile

In addition, the 16-34 age demographic, Generation Y, has been identified as Ubers most
enthusiastic adopters. These are consumers born with the years 1980-2000. The following
list some key qualities about this generation determined in a report from the U.S. Chamber
of Commerce Foundation:
Gen Yers are:
o Tech savvy
o Family orientated
o Ambitious
o Communicators
So far, 1 in 5 Millennials are college graduates
1 in 3 young workers cannot pay their bills
Only 58% of Millennials pay their monthly bills on time
41% of Millennials only use a cellphone
64% of Millennials want their employer to contribute to a social or ethical cause.
About half of older Gen Xers and Boomers felt the same

Essentially, if Uber wants to make a serious brand reposition, they must understand their
primary users: Gen Y. According to research, Gen Yers demand CSR the most out of any age
group. According to Andrew Swinard of Abundant Venture Partners, Doing business
responsibly is the millennials new religion. The only way to attract and retain these highly-
strung creatures is to turn your offices into open-plan playpens and boost the CSR budget
(Chicago Business).


Political Approval of Uber Amidst Legal Backlash

As previously mentioned, there is much contention between Uber versus Taxicabs in the
U.K. The taxi unions argue that Uber is slowly but surely putting them out of business,
enraging the blue-collar working class Brits (The Telegraph). And they do have a point. The

follow shows a few quick stats on how Ubers entrance into the market has affected black
cabs from The Telegraph:
There are now over 20,000 Uber drivers in the London, officially surpassing the
number of black cab drivers
1 in every 10 cars on the roads in London is an Uber
Uber saw an 850% surge in new users in summer 2014 during the black taxi strike
Over 130,000 Londoners signed a petition in October to ban Uber

Uber had a huge win, however, in October when the Mayors office dismissed TfLs
proposed compulsory five-minute waits before Uber drivers could pick up passengers,
among other measures (Sky News). After dismissing the case, Mayor Johnson said at the
City Lab London conference that the suit was absurd and Neanderthal and that London
needs to let competition rip (Business Insider). Clearly, the Mayors office under Boris
Johnson supports Uber and the competition they bring to the taxi / car service market.

However, on the dawn of an election for a new mayor, Ubers seemingly safe place within
London could potentially be threatened. If Conservative frontrunner Zac Goldsmith were to
win, Uber could likely expect to continue enjoying their freedom to expand in London. As a
member of the conservative party, Goldsmith promotes the belief that businesses should be
able to operate without government interference (The Guardian). This works well in Ubers
favor. However, Goldsmith also holds Green party views, meaning thats hes extremely
environmentally conscious. He could potentially view Uber as further clogging Londons
roads with air-polluting vehicles, leading to regulations inhibiting Ubers expansion.

On the other hand, if the other front-runner, Sadiq Khan of the Labour party, were to win,
Uber could face a threat. Though Khan has promised to be the friendliest mayor to
business London has ever seen (The Week U.K.), the Labour party traditionally believes
that the government should actively work to close gaps between the rich and poor. This
means that he and his office could lean towards supporting the taxi unions in future suits
and proposed regulations against Uber.

If the future mayor of London were to come forward and shed negative light on or
condemn Uber, this could cause further distaste and distrust amongst Londoners who dont
support Uber. This would be it more difficult to reposition Uber as socially responsible.


Key Takeaways From Research & Analysis

The medium used to communicate CSR content matters. Video best captures
attention
Uber needs to increase its CSR to keep its primary demographic, Gen Y, happy
Uber is currently supported by the mayors office, but they should be wary of the
politics and opinions of the next London mayor

Research Analysis & Plan: Future Research

Given the obvious difficulty in surveying or polling political members or government
officials, further research methods should be conducted to see how Ubers demographic,
specifically Gen Y, feels about Ubers brand value currently and how Roads for Relief could
impact their opinions.

The following two research methods should be conducted in the future for more research:

Omnibus Survey
o Uber should join forces with the Red Cross to conduct a survey showing how
Roads for Relief can benefit both respective organizations
o This method allows for a wide variety of subjects to be collected during the
same interview
o The survey can be used to reach specific demographics in terms of gender,
age, education, income groups or psychographics

Focus Groups
o Uber should hire a U.K. based research company to conduct focus group
interviews
o Goal of these interviews is to get a more detailed, qualitative understanding
on how consumers currently view the Uber brand
o This is a prime opportunity to get detailed information on if Roads for Rescue
would help to change consumers attitudes towards Uber

The Campaign: Target Audiences

After conducting the various situation analyses and research, we have selected two
primary target audiences, one legislative one consumer:

1) The Mayors Office in London

As previously explained, the Mayors office holds a lot of weight in determining Ubers
ability to operate and expand in London. Its essential to upkeep a positive relationship
with the Mayors office through public affairs, considering London is Ubers fifth most
profitable city and most profitable city within Europe. While the U.K.s High Court has
the ultimate say in overall regulations, the Mayor controls London and deals directly
with the taxi unions. The mayor also holds an immense amount of public influence.

Opportunities:
o With a new mayor entering office, Uber has the chance to establish an
even closer friendship with the new mayor that could protect the
brand from future suits or threats

o Considering his/her constant exposure and communication with the

press, if the Mayor and his party like Uber, then they could give
positive comments about the company to the media

Challenges:
o The new mayor could decide to favor taxi unions in regulation battle
o Future, unforeseeable issues may arise that threaten the currently
positive political relationship between the Mayors office and Uber.

2) Generation Y Consumers

Finally, its vital to target the largest demographic of Uber users: Generation Y. To
create an overall strong brand identity for Uber as a socially responsible company, Uber
must deliver their message to their primary customer base, which also happens to be
the largest age demographic.
Opportunities:
o Gen Y consumers value companies with strong CSR
o Gen Y consumers value brand loyalty, so once Uber captures their
loyalty theyre less likely to sway
o Growing up in the digital age, Gen Y consumers view technological
invasion as an inevitable, therefore theyre less likely to currently
view Uber as an evil, market-destroying company. So, a CSR
campaign will only enhance their current positive views on Uber
o Almost all of Gen Y is also now entering the workforce and coming
into purchasing power, therefore its essential to impress this demo

Challenges:
o Because Gen Yers are constantly on the internet and social media,
their feeds can often be so saturated that they could miss Ubers PR
efforts all together
o Because Gen Yers are the most educated on Uber, those who dont
support Ubers ride-sharing economy could be less likely to change
their attitudes on the company despite CSR campaign

Core Strategic Plan

Objectives:

The primary objective for a public relations campaign surrounding the launch of Roads for
Relief is to reposition Uber as a socially responsible brand in the minds of U.K. consumers
amidst the recent political backlash and regulation issues.

Other objectives include:

Create overall awareness about the Roads for Relief campaign
Maintain positive relationship with Mayor of Londons office
Further improve legislators approval of Uber


Strategies:

The following include a list of strategies that will be implemented to achieve the previously
stated objectives:
Reposition Uber as a socially responsible company
Convince U.K. citizens Uber is a positive edition to the transportation market
Update Ubers brand identity to include do gooder image to retract from
negative image as a ruthless corporation destroying taxi market



Tactics: Consumer Public Relations

To carry out these strategies, weve prepared a list of various tactical elements that will
engage directly with Gen Y consumers:

Utilize Google cardboard VR headsets to keep in every Uber car driving in
London, starting in London then spreading to all five cities
o Headsets display view of the current situation in the Congo and how
Roads for Relief will help improve conditions
o Application necessary to see VR video will be installed in the regular
Uber app, making it easy for riders to access
o We will work with Eon Reality to develop and launch app for iOS and
Android.

Pitch to relevant news outlets about Roads for Relief launch
o i.e. The Guardian, The Times, Business Insider, Financial Times, Wall
Street Journal, CNET, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Time Magazine

Press conference from CEO Travis Kalanick with representative from Red
Cross outside the Uber U.K. headquarters announcing the Roads for Relief
project

Create dedicated social media pages and promote through Uber and Red
Cross existing channels
o i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
o encourage Uber riders to share their VR experience looking at the
Congo on social media with #RoadsForRelief

 Create separate Roads for Relief website

o Website contains: interviews with Uber executives discussing project,
timeline for completion, information of current status in the Congo,
external link to subscribe to The Red Cross
o Website will be continuously updated throughout course of the
campaign

Book an exclusive interview special with the BBC featuring Uber CEO Travis
Kalanick
o Show video of current dire health situation in the Congo
o Personal interview allows humanization of Uber brand

Write weekly internal blog posts about Roads for Relief leading up to and
after the campaign launch


Tactics: Public Affairs

To try and sustain a positive relationship with the London Mayors office, weve compiled a
few key public affairs tools necessary to show legislators Ubers positive impact. These
tools are essential because as long as Uber is benefiting Londons population, the legislators
will support their growth.

Create mayoral briefing to target current Deputy Mayor of Transport Isabel
During and the future mayor deputy
o Brief explains benefits Uber offers to Londoners
o Also explains Ubers Roads for Relief campaign and dedication to CSR
o Request a meeting with Mayor Boris Johnson to discuss brief and
sustain positive relationship

We will also send this brief to the major candidates who could become the
next mayor
o Request a meeting with major candidates to discuss brief and build
positive relationship

Risk Assessment & Risk Management Plan:

While developing this campaign, weve identified a few key potential risks that could pose a
threat to the success of this public relations campaign. In response, weve also prepared a
list of solutions that would help to mitigate these issues if the problems were to arise.

Attached is a complete risk register outlining the specifics on the risks, level of impact and
proposed solutions.


To summarize, these are the main risks and solutions:

Risk:

Possibility of counter black cab counter PR campaign

Solution:
Creating fact sheets and press materials demonstrating the immense good that
Roads for Relief under Uber will do for the Congo. We will also have a team monitor
their activities in case they launch such a campaign
Continue producing press materials while also updating video and social media
content explaining not only the planned progress in the DRC but also Ubers growing
influence in the U.K.

Risk:

Some tend to see CSR purely as a ploy to improve company image, not help
humanity

Solution:
Prepping Uber executives for interviews to explain the purpose and goals behind
Roads for Relief to be shared with the media
Leading up to campaign, continue to release video and picture content of the dire
circumstances in the Congo and the ways in which Uber is already helping

Risk:
New London mayor could seek to pass regulations against Uber

Solution:
We encourage Ubers team to remain politically neutral on mayors race until a new
mayor is elected. Pitching to media about the positive impact Uber has had on U.K.
(i.e. employing drivers) to have positive news about Uber in media by the time of
election
Once a new mayor is in office, we want to send the press secretary press documents
showing the good Uber will do in the Congo and the positive impacts Uber has had
in the U.K.

Risk:

Investors could be extremely wary of the financial capability to fund Roads for Relief

Solution:
Openly sharing proposed budgets, timelines, business goals and projected brand
value opportunities with investors

Continue this transparency to investors through earning reports, blog posts and
investor meetings specific to Roads for Relief, etc.

Risk:

Other primetime show or news events could draw viewers away from BBC special,
minimizing impact

Solution:
While we cannot predict future news stories, we are researching the other programs
scheduled at the same time at Ubers BBC special
We will continue this research and conduct a predicted analysis of number of
viewers and impact special will have on campaign and CSR awareness

Risk:

People could steal VR headsets out of Ubers

Solution:
Were advising Uber to have a surplus of the headsets available to regularly
redistribute out to drivers when headsets are inevitably taken. Also, we request
Uber drivers to tie cardboard headset with a string to a headrest in the car, making
it more difficult to steal
Theres not much we can do to prevent theft, however we will continue to pitch to
media about the VR headsets inside Uber vehicles to ensure the public realizes the
purpose of having the headsets in Ubers

Timeline for Publicity Campaign: The Launch

To ensure we reach all of our campaign goals and time constraints, weve constructed a
timeline to keep the success of the PR initiative on track.


Date
Event
Roads for Relief project announced
internally to Uber corporate
December 1, 2015 employees
Meeting with Uber CMO, Uber
public relations team and public
affairs team to discuss goals for PR
February 1, 2016 campaign around Roads for Relief

February 9, 2016

February 15, 2016

March 1, 2016

April 7, 2016
April 13, 2016

April 15, 2016

April 15, 2016

May 2, 2016

May 7, 2016

May 14, 2016

May 25, 2016

May 25, 2016

June 8, 2016

Meeting with Edelman to hire them

for public relations & public affairs
services during launch
Meet with Eon Reality to explain
project and establish plans and
goals with VR app
Meeting with Edelman public
relations and public affairs team to
ensure congruent campaign
outlines aligning with Uber's goals
Meeting with current Mayor
Johnson to discuss Uber's initiatives
in London and the upcoming Roads
for Relief Project
Trial with VR app Eon Reality has
created. Provide notes and changes
Edelman begins creating Roads for
Relief social media outlets
(Facebook, Twitter and Instagram)
& official website
Review Edelman's mayoral brief
that will be sent to Deputy Mayor
of Transport Office
Place order for 35,000 Google
Cardboard VR headsets
Deadline to finalize PR and PA
campaign plans. Meeting with CEO
to present campaign
Meeting with representatives from
The Red Cross to present PR & PA
campaign
Work with Edelman to finalize
completion of Road for Relief social
media pages & website
Work with Edelman to finalize and
send out mayoral brief to Deputy
Mayor's office and frontrunners in
London mayoral race
Request meetings with
frontrunners on mayoral campaign
to discuss Uber in London and
Roads for Relief

Begin talks with BBC to plan an

June 19, 2016 exclusive special on Roads for Relief
Deadline for final completion of VR
June 22, 2016 app under Eon Reality
Work with Edelman to send out
media advisories about Uber's press
June 27, 2016 conference
Press conference announcing Roads
June 30, 2016 for Relief Project
Work with Edelman to begin
pitching to relevant news outlets
about Roads for Relief campaign:
July 1, 2016 various angles
VR app officially launched for iOS
July 5, 2016 and Android
Google cardboard VR headsets sent
July 10, 2016 to every Uber car in the U.K.
Work with Edelman to pitch to
August 20, 2016 media about Uber's special on BBC
September 3, 2016 Uber special premieres on BBC
Building for Roads for Relief
September 16, 2016 officially begins

Outline Budget for PR Campaign:

When compiling the budget to run this PR campaign, the primary costs derive from hiring
agencies to create content and the price for the VR headsets.

Firstly, its important to realize that one Google cardboard headset is 3.19. Given the very
low cost of this device, we want one headset in every Uber car in London County. By July
2016, Uber projects there will be 35,000 Uber cars in London. Therefore, our campaign
requires 111,650 to be dedicated to this portion of the campaign.

Further, we need to hire a strategic communications agency to handle the creation and
execution of public relations and public affairs campaign tools. We are hiring Edelman U.K.
to handle the PR and PA aspects due to their prestigious reputation, particularly within the
public affairs sector. PR Week magazine ranked them the best agency for public affairs in
the U.K. and the fifth best for consumer public relations in the U.K. The Edelman PR and PA
teams allotted to us will be charged with creating our website, social media platforms and
parliamentary briefs during pre-launch for Roads for Relief (time span covered in the

timeline). From that point on, Ubers in-house communications teams will continue PR and
PA efforts.

Edelman will charge us 100,000 per month for their services. Considering we will need
their services for six months, this totals up to 600,000.


Reason for Cost
Price
Eon Reality app
development
75,000
Google Cardboard Headsets 111,650
Edelman Agency work:
Public Relations & Public
Affairs
600,000
Total Cost
786,650

As is obvious from the budget breakdown, the PR campaign around launching Roads for
Relief will be an expensive venture. However, the research weve provided and will
continue to monitor show that these initiatives will pay off in terms of improving brand
image within the minds of U.K. citizens and legislators.

Evaluation Plan

Within the first few weeks of Road for Reliefs work in the Congo, we will be able to
measure the effectiveness of the publicity campaign during the time period prior to launch.
This will also serve to provide indicators if public opinion on Ubers brand identity is
starting to change or has changed at all during the campaign. To best understand this, we
will evaluate the following criteria:

Quantitative Evaluation: We want to ensure our PR efforts are making a noticeable
impact. The following show the ways in which we will measure our efforts:
o Increase in number of hits on the Roads for Relief website from before
and after launch
o Goal of 1 million viewers for BBC special
o Use Hootsuite to track social media hits, retweets, page views, etc.
o Increase in amount press coverage on Roads for Relief initiative after BBC
special by 14%
o Goal of 200,000 GBP in donations made to cause through Red Cross
website throughout duration of PR campaign
o Bounce rate in Google with SEO
o Increase in number of regular subscribers for The Red Cross by 10%

Long Term Evaluation: More generally, we plan on also using qualitative data such
as surveys post-PR campaign to see if there has been a change in consumer attitudes
on Uber since the launch.

o Survey of U.K. consumers opinions on the brand after the publicity
campaign ends to see tangible results on attitude change
o Focus group post-PR campaign to get in-depth look at consumer
perceptions on the Roads for Relief campaign and Uber in general

Example Collateral

To show samples of press materials we would use to launch this campaign, weve provided
the following documents: a pitch letter, a media advisory & a press release

Mr. Sam Knight

Contributing Writer
The Guardian
London, United Kingdom
SKnight@yahoo.co.uk


Dear Sam,

On September 16, 2016, Uber will continue its world takeover in an unexpected and
economically undesirable market: the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Under a new campaign titled Roads for Relief, Uber has partnered with the Red Cross to
create a ten-year long project aimed to bridge distances throughout the massive country by
constructing roadways. Given the Congos hilly terrain and economic difficulties, very few
roads fit for cars currently exist, making it extremely difficult to transport medical supplies
into the impoverished nation. Only 20% of the population in the DRC currently has access
to healthcare because of these issues. Uber has made alleviating this problem its personal
mission.

Because of your recent in-depth expos How Uber Conquered London, I thought you
could be interested in covering Ubers Road for Relief initiative. By the time the project
officially begins in September, there will be over 35,000 Uber cars in London alone. London
is currently the fifth largest market for Uber and first largest in Europe. Given Mayor
Johnsons favorable stance on Ubers expansion in London, the company expects to
continue its rapid expansion and adoption.

To show consumers the work Uber will conduct in the Congo, Uber has partnered with Eon
Reality to create a virtual reality application available for iOS and Android. This app will
take the viewer directly inside the world of a relief worker in the Congo, exposing the rider
to the dire conditions in the struggling nation. This app can be seen with a Google
Cardboard Headset. Uber will provide one headset per every car in London starting July 10.


Uber has also organized a BBC special premiering on September 3 highlighting Ubers
Roads for Relief campaign. The special features a personal interview with Uber executives
including CEO Travis Kalanick, representatives from the Red Cross as well as humanitarian
groups currently working in the Congo.


Ill be in touch soon to discuss a possible interview. Look forward to speaking with you.
Sincerely,
Joanna Alden
Media Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 27, 2016

Contact: Joanna Alden

07413805525
jalden@uber.uk

UBER TO LAUNCH NEW CAMPAIGN ROADS FOR RELIEF

Uber will partner with the Red Cross to build roads in the Democratic Republic of Congo


LONDON Uber CEO Travis Kalanick along with select members from the Red Cross U.K.
will hold a press conference announcing Roads for Relief an initiative to build roads
throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to help improve transportation
routes in the worlds most impoverished nation, Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 11 a.m.
outside Ubers U.K. office, 17 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0BD.
Beginning in September 2016, Uber will launch a ten-year long project aimed to bridge
distances throughout the DRC by constructing roadways. Given the Congos hilly terrain
and financial limitations, very few roads fit for cars currently exist, making it extremely
difficult to transport medical supplies into the country. Uber has made alleviating this
problem its personal mission.


WHO:
UBER
THE RED CROSS
UBER CEO TRAVIS KALANICK
UBER U.K. GENERAL MANAGER JOE BERTRAM
RED CROSS U.K. CHIEF EXECUTIVE MIKE ADAMSON
RED CROSS U.K. DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS ZOE ABRAMS
EON REALITY MANAGING DIRECTOR IN THE U.K. KEN SWAIN
WHAT:
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ROADS FOR RELIEF, NEW CAMPAIGN FROM UBER AND
THE RED CROSS TO BUILD ROADS IN THE DRC
WHEN:
THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016
WHERE:
OUTSIDE UBERS U.K. OFFICER
17 GROSVENOR GARDENS, LONDON SW1W 0BD
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2016

Contact: Joanna Alden

07413805525
jalden@uber.uk

UBER LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN ROADS FOR RELIEF

Uber partners with the Red Cross to build roads in the Democratic Republic of Congo


LONDON Uber CEO Travis Kalanick along with select members from the British Red Cross
announced a new campaign titled Roads for Relief an initiative to build roads throughout the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to help improve transportation routes in the
worlds most impoverished nation.
Beginning in September 2016, Uber will launch a ten-year long project aimed to bridge
distances throughout the DRC by constructing roadways. Given the Congos hilly terrain
and financial limitations, very few roads fit for cars currently exist, making it extremely
difficult to transport medical supplies into the country. Uber has made alleviating this
problem its personal mission.

At Uber, its our goal to bridge the gaps between locations to make a more interconnected
world, and now we must focus these efforts on decreasing the distances between patients
and hospitals, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said. We want to help the people of the Congo in
the best way we know how: improving transportation.

Uber has pledged to get individual consumers aware and inspired about the current plight
in the DRC by allowing Uber riders to enter the world of the Congo, virtually. Uber has
partnered with Eon Reality to create a virtual reality application available for iOS and
Android. This app will take the viewer directly inside the world of a relief worker in the
DRC, exposing the rider to the dire conditions in the struggling nation. This app can be seen
with a Google Cardboard Headset. Uber will provide one headset per every car in London
starting July 10.

We wanted to develop this app with Eon so we could really transport our customers into
the world people in the DRC live in so they could personally envision the terrible
circumstances, Uber U.K. General Manager Joe Bertram said. Its one thing to read about
statistics in the news, but its quite another to feel like youre actually experiencing life in a
dangerous country. We believe this will really resonate with our customers and ensure
them that Roads for Relief can do some serious good.


About Uber

Uber Technologies Inc. is an American multinational online transportation network
company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It develops, markets and operates the

Uber mobile app, which allows consumers with smartphones to submit a trip request
which is then routed to Uber drivers who use their own cars. As of April 12, 2016, the
service was available in over 60 countries and 404 cities worldwide. Uber was founded as
"UberCab" by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp in 2009 and the app was released the
following June. Beginning in 2012, Uber expanded internationally. In 2014, it experimented
with carpooling features and made other updates. By late-2015, Uber was estimated to be
worth $62.5 billion.


About British Red Cross
The British Red Cross helps millions of people in the UK and around the world to
prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies, disasters and conflicts. Our
volunteers and staff help people in crisis to live independently by providing support at
home, mobility aids and transport. We also teach first aid skills. We are part of the
global Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian network.


About EON Reality

EON Reality is the world leader in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) based
knowledge transfer for industry, education, and edutainment. EON Realitys success is tied
to its belief that knowledge is a human right and should be available, accessible, and
affordable for every human on the planet. To carry this out, EON Reality, since 1999, has
developed the de-facto standard for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality based
knowledge transfer software that supports devices from mobile phones to large immersive
domes. EON Realitys global app development network, with twenty-two locations
worldwide, has created the worlds leading AR/VR library for knowledge transfer with over
7,000 applications. Over 36 million people worldwide have downloaded these applications.
For further information, visit www.eonreality.com.



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