Uber has officially launched its own advertising division to "engage consumers with brands" by showing video ads during cab rides.
The company will also sell space for ads inside its ride-hailing app and Uber Eats app in addition to in-vehicle digital ads, sponsored emails, and even car top ads. Uber will also launch a pilot program for showing ads on tablets in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Inside the Uber Eats app, the company has placed sponsored listings to get brands ahead of their competition. There"s also post-checkout apps, in-menu ads, digital storefront ads as well as homepage billboards.
Uber"s advertising division"s General Manager Dr. Grether said:
"We have a global audience of valuable, purchase-minded consumers who, as part of our core business, tell us where they want to go and what they want to get.
While these consumers are making purchase decisions and waiting for their destination or delivery we can engage them with messages from brands that are relevant to their purchase journeys.
He further added that Uber served 1.87 billion trips around the globe in the last quarter, which translates to a much higher brand impression on consumers across rides and delivery.
Advertisements have been a fool-proof revenue generation tool for decades. Uber"s ride-hailing competitor Lyft also created its own advertisement division focused on in-app ads. Even Netflix has confirmed its plans to do so after years of no ads on its platform.
Source: Uber