Thinkerbell, GMG and The Sensory collaborate with YouTube to combat the perils of surge pricing in newly launched campaign for 13cabs
Targeting a frustrated younger demographic out and about, 13cabs is raising the issues of surge pricing via a re-invigorated ‘Serge’ of their own. This newer, younger, ‘Sergier’ Serge will be popping up in YouTube browsers all over the country, starting this week.
Taking advantage of YouTube’s recently launched Director’s Mix technology, the campaign will kick off with a boot load of individually created hyper-targeted 6sec bumper ads that speak directly to the audience with messaging related to their search terms, and trending topics. As the campaign unfolds many more individualised messages will be added to the mix simply by supplying updated audio files to the Director’s Mix platform.
Says Jordan Taylor-Bartels, GMG Digital: “We’ve worked really closely with YouTube to craft this campaign in order to best utilise their new platform and tech offering.”
There will also be a series of 15 second YouTube Trueview episodes that will be sequentially served to the audience over a period of time, so they can get to ‘know’ Serge and follow him on his mission to become Australia’s most loved cab driver.
Says Jim Ingram, Thinkerbell: “In line with the recent 13cabs re-brand we wanted to represent a fresher, younger Serge with an eagerness to please his passengers, whilst delivering on our promise that the only surge you’ll get with 13cabs, is Serge driving.”
Says Liz Attia, head of marketing, 13cabs: “We’re on a journey to modernise the 13cabs brand and give people more reasons to choose 13cabs over other rideshare options by demonstrating a core points of difference. Working with YouTube to support their new platform has given us the opportunity to demonstrate the advantages of having Serge driving, rather than surge pricing.”
13cabs
GMG
Thinkerbell
The Sensory
Brand Music
12 Comments
Sorry, at a glance I misread the headline to read ‘…the perils of sausage pricing’. Now that’s a campaign I could really get behind.
Really appreciate what 13cabs refresh, their effort and noticeability in market. So, like all good marketing people, I ran a test. I tested 13cabs for 1 whole week, Every trip. And for every trip, I ended up somewhere btwn $5-$10 further out of pocket. My favourite was on Brunswick street with 5 girlfriends and a maxi taxi. We literally went from one bar to another, 500m up the road to be charged $24.71….
Now… that’s a surge. Surged me straight back to Uber!
… than expensive all the time.
No-brainer.
Say what you will. Too little… too late
Work like this constantly reminds me why I should stay in the US.
Cue ‘Punters will love it’ vs ‘This is racial stereotyping at its worst’ debate, followed up with ‘Better to be talked about than not’, etc.
Yawn.
It’s just bad.
That’s it.
Get over it.
Move on.
Couple of things.
1) I just don’t get the strategy – highlighting the competition is occasionally the same price (or more expensive) vs you’re expensive the whole time.
2) You can spend all the money in the world with new livery and logo, but unless you upgrade the experience, nothing changes. Jumped in a 13 CABS new cab the other night, old bloke got halfway there before the old ‘oh, forgot to put the meter on’ trick.
I was stunned, briefly. I’ve also had several trips, booked via the app, in which the driver has had to ask where I’m going, and how to get there. Um, what’s the point?
It’s sad, but the future for cab companies is to scrap all human drivers.
@Test13cabs – interesting. Did you do the same trips – hence being able to know you were charged more, like-for-like?
It’s impressive the way 13Cabs have changed the way they look, but they’ve got to do something about the actual business model. Dirty cabs that charge more than ride share that is held to impeccable standards by their shareholders… the public.
The boss happens to be the one white guy. Awks.
I got in a cab earlier this year on Fitzroy St, St Kilda, just near Cummins & Partners, and I kid you not, I had to direct the driver to Punt Road.
Punt, Fucking, Road. 60 metres behind us.
How the fuck did he even get to where he picked me up without knowing where Punt Road was?
Uber all the way. The 13Cabs experience is a turd and you can’t polish it up with a billboard and YouTube video.
I don’t understand the strategy on this either. It’s more expensive most of the time. And it stinks.
Wouldn’t a “we’re trying harder now” type strategy be better (if it was actually backed up by new standards being implemented).