Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The prospect of ridesharing is not a new concept to the global market, however its
popularity has continued to grow exponentially within North America. Rideshare services like
Lyft and Uber have become a daily essential to the average city commuters life, but only one of
these two services has penetrated the market globally. Lyft, created in 2012 by Logan Green and
John Zimmer, is a ridesharing service that has yet to break out of the United States walls. The
objective of this campaign is to bring Lyft into the global market by infiltrating six countries:
Canada, Brazil, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Thailand. These countries are prime targets for
Lyft to grow as a company due to its high-traffic locations and its receptiveness of rideshare
services.
The Geert Hofstede model will be used to cross-culturally analyze each prospective
country against the origin country, the U.S. The data analyzed is then implemented for the
advertising campaign. Using a decentralized strategy along with a sprinkler effect, Lyfts global
campaign will begin in three phases. Each phase will bring Lyft into two countries
simultaneously. Through use of a specific, decentralized strategy, Lyft advertisements will adapt
its marketing tools to reflect the culture, society, and economy of each respective country. The
goal is for Lyft to be a competitor within these countries and begin their global growth.
Situation Analysis
Company Background
Lyft is a San Francisco-based ridesharing service created in 2012 by Logan Green and
John Zimmer as part of their Zimride service (Venturebeat.com. 2013). Zimride, created in 2007,
used social media such as Facebook as a way to connect people with others in their school or
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work circle from city to city using an online Facebook application where one inputs their desired
destination which then matches them with people also heading in that direction
(Bizjournals.com, 2013). The idea of Zimride is to promote eco-friendly ridesharing with people
you may not have typically interacted with from your school or workplace (Techcrunch.com.
2009). The name derives, not from Zimmers name, but from a visit Green took to Zimbabwe
where he observed the locals sharing minivan rides (Techcrunch.com. 2009). Both he and
Zimmer brought the idea of ridesharing to North America and eventually created the Lyft app.
What differs from the original concept of Zimride to what we now know as Lyft is that Zimride
was predominantly for travelers seeking to go from city to city, thereby resulting in a longer trip.
Lyft opened itself up to everyone and focused more on shorter, within city trips. Like taxis, Lyft
tasks drivers to pick up passengers looking to reach a destination at a more affordable rate, but
At the beginning of its conception, Lyft was a donation-based system where passengers
agreed upon a monetary donation to their driver as opposed to a firm fare. As of 2013, Lyft
repealed the donations and began to have firm fares which encouraged their drivers to drive more
frequently. Along with their fares, they added surcharges during prime time hours that also
incentivized their drivers (Techcrunch.com, 2012). With firmer fares meant more drivers, and
with more drivers meant more opportunity to use Lyft. What sets Lyft apart from other
ridesharing services like average taxi cabs or Uber was personality. From 2012-2015, Lyft
became well-known as the vehicle that had a giant fuzzy pink mustache on the cars grill,
Lyft prides itself on a sense of community where Lyft drivers are more than just an
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average chauffeur; they are potential friends who pull up in their car with a comically large,
fuzzy, pink mustache on its grill and offer you a fist bump as you sit in the front seat of the car
(Wired.com, 2015). According to Zimmer, he tries to find drivers who are aspirational, friendly
people, and when you take a ride with a person, you think hey, that could be me (Wired.com,
2015). Although Lyft focuses greatly on its fun and friendly image, it still is not enough to
compete in the ridesharing world like Uber who penetrated global markets outside of the United
States. The fuzzy mustache, along with other things, may have been a contributing factor to its
less than successful race against Uber. As such, Lyft replaced the iconic mustaches as a show of
maturity. The mustache received polar reactions: absolutely loving it or refusing to get into a car
that boasted it (Theverge.com, 2016). The mustache was replaced by the Amp, an LED gadget
that lights up with the matching color of the passenger in order to ensure the correct
Since its conception, Lyft has grown from a juvenile donations-based ridesharing to a
sophisticated means of daily transportation for city commuters. Within the last year alone, Lyft
has raised $600 million in funding bringing their total to $2.61 billion (Fortune.com, 2012).
While this is quite a huge win for Lyft, compared to Ubers $8.8 billion, they still have quite a
long way to go in order to compete in the ridesharing world. In order for Lyft to be a threat and
usurp the competition, it must be able to infiltrate markets globally and create a positive brand
Transportation Industry
While the worlds most popular mode of transit is the bicycle, in the United States, cars
are the dominate mode of transportation, offering both freedom and flexibility (Forbes.com,
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2014). Every country that Lyft could potentially penetrate for this expansion does not have
bicycles as the common mode of transportation. Rather, public transportation or privately owned
The U.S. is one of the worlds largest car producers and also home to 30% of cars used
worldwide by a population of only 5% (Statista.com, 2016). Since the recession in 2009, car
purchases have been on an incline, however in 2014, car sales began to fall again approximately
from 7.9 million to 7.1 million in sales (Immihelp.com). Other popular modes of transportation
include: bus, train, plane, and ridesharing. Bicycles (not personally owned), busses, and trains,
fall into the public transportation category, while planes and ridesharing are considered private
transportation. To clearly articulate for the terms of this paper, public transportation is
compensated by the government primarily and paid in way of taxes, whereas private
Public transportation in the U.S. is a $61 billion dollar industry and according to
energy, and environmental challenges (Apta.com, 2016). The nation has seen an increasing
number of individuals using public transportation and as a result, local communities are
expanding its public transit services (Apta.com, 2016). In 2014, Americans took 10.8 billion trips
on public transit, the highest in 58 years (Apta.com, 2016). Approximately 35 million people
boarded public transit each weekday. Since 1995, public transit ridership is up 39%, outpacing
population growth and vehicle miles traveled (Apta.com, 2016). The transportation industry also
employs around 400,000 people through 7,200 organizations (Apta.com, 2016). Benefits of
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highways, and a reduction in a carbon footprint. In addition, public transportation drives
economic opportunities through job creation; every $1 billion invested in public transportation
While public transportation has its benefits, it is primarily restricted to cities and less
available to rural areas. As a result more than three-quarters of all people commute to work by
themselves. This leads to congestion along highways, increased use of fuel, and is
environmentally unfriendly. A common solution to this is carpooling, but this is frequent only
within families and close friends, and as such is not a viable transportation method
(Investopedia.com, n.d.).
This gives rise to private transportation methods like ridesharing, where popular
ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft are used. Uber and Lyft are companies based on the
concept of the sharing economy, where individuals are able to rent or borrow assets owned by
someone else (Forbes.com, 2016). Recent research done by American Public Transportation
Association indicates that the more people use public transportation, the more likely they are to
use shared modes of transportation overall (Apta.com, 2016-1). This is a key finding as it
pertains to each country and destination city where Lyft is proposed to globally expand into. All
the elected countries offer public transit or have future plans for public transit. This paves the
Our research indicates that 16% of the general population who are male, and 14% who
are female are the primary users of ridesharing apps like Lyft within the United States (Smith,
2016). The main users are aged between 18-29 (28%) and 30-49 (19%), and reside heavily in
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urban (21%) and suburban (15%) areas (Smith, 2016). In terms of education, rideshare users
have a college degrees (56%), or some college (30%) (Smith, 2016). We believe this target
audience is transferable to the 6 regions we are globally expanding into. However, we recognize
that some countries that we enter may have different cultural values and expectations so we
Global Expansion
sprinkler strategy (Blogspot.com, 2010) will be implemented for Lyft to enter the following
countries: Canada, Brazil, France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand. A sprinkler strategy
allows Lyft to introduce the ridesharing car service simultaneously in multiple markets, while
also preemptively moving competition (Blogspot.com, 2010). The sprinkler strategy consists of
three phases. In phase one, Lyft will enter Canada and Brazil. Phase two will have Lyft enter
France and Egypt. The last phase, Lyft will enter Saudi Arabia and Thailand.
Phase 1
The Canadian market (table 1), consists of both English and French speakers. Advertising
and PR communications will reflect both forms of language. The collective population of Canada
is 36 million, but the cities of focus are Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia with
populations of 2.8 million and 603 thousand respectively. Canadians value equality and
respect for other cultures in their communications, and receive the bulk of their
communications through digital, TV, and newspaper. These values will be translated to these
three media vehicles. In addition, the two target cities are dominated by public transportation,
which has already been classified as an indicator that users are more likely to use shared modes
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of transportation. As for competition, the Canadian market boasts of a variety of ridesharing
options, which includes Uber. Through communications, Lyft will position itself as a market
competitor and be reflective of cultural values through advertisements allowing for it to have the
To indicate how well Lyft will be received, an analysis was done to compare the origin
country of Lyft to the prospective country, Canada. According to Geert Hofstede (graph 1),
Canada scores similarly to the United States. Areas of particular interests are as follows: long
term orientation, masculinity, and individualism. These differences vary by 10 points, with
Canada having a higher long term orientation and a more feminine culture than the U.S., though
the U.S. ranked higher on the individualism scale. This analysis indicates the two cultures are
relatively similar, and as a result is a promising prospect for Lyft. Communications, however,
Essentially, the brands image needs to be communicated to reflect the Canadian culture.
The second country in phase one is Brazil, South America (table 2). The language of
Brazil is Portuguese, and the overall population totals to 210 million people. Like Canada, Lyft
will enter two target cities: Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro. The respective populations are: 11.96
million and 6.45 million. The Brazilian culture responds most to television and outdoor media
communications, and as such, the media communications for Lyft will be reflective of that.
Communications will also represent the core values that the Brazilian culture upholds: overt
Public transportation within both target cities is prevalent; ridesharing is already present
in Brazil with companies like Uber, and the Chinese equivalent, Didi. While this is a competitive
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market, Lyft can position itself to consumers as a friendly alternative, driving passengers to see
As for cross-cultural differences, an analysis was done between the U.S. and Brazil to
identify key areas of interests (graph 2). There were noteworthy differences between all six Geert
Hofstede categories. The most interesting difference, however, was the uncertainty avoidance
ranking at 76, whereas the U.S. ranks at 46. This proves to be problematic because if the brand is
unfamiliar, then consumers may not try the service. Also linked with these findings is that Brazil
ranks higher than the U.S. in long term orientation, 44 and 26 respectively. This means that once
the Brazilian consumer tries the brand, they are more likely to be a loyalist than an American.
Phase 2
The second phase includes France, located in the European Region (table 3). France has a
total population of 66 million, and the language is French. The target city is Paris, France, which
boasts of 2.24 million people within the city and 10.5 million people from the suburban areas of
France. The top forms of advertising in France include: TV, digital, and outdoor. The values
As for competition, Uber and other rideshare services are present. Start-ups like
BlaBlaCar, Le Taxi, and Le Cab offer app-like services similar to Uber. Paris also offers an
extensive public transportation system, so competition is expected in this country because the
shared mode of transportation is popular. In addition, France is known for being the top most
traveled to destination in the world (France profile, 2017). People from all over can travel to
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Like Brazil, France has a very different cultural than the U.S., in areas of uncertainty
avoidance and long term orientation (graph 3). While France scores rank differently, these two
categories indicate how consumers may or may not receive a new brand. France scores an 86,
compared to the U.S.s 46 for uncertainty avoidance, which again means they are more unwilling
to try a new brand. For long term orientation, France scores higher than the U.S., meaning they
are more likely to be brand loyal, ranking at 63 compared to the U.S. ranked at 26. This indicates
that our communication tools in France also need to be ubiquitous and relevant to Parisian
values.
Egypt is the second country in phase 2 (table 4). Egypts language is Arabic and has a
population of 95 million. The target city is Cairo and has a population of 7.7 million. The main
forms of advertising are: digital, TV, social media, and newspaper while the core value depicted
in communications is humour.
Ridesharing service providers like Uber, Careem and Ousta are the primary competitors.
Additionally, public transportation is also present, which indicates usage of shared modes of
transportation. Public transportation and ridesharing options are also appealing to travelers, and
Lastly, as a cross-cultural analysis, Egypt greatly differs from the U.S., and as such
indicates Egypt as a risky location to enter. Egypt has low power distance, 25, compared to U.S.
which ranks 91, and high uncertainty avoidance of 80, compared to the U.S.s 46. Egypt also
ranks low on long term orientation and indulgence, 7 and 4, respectively. The U.S. contrasts to
these numbers greatly with 26 and 68, respectively. Instead of targeting the locals, Lyft can focus
its efforts on targeting the tourists arriving to Egypt and visiting Cairo. Entering foreign locations
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as a tourist can be daunting and intimidating, and although Cairo has a public transportation
system with its metro, ridesharing is a more familiar and convenient way to get around.
Advertisements will appear in specific locations such as airports, metros, and popular tourist
Phase 3
The final phase of the campaign will see penetration in Saudi Arabia (table 5). The
country has a total population of 33 million and its main language is Arabic. The target city for
this country is Riyadh, which has a population of 4 million. The top forms of advertising are
digital, TV, social media, newspaper, and radio, and the values depicted within each medium are
The main competitors within Riyadh are Uber and Careem, with Careem being the
leading ridesharing service in the Middle East. This countrys main form of transportation are
cars, so Lyft can be a key competitor within the market, especially for tourists considering that
According to the Geert Hofstede analysis (graph 5), Saudi Arabia is more likely to have
uncertainty avoidance, with a score of 80, and have a low long term orientation rate, with a score
of 36. Although the numbers dictate that Lyft may not statistically be able to penetrate the Saudi
Arabian market, the advertisements will be placed in specific locations as it will be within Egypt:
airports and popular tourist attractions. The ubiquitous messaging shown at these particular
locations will target the tourists visiting Riyadh rather than predominantly the locals. The locals
have shown that they will most likely use Careem as their personal ridesharing, but tourists who
know the Lyft brand and will see the advertisements at key locations will recognize that Lyft is
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an option for them to use.
The last country of phase 3 includes Thailand. The language of Thailand is Thai, and the
total population is 68 million. The target city of Thailand is Bangkok, which has a population of
5 million people. The top forms of communications are digital, TV, and social media. The core
values that Thai people respond well with include advertisements with emotional and sentimental
values.
As for competition, rideshare providers like Uber and Grab are present. In addition, there
is extensive public transportation services provided. Thailand has a high percentage of mobile
users (90%), which is great for app providers like Lyft to enter the market to mobile users. There
are also approximately 32 million travelers entering Thailand (Thaiwebsites.com, 2017). All
factors considered, Thailand appears to be an attractive market for Lyft seeing as it can
piggyback off consumers using shared modes of transportation, those using mobile apps, and
target travelers.
According to Geert Hofstede, the differences between the U.S. and Thailand are
separated by ten points at its most drastic (see graph 6). The Thai culture's uncertainty avoidance
rate is 64 compared to the U.S.s 46. Alongside, Thai people are more likely to be brand loyalists
due to the fact that their long term orientation rate is 32 versus the U.S.s 26. Although Thailand
may seem a little more cautious with foreign businesses, their rideshare providers of Uber and
Grab along with their current metro system shows that Thai people are already receptive to the
idea of ridesharing. With ubiquitous messaging, Lyft will be able to infiltrate the Bangkok
market, and in time, it will become a brand that Thai people will trust.
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Objectives
Communication Objectives
introduction. The first way in which Lyft can attempt to make that happen is with a successful
pre-launch publicity stunt to garner intrigue and get potential consumers talking about the brand
and engaging with it online. The hope is to increase sign-ups on the app and traffic to Lyfts
social media pages by 30%. Through these initiatives Lyft hopes to raise brand awareness and
playfulness. The pre-launch publicity regarding the stunt as well as the corporate social
responsibility tie-in will help position Lyft as a brand that is fun and thoughtful. Ultimately these
efforts should get people to become aware of who we are, increase sign ups to the app, and get
consumers visiting, and hopefully following or liking, our social media pages.
Advertising Objectives
After the initial communication into the new market, advertising strategies will help Lyft
to really boost their business. The goal of the advertisements are to make consumers in the new
markets feel engaged and understood by Lyft. While the initial communication strategies are
meant to increase sign-ups and drive people to social media pages, the objectives of the
advertisements are more concrete. At the point of the initial launch we hope to be increasing use
of the app, not just sign-ups. We want to increase rides taken, as well as generate at least a 4 star
rating for our drivers. We also hope that our promotion (get $5 off a ride when a friend signs up)
will help further increase sign-ups to the app. Social media pages should not only be receiving
likes and views at this point, but also engagement. We want to increase global engagement with
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the brand online. Successful advertisements should drive consumers to tweet or message Lyft
which will generate a two-way conversation with customers. We hope to increase engagement by
40% in each country through advertisements. While it will take some time for Lyft to begin to
steal market share from other modes of transportation, increased usage of the app and consumer
engagement is the first step that can be taken toward that ultimate goal in the early stages of
introduction.
Communication Strategies
Managing Communication
Lyfts global expansion will be delivered through the use of a global brand team led by a
brand manager. Members of this team will include brand representatives from all six countries
targeted for the expansion. To be certain that all communication efforts align with local customs,
brand representatives must not only be from the country assigned, but have also lived in the city
Lyft will be expanding into for at least 5 years. These brand representatives will be experts in the
fields of advertising, market research, promotions, public relations, among other topics. Brand
representatives will help Lyft to make sure that all communication strategies associated with the
expansion into new markets are aligned with that country's language, culture, symbols,
traditions, holidays, religious groups, icons, values, etc. to ensure a successful brand launch
This group of culture experts and industry experts will be led by Lyft brand manager, VP
of global communication, Sheila Bryson who will take ownership of the global expansion. It is
important for this team to have a leader who owns the brand globally (Aaiker & Joachimstahler,
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1999). Bryson will be involved to make sure the team members stay on task, reach goals, and
make sure that local interpretations of the brand stay true to Lyfts overall brand image.
Lyft has attempted to move toward a more serious brand image as it attempts to compete
with other rideshare services such as Uber. However, during a large global expansion, it will be
critical for Lyft to return to its roots to find a point of differentiation in a world saturated with
transportation options. Therefore, Lyft attempts to expand globally by bringing back the stache!
Lyft abandoned the mustache as a logo after the large fuzzy mustaches placed on their cars were
seen as immature or simply did not resonate with some consumers. While Lyft does not want to
bring back the big fuzzy mustaches, it does want to bring back the fun. Lyfts global expansion
will align the company as one of fun, playfulness, and accessibility. To do this, the mustache will
be brought back, in a small way, to help get this message across. It will also use messaging
strategies consistent with local values to help their new playful advertisements to resonate with
local consumers. Fun and accessibility will help Lyft get the attention of new consumers from
global advertising and public relations campaign. A centralized strategy will be used during the
pre-launch, where a publicity stunt will garner the interest of consumers worldwide. Once
involved in the product launch Lyft plans to use a decentralized strategy with the help of its
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global brand team. This strategy will focus on single concept campaigns in which brand
representatives will be tasked with creating different advertisements centered around one central
idea (FCB, 1993). The brand personality decentralized campaigns will be asked to keep in mind
is that of fun, playfulness and accessibility. Brand representatives will be tasked with discerning
what these concepts mean to local markets and how to illustrate them in effective and tailored
advertising.
Lyft will begin its campaign with a publicity stunt to garner interest and curiosity. Lyft
will work with local city governments to place pink cars in the shape of mustaches in city
centers. These cars will be parked at a central location in all cities that Lyft will be entering.
There will be no media release or news coverage around the car introduction. The side of the car
will simply have the hashtag #MustacheRides.The goal of this stunt is to get consumers buzzing
around Lyft and drive consumers to seek out and interact with the brand directly on their own
terms before introducing any advertisements. The hashtag will send consumers to the company
social media pages and website where they can learn more about the brand, find out about their
philanthropic partnerships and about promotions associated with the launch (first ride will be
free and if you refer a friend you get a $5 coupon). After a week of generating buzz, Lyft will
then send a press release (APPENDIX #15) to the media announcing their global expansion and
city introduction. The newspapers Lyft will send the press release to are the following: Canada:
The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, La Presse, Le Journal de Montral, and Metro Toronto;
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Brazil: Super Noticia, Folha de Sao Paulo, Globo, and O Estado de Sao Paulo; France: Le
Monde, Le Figaro, Le Parisien, and Liberation; Egypt: Youm7, El-Balad, Dostor, and Yallakora;
Saudi Arabia: Al-Jazirah, Al-Riyadh, Okaz, and Al-Sharq al-Awsat; Thailand: Daily News,
Khao Sod, Kom Chad Luek, and Thai Rath. This press release will also be posted to Lyfts
website. Shortly following a press release to the media, Lyft will begin introducing its
CSR Initiative
strategy. This is helpful to build a positive brand image with new customers as well as existing
consumers and other stakeholders. It is also beneficial in the case of a crisis. Positive brand
reputation helps to create trust and favorability which can act as a cushion during a crisis
situation.
Lyft will partner with Splash, a global nonprofit organization providing clean water to
children around the world (Global Impact, 2017). Lyft will agree to give 1% of proceeds from
every single ride to the Splash organization. Lyft will send out a press release (APPENDIX #16)
as well as promote the partnership and the organization on their social media pages through print
advertisements (APPENDIX #2 & #7). The copy will read Make a Splash or Make a
Difference and will show the Lyft logo. Partnering with this nonprofit will benefit Lyft in
several ways. The first is the benefit to brand reputation mentioned previously. This partnership
will also allow for the playful brand positioning while solidifying itself as a brand to be taken
seriously. Previously Lyft was worried about taking its fun image too far, but through the Splash
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partnership, Lyft can maintain a playful brand image, while showing consumers that the brand
need will also serve Lyft well as it attempts to expand globally. It can be challenging for a brand
to create meaning across borders. Donating to a charity that helps to provide water for children
will create a brand image of positivity and philanthropy that will translate across all cultural
divides.
The first step to implementing a crisis management plan is to identify as many possible
crises that may come Lyfts way. The following are some such crises:
etc.
Passengers get in a physical altercation with the driver or with one another
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Rides taking inappropriate routes
Etc.
After acknowledging these, the next step for Lyfts crisis management plan is to identify
a spokesperson. This will be founders Logan Green and John Zimmer. They will receive special
training for what to say and how to act during a crisis. Some such tips may be genuine concern,
transparency, apologeticness, how to dress, and even how to convey the correct body language
and facial expressions. Lyft will also hire a small crisis response team who will have special
training. Their role will be to create relationships with popular media stations in all markets Lyft
exists in. Should a crisis occur, Lyft will already have working relationships with the platforms
on which it can release a statement. Creating a media kit will also be important for Lyft as it
attempts to prepare for any crises. This kit will include most recent press releases, a company
history, its CSR initiatives, and identification of spokespeople. It will be critical for Lyft to
respond transparently and quickly to any crisis situation. Brand reputation is Lyfts best buffer
against potential crises. It is important for Lyft to create strong brand favorability and trust with
consumers in every market. The partnership with the nonprofit Splash will also help to create
credibility as a brand that cares about people. This will help to give Lyft the benefit of the
Phase 1
In the first phase of expansion Lyft will enter the Canadian market. The target cities will
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be Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia. The largest advertising platforms here are
digital, television and newspaper so Lyft attempts will target all three advertising platforms.
Advertisements in Canada will align with the cultural themes of equality, inclusion and respect.
Advertisements will appear in both English and French since both are languages spoken in
Canada. The Digital and paper advertisements will be the same with the copy reading Rides for
Print ads of the Splash partnership may also appear in the Canadian markets since it is a
society that favors respect and equality and will find the nonprofit aspect of Lyft an added
appeal. These advertisements will simply say Make a splash and show children from around
Canada-TV Commercial
The commercial will have a similar theme and be tied directly to the print advertisement.
The scene will be set with a man standing on the corner with his dog when he orders a Lyft on
the app. The man quickly realizes he has left something in the house so he commands the dog to
stay and races inside to retrieve it. The Lyft driver then pulls up to the corner and looks around.
He only sees the dog sitting on the corner. The scene then cuts to a dog riding in the front seat of
the car sticking his head out the window. A voiceover then says Rides for Everyone and the
Lyft logo appears on the screen. The commercial will play on the two most popular TV stations
Canada-Social Media
The TV commercial will appear on CTV and Globals social media pages as inclusivity is
something that will resonate with the majority of visitors. The Make a Splash ads will be on
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these pages with links to Splashs website and options to donate to Splash directly.
Brazil-TV Commercial
In the second part of phase 1, Lyft will launch in two cities in Brazil, Sao Paulo and Rio
de Janeiro. The largest advertising platform in Brazil is television. Lyft will air a TV commercial
on the two most popular stations in Brazil which are Rede Globo and Rede Record. The
commercials will play in Portuguese, the national language. The concept of the commercial will
consist of Lyfts playful brand image, while appealing to Brazils popular advertising themes of
sex and openness. The concept for the commercial is as follows: A group of men are riding in a
Lyft seeing all the traditional sites of Brazil such as Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf
Mountain. The men are getting out and taking pictures and then getting back in the car to go to
the next location. They are indifferent to the sights. The Lyft driver notices this and winks at the
men in his rearview mirror. The next scene shows the men looking happy as they get out of the
car and step onto a beach. The camera spans to the side where a sign reads nude beach and a
voiceover says taking you to the sights you really want to see. The final image of the Lyft logo
appears on screen.
Brazil-Billboard
Brazil will also have a billboard campaign written in Portuguese. The billboards will be
posted on popular highways leading into and out of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The copy will
read See all the sights and have the Lyft logo. The picture will be of a woman sunning herself
in a pink bikini. This is in line with Brazils love of sexual openness in their advertisements. It is
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Phase 2
Lyft ads for France will be online as well as feature billboard advertisements. These ads
will play off the extremely sexual and seductive nature of french advertising as well as its humor.
Advertisements for print and digital will both be in French and simply read Need a Ride? The
image will be of a naked woman wearing a tiny pink mustache (APPENDIX #4). These will
appear as Facebook advertisements (Facebook holds 90% of the market share in France) as well
France-TV Commercial
The Lyft TV commercial will air in France on the popular stations, TFI and France 2, and
will be in French. The commercial will play on seduction as well as spectacle and humor. The
commercial begins with a woman exiting a hotel room and kissing her date goodnight. He closes
the door and she enters an elevator. She walks out into the lobby and out of a revolving door, but
a piece of her shirt gets caught in the door and tears completely off as she exits the building. She
is standing on the street topless, covering her breasts with her hands. For a moment, she looks
panicked but then pulls out her phone and orders a Lyft. Seconds later a man pulls up in a car
with the Lyft logo and asks Do you need a ride? She smiles flirtatiously and gets into the car
Advertisements in Egypt will be in Arabic and center around a launch in Cairo. Egyptians
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are a proud people after going through a recent revolution. However, they are also playful and
have a large tourist population. The low cell phone penetration, only 36%, means that a large
portion of those using the Lyft app will be the proud youths who played a large part in the
revolution, as well as tourists coming to see the pyramids. Digital banner and print ads will play
on this pride and tourism. Ads will show the pyramids with a small car parked in front. The
tagline will be The next wonder of the world with the Lyft logo (APPENDIX #6). These ads
will appear as social media banner ads as well as ads in Youm7, El-Balad, and Dostor
newspapers.
Egypt-TV Commercial
The commercial for Lyfts launch in Cairo will also be in Arabic and air on channels
MBC Group and Al Hayat. The commercial will show a man and a woman driving in a car
through Egypt looking at old churches and amazing views. The voiceover will say Egypt is
filled with wonder while the car drives through a picturesque setting. Then the voiceover will
say Now get ready for Egypts next wonder the car will pull up to the pyramids and stop. The
camera centers on the pyramids but then slowly pans down to the Lyft light on the dash before
the Lyfts logo appearing on the screen. This advertisement again remains playful and fun while
Phase 3
The most popular forms of advertising in Saudi Arabia are digital, TV, and newspaper.
All advertisements will be in Arabic and ads will be centered around the launch city of Riyadh.
22
Ads will appeal to the extreme wealth and luxury in Saudi Arabia. Digital advertisements will
show stylish and luxurious cars driving and winding quickly through the city of Riyadh at night.
At the end of the short clip the tagline will read Arrive in Style with the Lyft logo. These ads
will play on social media platforms such as Facebook. There will also be still advertisements in
the newspaper and online that also read Arrive in Style with a picture of an expensive car and
the Lyft logo (APPENDIX #5). Newspapers to run this ad will include Al-Jazirah, Al-Riyadh,
The TV commercial will also be in Arabic and run on popular TV stations such as MBC
Group and Rotana Group. The themes of luxury and wealth will be involved, but motifs of
tradition that are popular in Saudi Arabian culture will also be present. The commercial will
feature a well-dressed man wearing a suit and an expensive watch arriving in a private plane. In
front of the plane is a stylish Bentley. He looks forward and smiles. Then he walks around the
Bentley and gets into a modest Lyft car. There will be a plate of dates and tea for his
consumption. He relaxes and enjoys the trip through the city. The voiceover will say Make your
journey a part of the experience. Then the man will arrive at an incredibly fancy hotel filled
with well dressed people and the tagline Arrive in Style will appear with the Lyft logo. While
this is a little more serious than other ads, the playful start and relaxed tone will still be in line
Thailand-Digital
Lyfts final launch will take place in Bangkok, Thailand. In a city with many
23
transportation options and two rideshare companies already on the market, Lyft will need to
appeal to culture to stand out. The people of Thailand connect with sentiment and emotional
connection. This is why Lyft will choose to accentuate its partnership with Splash and its
philanthropy to differentiate it from competitors. Advertisements will all be in Thai. Digital ads
in the form of banner advertisements will be placed on social media pages and popular websites.
The ads will say Make a difference or Make a splash both with the Lyft logo (APPENDIX
Thailand-TV Commercial
Two commercials for Lyft will be in Thai and will air on popular channels such as 24
News and Channel 3. The commercials will also appeal to Thailands culture of emotion and
values of sentiment. The first commercial advertises the functions of Lyft, while the second
The commercial starts off in Thailand's downtown core where taxis are being hailed left
and right. Two men exit the same financial building, one in a suit and one in a custodian
uniform. They both hail a cab at the same time. A taxi pulls up, and they both reach for the
handle. The man in the suit explains how he needs it more since he is off to a meeting, and
though the custodian man is reluctant, he agrees. The executive gets to his meeting a few minutes
late. Every day, they hail the same cab, and every day, the executive has somewhere important
he has to get to with the custodian man giving up the taxi. Eventually, the custodian man knows
to just give up the cab. One day we see the custodian man wait outside the building and pull out
his phone to order a Lyft. He sees the executive suit man struggling to hail a cab and tells his
driver to wait. He offers the executive man a ride, and since the custodian man's destination is
24
closer, they drop him off first. He picks up his young daughter, and shes happy to see that he's
not late yet again. The executive man looks after them as he drives away. He is still thoughtful
about the event as he arrives to his meeting early for a change. The next day, before the
custodian man can even pull out his phone, the executive man, in his Lyft, opens the door for the
custodian man. Text on the screen will appear and read: Its not too late to make a change.
The second commercial will feature a woman riding in the back of a car. She will be
smiling and looking out the window. As she drives past, children will be laughing, playing on the
sides of the street or even waving hello. She will wave back. A voiceover will say: What if you
could do something that really matters every single day. What if you could help those who need
it most? By riding with Lyft your morning commute could change a life. Give back with Lyft.
$15,909,912.60. The budget is distributed into six countries within each region. We have
considered global average costs for some marketing tools, such as social media platforms and
banner ads. The PR budget, including CSR, is approximately $200,000 in each country. The
average cost of all the social media platforms are $15,000 worldwide (The content factory). In
addition, the average cost for a banner ad on Facebook is $0.50 per click (Facebook Advertising
cost).
We have analyzed the average expenses for newspaper, TV, and billboards within each
country. Canadas budget is around $4,131,152.00 that will be distributed into local marketing,
public relations, advertising, and social media. The cost for a half page colorful ad in The Globe
25
and Mail newspaper costs $10,697 (National 2017). CTV prices $100,000 for a 30 second spot.
Therefore, we are going to air Lyfts ad twice a day, four times a week for four months (The
Brazil has a budget of $4,777,657.12 for advertising, public relations, and social media.
A billboard size 576w x 168h" in either Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro costs $309,506.40 for four
months (Billboard Advertising Direct). To air a 30-second spot in Rede Globo Channel will cost
$3,533,323.60 is the overall budget for France. Billboards size 576w x 168h" in Paris
Egypt will receive a budget of $963,697.92 which will be put into newspaper, PR, ads,
and social media for Egypts budget. A full colored page on the Ahram newspaper costs $15,500
(Ahram Newspaper prices. 2015) while MBC MASR television network prices a 30-second spot
Saudi Arabias budget is $1,576,241.92 for newspaper, social media, advertising, and
public relations. A full colored page on Okaz newspaper costs $40,699.12 (Okaz newspaper
prices, 2017). MBC-sports channel prices a 30-second spot during prime time at $5,158
Our primary goal of the global advertising and public relations campaign is to build Lyft
awareness within each region. In order to achieve our vivid objective, we are going to utilize
26
several methods to assess the effectiveness of our global campaign. First, tracking how many
people have downloaded Lyfts mobile application. Second, analyzing passenger traffic flows.
This means we are going to monitor how many orders and riders occur each day. The third
approach is to include coupons with codes in print and digital ads to determine whether ads or
publications generates the best results (AllBusiness Editors). Fourth, we will compare pre- and
traffic reports (AllBusiness Editors). Fifth, we are going to utilize the click-through rates for
online advertising. This metric provides us with performance reports. It will determine how long
people are spending on Lyfts site and how many pages they are viewing per visit (AllBusiness
Editors). Sixth, there are numerous professional websites to evaluate the engagement on social
media and provide either a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually report. For instance, we
are going to use the Buffer website that will analyze the follower growth, influence report,
volume of posts, reach rate, total engagement, engagement per post, engagement per follower,
Comparing the sales and revenues before, during, and after our international campaign
using the six metrics below will provide an idea of how successful the campaign is:
1- The Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is a metric used to determine the total average cost
2- Marketing percent of CAC is the marketing portion of the total customer acquisition cost.
3- Ratio of Customer Lifetime Value to Customer Acquisitions Cost (LTV: CAC) is a way for
Lyft to estimate the total value that Lyft derives from each customer compared with what Lyft
27
4- Time to Payback: CAC shows the number of months it takes for Lyft to earn back the CAC it
5- Marketing Originated Customer percent is a ratio that determines which portion of your total
6- Marketing Influenced Customer percent takes into accounts all of the new customers that
marketing interacted with while they were leads, anytime during the sales process.
Conclusion
Ridesharing will be the norm of the future. Though public transit will be a staple to any
major city, ridesharing has become the more convenient and affordable way to truly get
consumers where they need to go. Taking Lyft global is by no means an overnight task. The
sprinkler effect and decentralized strategy will expand Lyft slowly but steadily. It is pivotal to
have a decentralized strategy since the prospective countries of penetration are so different and
sensitive in their cultures. Lyft will adapt their marketing strategies to suit the country cultures
and economy, however the main takeaway of the brand is that it is fun and has personality.
This image of Lyft will be a refreshing look in the ridesharing industry compared to the cold feel
of Uber. With each country having its own unique budget, a series of commercials, outdoor, and
newspaper advertisements will be created specifically for each countrys design. To properly
penetrate the global market, a sprinkler effect will be conducted so that Lyft can take its time and
learn how to properly infiltrate countries and learn from their mistakes and wins. Once
penetration has occurred, the brand must be maintained. Using the six metrics indicated, data
will be gathered to analyze whether Lyft moving into these global countries has been done
28
successfully. An analysis of these numbers will provide a better idea of where the budget should
be allocated for the future. Lyft has the ability to create a global presence in all the regions of the
world, but it must do with great research and sensitivity to prospective cultures.
29
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35
Appendices
Table 1:
Main form of Advertising (based on spending): Digital, TV, Newspaper, Radio, Social Media, Magazines
Rideshare providers: Uber, Kangaride, Carpool, Rideshare, CarShare, RideHail, DriveAway, The Ride, Turo,
All Stop,
Top radio stations: CHOI 98.1 Radio X Qubec, CHOU 1450AM - Radio Moyen Orient, CHXX-FM ROCK
100.9, 104.7 2day FM Hit Music Now
Top newspaper: The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, La Presse* now digital except Saturday, Le Journal de
Montral, Metro Toronto
Advertising key values: Equality, Respect for cultural differences, Freedom, Peace, Law and order,
Generosity
39 80 52 48 36 68
Target Cities
Toronto, Ontario Vancouver, British Columbia
36
Main form of Public Transportation: Public
Transport: subway, streetcar and bus Main form of Transport: Transportation:
subway and bus
Graph 1
37
Table 2
Language(s): Portuguese
Main form of Advertising (based on spending): television, billboards and signs in city streets, electronic media
magazines, newspaper
Main form of transportation: cars (private transportation), metro, buses (public transportation)
Top TV channels: Reded Globo, Rede Record, Sistema Brasileiro de Televisaro (SBT), Rede Bandeirantes (Band)
Top newspaper: Super Noticia, Folha de Sao Paulo, Globo, O Estado de Sao Paulo
Advertising key values: overt expressions of sex, openness, female nudity, sensual clothing
69 38 49 76 44 59
Target Cities
38
Population:
39
Table 3
Language(s): French
Main form of Advertising (based on spending): TV, digital, outdoor, magazine, newspaper, radio, cinema
Social media usage: Facebook has 90% market share, Twitter 8.4% share
Geert Hofstede*
68 71 43 86 63 48
Target Cities
Paris
40
Graph 3
41
Table 4
Language(s): Arabic
Main form of Advertising (based on spending): Digital, TV, Social Media, Newspaper, Radio.
Top TV channels: MBC Group, Al Hayat, ERTU - ETN ESC, and CBC Extra
Top radio stations: Nogoum FM, Nile FM, Radio 9090, and Mega FM 92.7
Geert Hofstede*
70 25 45 80 7 4
Target Cities
Cairo
42
Graph 4
43
Table 5
Language(s): Arabic
Main form of Advertising (based on spending): Digital, TV, Social Media, Newspaper, Radio.
Top TV channels: MBC Group, Rotana Group, Saudi TV, and MBC PRO SPORTS
Top radio stations: MBC FM, Rotana FM, Saudi Radio, Alif Alif FM, and UFM
Advertising key values: Hospitality, family ties, and ancient Bedouin traditions
Geert Hofstede*
95 25 60 80 36 52
Target Cities
Riyadh
Population: 4 Million
44
Graph 5
45
Table 6
Language(s): Thai
Main form of transportation: Taxi, City Bus, Tk-tk, and above-ground (BTS) and underground light-rail
Main form of Advertising (based on spending): Digital, TV, Social Media, Newspaper, Radio.
Top radio stations: BBTV Channel 7, COOL Fahrenheit 93, and MCOT
Top newspaper: Daily News, Khao Sod, Kom Chad Luek, and Thai Rath
Geert Hofstede*
64 20 34 64 32 45
Target Cities
Bangkok
Population: 5 Million
Main form of Taxi, City Bus, Tk-tk, and above-ground (BTS) and underground light-rail
Transport:
46
Graph 6
47
Image 1
Image 2
48
Image 3
Image 4
49
Image 5
Image 6
50
Image 7
51
Appendix 8
Appendix 9
52
Appendix 10
Appendix 11
Appendix 12
53
Appendix 13
Appendix 14
54
Appendix 15: Sample Press Release for Entry into Canada
55
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 2018
Gia Giambrone
GCM Consulting
802 802 8022
ggiambrone@gmcconsulting.com
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- January 8, 2018 -- Lyft, a ride share provider from the United
States, will be entering the Canadian market this week as the first stop on their road trip to a
global launch. Lyft will soon be providing ride share services in Toronto and Vancouver via a
mobile app. Lyft allows customers to request and pay for rides via a mobile application. Riders
are provided with a color that corresponds to an LED light on the drivers dashboard to help
ensure customer safety. Riders can also expect robust promotional deals associated with the
launch including free rides and discounts for new customers. Finally, customers can anticipate a
friendly and fun ride to their destination.You may recognize the quirky brand as the owners of
the mustache car seen parked around the city.
Lyft is an incredibly playful brand we like to have fun and hire drivers that will give riders an
unforgettable experience. However there is one thing our organization is very serious about and
that is people. Our customers mean everything to us. We want to be seen foremost as safe and
inclusive, the personality and the fun should be secondary, said CEO Logan Green. While it
may seem contradictory that a company donning mustache cars is serious, they have the backing
to prove it. Besides the safety measures taken with riders, they also plan to partner with charity
Splash, to help do their part as a now global organization. Green went on to state Splash
provides clean water to children worldwide. We couldnt be more thrilled about the partnership
and to be doing our part to give back.
This quirky brand identified by its pink logo or mustache symbol is taking its customers and its
global launch very seriously. Within the next year Lyft will expand to other countries including:
Brazil
France
Egypt
Saudi Arabia
Thailand
###
About Lyft: Lyft is a ridesharing app founded in the San Francisco, CA, USA in 2012. Lyft aims to provide an
enjoyable riding experience to consumers. The company currently services only the United States but within the
next year will provide services to seven countries worldwide. The brand is playful and fun while remaining serious
about safety, service, and inclusivity.
Appendix 16: Sample Press Release for Splash Partnership
56
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2018
Gia Giambrone
GCM Consulting
802 802 8022
ggiambrone@gmcconsulting.com
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- February 12, 2018 -- Lyft, the exciting new ride sharing
application Canada has come to know and love has made good on its promise to partner with global
nonprofit organization, Splash. Now 1% of proceeds from every single ride purchased using the mobile
application will help to provide clean water to children around the world.
Not only did we want to give back to the global community we are now apart of with this launch said
CEO Logan Green, but we also wanted to make our customers feel good about choosing to ride with us.
Eric Stowe, founder of Splash was equally thrilled with the partnership: One of our mottos at Splash is
People first. People second. People third. we believe Lyft is the perfect organization to help further our
mission because they live by this same motto. Now something as simple as your morning commute can
allow you to give back in a big way! Lyft customers can have a fun experience and still feel like they are
contributing. Lyft customers are quirky and caring, just like our organization. We hope this partnership
will mean as much to them as it does to us stated Green.This partnership with Splash is a global
initiative. As Lyft continues to expand to other markets, proceeds from rides worldwide will contribute to
the fund.
Last year Splash spent over $3 million to clean the water available to children in Nepal, China, India,
Ethiopia, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Vietnam. Some initiatives of Splash include:
Working with local governments to create methods of water cleaning to provide sanitary drinking
water to children
Building relationships with local organizations to ensure maintenance of toilets
Hygiene education for children and families
###
About Lyft: Lyft is a ridesharing app founded in the San Francisco, CA, USA in 2012. Lyft aims to provide an enjoyable riding
experience to consumers. The company currently services only the United States but within the next year will provide services to
seven countries worldwide. The brand is playful and fun while remaining serious about safety, service, and inclusivity.
About Splash: Splash is a nonprofit social justice organization that provides long-term solutions for water sanitation to provide
drinking water to children worldwide. Splash provides sustainable technological solutions to water sanitation as well as hygiene
education to help children lead safer, healthier lives.
57