Think you have a great local marketing campaign? Prepare to be blown out of the water by a powerful partnership between Uber, an on-demand taxi service gained advocacy with its use of mobile tech, and Cheezburger, the popular internet meme site made famous by its grammatically incorrect kitten pictures. These players have created a local, mobile marketing strategy that pledges to bring Seattle, New York City and San Francisco residents kittens for 15 minutes of playtime to celebrate National Cat Day.
Users can "summon kittens" through Uber app
That's right. Mobile-device owners in those cities can use the Uber app between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.on October 29 to "summon kittens" to their locations as a Tuesday pick-me-up, or to test-drive cat ownership. The temporary cat-delivery service costs $20, a fee that goes to local animal shelters, and smitten participants can even discuss adoption choices with shelter representatives if they want to keep their furry companions. But, there's more! A request for kittens even comes with cupcakes from the Ace of Cakes bakery.
Uber encourages people to post playdate photos or video content on social networks using the hashtag #ICanHasUberKittens.
This promotion is a genius smorgasbord of internet trends that should make marketers jealous. It plays into consumers' love of mobile technology, giving participants on-demand access to something they want, and capitalizes on the huge "LOLcat" phenomenon. As viral as they may be, cat photors are rarely appropriate in corporate campaigns, but Uber skillfully oversteps this challenge by blending its core offerings - instant gratification and convenience in transportation - with Americans' love for cats.
More, the company manages to do this in an altruistic way that benefits local communities and takes advantage of a timely event.
Did I mention that participants don't even have to worry about scrounging up the cash or swiping their cards to get some cat time? Uber will handle the donations via seamless mobile transactions using payment information entered during the mobile application download process. It couldn't get any more painless than that. And you can bet that consumers will remember the easy exchange the next time they need a ride.
Make mobile and local work for your brand
This campaign serves a lesson for marketers about the potential in mobile and local marketing. It challenges agile brands to think outside the box and connect unexpected dots that enchant target audiences and inspire brand advocacy. New technology and platforms open the door to fresh strategies for companies willing to recognize prime opportunities. Read about other inspiring content marketing campaigns:
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