Over 2018, a spring of revolutions has emerged to give women due representation, irrespective of where they come from, or the environments that they have to succumb to. And in 10 years, Uber has changed the way people move. It’s challenged conventions at every stage of growth.

Enabling progress is Uber’s wherewithal. It took on a microcosm of society which entertains and inspires: sports. In November 2018, Uber used an unpopular version of India’s most popular sport as a platform for inclusion. #JerseyKnowsNoGender challenged presumptions that “Cricket is a gentleman’s game,” and that traits of great on-field action are masculine.

Women are shattering the ceiling in sports. A partnership with the International Cricket Council drove much-deserved attention to the women’s game even before asking the fans to walk the talk with us.

The Indian’s Women Cricket Team has been playing for 43 years. And for 43 years fans have turned a blind eye to their batting and bowling prowess. It’s almost as though fans haven’t been given a reason to move past the mental block — the emphatic adage that is ‘cricket is a gentleman’s game’ is institutional to the sport.

To break this limitation, mere representation of the records by women cricketers wasn’t enough. Uber knew fans help change the game.

So Uber introduced #JerseyKnowsNoGender: a new mantra to repeat with repeat with every catch, run-out and sledge.

With the most macho emoji on our keyboard – the bicep flex – which stands for power and physical strength was deployed as a symbol of women’s strength. By ascribing a ubiquitous symbol, one which fans could share, Uber gave a billion cricket fans a unified front in support for the women’s game.

Impeding assumptions were challenged with the insight that the men’s game is thrilling to watch. We learned that women’s championships are seen as ‘progressive,’ and not fun — or even equal. We now had a singular goal: anchor Uber’s core principles.

Women are shattering the ceiling in sports. Partnering with the International Cricket Council drove much-deserved attention to the women’s game even before asking the fans to walk the talk with us.

Next, we charted a roll-out plan. Uber builds local and acts global. Upon successfully creating a social movement, amplification through our global social presence would influence ever more fans. We started with highlighting female cricketing hero’s stories to finally inspire local communities in India.

When it came down to our influencer content, a robust network of influencer social plan was staged across 14 markets on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The platform would launch with authentic voices India trusts.

Starting with no less than Virat Kohli. India Men’s Cricket Captain, and an icon. As Uber’s brand ambassador his voice extends our brand purpose to millions — this was as opportune a time to engage him once again.

His nomination of three prominent athletes led to a chain reaction unlike any we prepared for. Thousands of mentions poured in for the girls — with each nomination furthering the cause. Support across markets ensured Jersey Knows No Gender was established through further nominations.

Through the course of the Women’s World T20 that started on 9th November, Uber covered stories of the women players. The campaign launched ahead of the semis on 14th November and a tidal wave of support followed until the finals a week later. Even players from the women’s team shared their entries under #JerseyKnowsNoGender. Continued press coverage has made the campaign a symbol of equality in sports.

Reach

#JerseyKnowsNoGender was the most talked about keyword with brand mentions

garnering close to 48 Mn impressions and audience mentions garnered more than

126 Mn Impressions with 300% increase in brand affinity month on month.

81% Positive sentiment, 18% with Neutral sentiment and 1% carrying Negative Sentiment, the first time in Uber history.

Engagement

11000 individuals tweeted/ retweeted their support using the hashtags.

Audience mentions garnered more than 126 Mn Impressions.

Sales

App downloads MoM for H2 2018 - 9.5% increase in downloads post campaign.

Brand Favourability - 5% increase in favourability as per YouGov post campaign.

14.3% increase in trips post campaign.

App downloads MoM for H2 2018 – a stupendous 9.5% increase in downloads post campaign.