Uber and the “IrishXit”

Source: IG

I always say that marketing is a spectator sport and we can learn from each other, watching each others’ brands perform in the marketplace.

Well we got a learning moment from yesterday’s St. Patrick’s Day holiday promo from brand Uber.

Yes indeed Uber got it right this St. Patrick's Day when the brand paired a cultural phenom with a cultural moment and made it easy for consumers to act on it.

I am sure we are all too familiar with the Irish Exit or what some call the Irish Goodbye. It’s when you leave a party abruptly, without saying goodbye to anyone. You're so done, so you go. No explanation. Probably heading straight home to your couch or to bed. I did an Irish Exit just recently myself, without a shred of guilt!

Uber understood the assignment yesterday and conveniently linked the Irish Exit with their ride service.

On St. Patrick's Day (March 17th), when the partying extends longer than planned, Uber made the Irish Exit frictionless. Promo code "IRISHEXIT17" gets you 17% off rides all day long. That's it. That's the offer.

Simple. Cultural. Ownable.

To amplify it, Uber created a film with Irish reality star Maura Higgins. It's highly produced, highly entertaining, and custom built for the moment. Actually, it’s built to last beyond the moment in true brand-building style. We’ve not seen a lot of this kind of activity from Uber, so it’s quite novel!

The real learning moment here is that Uber lives in consumers' everyday lives. And running parallel, St. Patrick's Day is about gathering at pubs and parties. The two converge when people want to leave the pub and or party. Uber just made that exit easier, cheaper, and culturally connected. Bam!

That's owning a cultural moment and understanding where your brand fits into culture without forcing it. Owning it in a way no other brand can.

Can your brand do that? Can you identify a cultural behavior and own it?

What's your experience? JIM