This document summarizes an event hosted by Griffin Farley's Beautiful Minds where 400 applicants participated in a 48-hour competition to develop strategies to increase the use of UberPOOL rides in New York City. 100 participants were split into teams of 5, with the goal of increasing UberPOOL rides to 2% of all daily rides in NYC within 12 months. 3 finalist teams presented their strategies, with the winning team proposing targeting weekend riders and positioning UberPOOL as the safest option for women. The document reflects on lessons learned, including the importance of insights, narrative, defining audiences, and teamwork.

1. G R I F F I N F A R L E Y ’ S
B E A U T I F U L M I N D S
B B H N E W Y O R K
J U L Y 2 0 1 6

2. BY THE NUMBERS
400 applicants
100 participants
48 hours
5 teammates
3 finalist teams
1 brief
G R I F F I N F A R L E Y ’ S B E A U T I F U L M I N D S
2

3. 3
UberPOOL: set your destination and share the trip and cost with someone going the same way
THE ASK: INCREASE USE OF UBERPOOL TO 2% OF ALL DAILY RIDES IN NYC, IN 12 MONTHS.
8.8 million rides every day in NYC - 33,000 UberPOOL rides.
That’s a 500% increase to 172,000 rides a day in UberPOOL.
T H E B R I E F

4. T H E P R O B L E M
4
Saving a few dollars doesn’t outweigh the lack of control over the
UberPOOL experience.

5. I N S I G H T S
5
1. Cars are spaces where moments of intimacy are shared. Sharing that
space with a stranger is inherently uncomfortable.
2. We live in a divided world, but this divisiveness is precipitating a move
towards inclusiveness, especially in New York.
3. Intimate, informal spaces are incubators for great ideas, conversation,
and cultural change.

6. O P P O R T U N I T Y
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Get people to lean into the unpredictable experience that uberPOOL
provides in the most diverse city of the world.

7. Showcasing how uberPOOL celebrates
the diversity of NewYork City
GET
7
TO BY
See uberPOOL as a commuting eperience
rather than just another option
Tourists and travellers in other contexts
where 5 minutes won’t make or break
their day
G E T T O B Y

8. # M E LT I N G P O O L : R I D E W I T H N E W YO R K C I T Y
I N U B E R P O O L

9. C A M P A I G N A R C H I T E C T U R E
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10. C O M M S E C O S Y S T E M
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11. H I N D S I G H T I S 2 0 : 2 0
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THE GOOD BITS
• Judged best insights of the day – but that’s not enough to win.
THE ISSUES:
• Who are these NewYorkers with time on their hands?
• It’s not a quantifiable target audience – hard to measure.
• Not enough time spent in presentation on planning and campaign ecosytem.

12. T H E W I N N E R S
The Weekenders UberF Lean In
Capture people when they have time
to UberPOOL on the weekend.The
subway is often down or
unpredictable on the weekend, so
the inconvenience of not being able
to control the experience is
outweighed.
Women often experience sexual
harassment on public transport. UberPOOL
could provide female only cars and position
themselves as the safest transport option
for women.
Similar insights about leaning into the
potential discomfort of the UberPOOL
experience.
Defined target audience clearly
12

13. L E S S O N S
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• Teamwork is hard, especially when there are 6 highly opinionated strategic thinkers in
the room.
• Strategy starts with insights and grows from there. Know why people behave the way
they do, and where they are.
• Create a narrative through your strategy – sell in your work through the story.
• Americans are intense and weirdly competitive.
• Strategy and success is about people – from your target to the people around you.
Who you work with and how you work with them is just as important as the work
you output.
• No one person is better or bigger than the team.

14. T H A N K YO U