Uber and Lyft both utilize social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube to market their ride-sharing services. The document analyzes each company's presence on these platforms, noting things like posting frequency, content strategy, and follower counts. It determines that while Uber succeeds in more formal environments, Lyft wins by taking a fun, entertaining approach that consistently engages customers. Lyft posts new, relevant material on all of its platforms to capture attention in the competitive social media space.

1. UBER VS. LYFT
T H E S O C I A L S O F R I D E - S H A R E
By: Maggie Cummings

2. About the Industry......................................................................................3
Executive Summary....................................................................................4
Target Audience...........................................................................................5
Company Overview
- Uber....................................................................................................6
- Lyft......................................................................................................7
Platform-by-Platform Overview
- Website...............................................................................................8
- Facebook...........................................................................................10
- Twitter...............................................................................................12
- Instagram..........................................................................................15
- LinkedIn............................................................................................17
- YouTube............................................................................................18
Follower Breakdown................................................................................20
Conclusion.................................................................................................21
THE TABLE OF CONTENTS

3. ABOUT THE
INDUSTRY
The Taxi and Limousine Service Industry
As Uber and Lyft have entered the market of ride-share services,
the industry has seen significant growth. In the past five years
alone, the industry revenue is estimated to have grown to $26.5
billon at a 9.9% rate per year. While the technology itself is not
included in this industry, the drivers/employees of these companies
are included as "non employers" in industry reports and can
attribute to the high growth. Individual consumers and corporate
clients are also key metrics in this success. The current rising levels
in consumer spending and corporate profit have allowed this target
market to flourish, creating great demand for these services.

4. Whether behind the wheel or hopping in the back seat, Uber and Lyft
have exploded the ride-share industry within the last five
years. With such a large target market, these newer technology
companies allow individuals to easily choose when and where a ride
can pick them up - in a matter of seconds. If they're looking to make
money, the consumer also has the option of driving passengers
themselves. While almost making taxicab services obsolete, it's
important to compare these two technology platforms to identify their
success metrics. Both share the same idea of downloading the app and
ordering a car to appear at your location, but differ in their ideas of
attracting consumers through social media. After carefully analyzing
each platform used in their marketing strategies, it should become
clear which ride-share company is properly utilizing the power of
social media.
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
vs.

5. COMPANY OVERVIEW -
Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick were attending an annual tech conference in 2008 when it was rumored they couldn't catch a
cab. Originally, they thought of an idea where you could order a limo via an application. After returning to San Francisco and
continually thinking about the idea, Camp created the concept of UberCab. In 2010, a cease-and-desist order from the San
Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency brought about the removal of "cab" in the name and they were left with just uber.com.
Early in 2011, Uber raised $11 million and expanded into New York, Seattle, Chicago, Washington D.C. as well as internationally
into Paris. Originally, Uber only offered black luxury sedans, but this changed in 2012 with the addition of UberX. Now in over 785
cities worldwide, Uber allows people to conveniently catch a ride or drive their own cars to earn money.
Strength Sentiment
Passion Reach
81% 3:1
8% 74%
Strength: The likelihood the brand is being talked about in social media.
Sentiment: The ratio of positive to negative mentions of the brand.
Passion: The likelihood that those talking about the brand will do so repeatedly.
Reach: The number of unique authors divided by the total number of mentions.

6. COMPANY OVERVIEW -
Strength Sentiment
Passion Reach
61% 1:1
24% 46%
Strength: The likelihood the brand is being talked about in social media.
Sentiment: The ratio of positive to negative mentions of the brand.
Passion: The likelihood that those talking about the brand will do so repeatedly.
Reach: The number of unique authors divided by the total number of mentions
Strength: The likelihood the brand is being talked about in social media.
Sentiment: The ratio of positive to negative mentions of the brand.
Passion: The likelihood that those talking about the brand will do so repeatedly.
Reach: The number of unique authors divided by the total number of mentions.
In 2007, founders John Zimmer and Logan Green met through mutual friends on Facebook. Zimmer noticed Green's post about
launching a carpooling startup called "Zimride" and was intrigued since he has been contemplating the same idea. Lyft was then
launched in 2012 as a service of Zimride. Until May 2013, Zimride focused on longer ride-share trips while Lyft was created for
shorter trips within cities. After the full transition to the Lyft name, they launched to 24 new cities and introduced split fare for its
passengers. Similar to Uber, Lyft shares the rider or driver concept. You can easily pick up your phone and find a ride anywhere,
or if you are looking to make money you can drive for Lyft. Today Lyft operates in over 600 cities worldwide and is continuously
growing.

7. Strength: The likelihood the brand is being talked about in social media.
Sentiment: The ratio of positive to negative mentions of the brand.
Passion: The likelihood that those talking about the brand will do so repeatedly.
Reach: The number of unique authors divided by the total number of mentions
TARGET
AUDIENCE
RIDERS DRIVERS
Those who do not own a car
Those who do not want to drive
themselves
Those who want a cost-efficient
ride from their current location
Those who want to meet new
people and go to new places
People who own their own car
and want to earn money
People who love to drive
People who want to meet others
who love travel

8. UBER
Uber's website, once almost intimidating
with the all black and white front, has
changed to a more colorful and casual
tone. The slogan "Move the way you want"
on the main page is simple yet speaks
levels to both of Ubers clients. Whether
you're choosing to ride somewhere or
drive for Uber, you're getting to your
destination in your own fashion. The
home page and site itself is
easily navigable and with its simple
design, your eyes are drawn right to the
information you need.
Lyft's website immediately grabs your
attention with its vibrant colors and
innovative clipart. The domain brings you
straight to the drivers page where they
use the slogan "Grab the wheels and start
earning." This is a great way to pull more
people into the driving side of Lyft that
maybe have only thought of riding. You
have to click on the "Rider" button to find
all of the other essential information
about Lyft.
LYFT
P L A T F O R M C O M P A R I S O N
Website

9. We love our team and the
culture is one of the
most vital components to
our company.
P L A T F O R M W I N N E R
We want to work with like
minded people who share
out passion for travel and
innovating change.
Website
While Lyft's colors attract the eye, their simple homepage falls short
leaving Uber in the lead. Uber has just the right amount of imagery
and information to invite both riders and drivers to the page to find
just what they need. The motivating slogan captures attention
and pushes the adventure many Uber clients are looking for out of
their ride-share experience.

10. UBER LYFT
P L A T F O R M C O M P A R I S O N
Uber's Facebook is very well done. Their
profile picture was just recently updated
to their new logo with lowercase (and
more casual) letters. The cover
photo/video captures your attention right
away as it shows a glimpse of their new
campaign "Doors Are Always Opening."
They highlight their campaign more in
their posts along with employee features
that gives you a look inside the
foundation of Uber. They have upcoming
events listed and post content weekly
that well engage their facebook users.
Lyft's Facebook does an amazing job of
creating a statement. Their famous hot
pink color grabs your attention
immediately in their profile picture and
cover photo. They are very active with
organizations and non-profits and
promote them throughout many of their
posts. Their most current campaign
#DitchYourCar encourages their
customers to leave their car and use some
sort of ride-share for 30 days. Most of
their posts involve some sort of
recommended action, which creates
engagement with their user base.

11. We love our team and the
culture is one of the
most vital components to
our company.
P L A T F O R M W I N N E R
Lyft does a great job of addressing world issues and engaging its
customers, but with content sporadicly posted they are a less reliable
source. Uber does a better job of updating their Facebook page on a
weekly basis with relevant information. Aside from just attracting
new customers, they address many of the concerns (safety and other)
that current customers are experiencing. They also have a direct
message box pop up right when you enter their page showing that
their customer support is readily available.

12. UBER LYFT
P L A T F O R M C O M P A R I S O N
Uber is very consistent in posting on their
Twitter timeline. They have a separate
twitter account @uber_support that
handles all customer issues and helps
regulate the flow of their official twitter.
They are currently promoting their
#DoorsAreAlwaysOpening campaign,
encouraging their followers to create the
content they want to see. Uber also does a
great job at keeping their followers updated
on their new innovations, such as their
addition of bikes and scooters to their
platform.
Lyft's Twitter needs to be updated more
frequently. Their last tweet was on
September 28th and it was pertaining to a
competition they were running that
ended on September 30th. Along with
Uber, they have a separate support
handle @AskLyft that handles all their
customer issues. Lyft does do a great job
of running promotions and sweepstakes
through their twitter to increase
engagement. They also feature a lot of
partnerships and also do a great job of
updating their followers on the new
features of their application.

13. P L A T F O R M W I N N E R
While Uber is much more consistent in posting content for their
followers, Lyft is able to attract a broader audience through their use
of different promo codes and unique partnerships (like Shark Week,
Paul McCartney, Capri Sun, etc.). Besides the general brand
partnerships, their focus on CSR and philanthropic initiatives (the
Human Rights Campaign, Lean In Org, etc.) create the emotional
appeal that the current markets are looking for and are willing
to put their money towards.

14. UBER LYFT
P L A T F O R M C O M P A R I S O N
Uber's Instagram features only seven
images. All seven are original and geared
towards their #DoorsAreAlwaysOpening
campaign. Each image is of a car door
opening into a new scenario. Uber does a
great job of creating beautiful, visually
appealing photos that tell their followers a
new story. While it is an interesting tactic
for uber to clear their entire Instagram for
their new campaign, it seems effective. Uber
carries their "go create your own content"
idea from twitter and allows followers to
imagine the possibilities that lie behind their
car doors.
Lyft's Instagram is very colorful and
entertaining. They carry their same
concepts of partnerships and
promotions from Twitter throughout their
Instagram posts. While still original, their
content is more sales driven. Lyft does a
fantastic job of consistently involving their
customers with posts like "share your best
photo of a Lyft amp" or "request an ugly
sweater car for the holidays." Recently they
have not posted as much new content, but
what they do have is consistent to their
vibrant and fun brand.

15. P L A T F O R M W I N N E R
Uber took a risk with starting their Instagram from scratch, and their posts are
consistent and tell a story, Lyft takes the award for reaching the proper audience
on this platform. While maybe a little too sales-oriented at times, Lyft posts
enough quality content that you can overlook this. It is important to note the
personal touch they place into each post. Lyft places a strong emphasis on a fun
customer experience. The $1 car wash for the LA Food Bank, for example, allows
their LA customers to interact with Lyft while contributing to a good cause. This
target market is looking to save time and money, so by posting images of their
upcoming events and promotions Lyft is able to create visuals and thus reach their
customers both online and in person.

16. UBER LYFT
P L A T F O R M C O M P A R I S O N
Uber's uses their LinkedIn to share their
company story and delve more into their
employee and work culture. Their posts contain
a mix of employee blogs and technology
updates. It is inviting to both customers and
their employees. They are ranked number
twelve on LinkedIn's Top Companies List which
draws a lot of business attention to their page.
While not too in depth, their Life tab includes
pictures and information of their employee
diversity and general office culture. This is
appealing for individuals searching for jobs or
just looking to network with some creative
individuals.
Lyft's does a great job of using their
LinkedIn to showcase their current
networking opportunities and new
technological initiatives. They are ranked
number one on LinkedIn's Top Companies
- Startup List which has brought a lot of
attention to their page. Their Life tab
exemplifies the company culture at Lyft
through numerous pictures of their
relaxed office setting and employee team-
building events. This tab can also link you
back to all Lyft's other social platforms,
which creates more engagement for the
users.

17. P L A T F O R M W I N N E R
Uber exceeds Lyft's number of LinkedIn followers by over 700,000
thousand, but seems to get just as many likes and comments on each post.
Lyft, even a few years behind Uber in their name launch, tackles the
overarching idea of the LinkedIn platform- using it as a social business
community. While providing the core information about their company,
employees and values, they expand into their business of helping others.
They provide networking opportunities, workshops and inform their
followers of the tech conferences they will be sponsoring or attending.

18. UBER LYFT
P L A T F O R M C O M P A R I S O N
Uber's YouTube fits seamlessly into the
theme of their other platforms. They
feature their #DoorsAreAlwaysOpening
campaign with the main video pinned to
the top and various short clips below.
They have a few non-campaign related
series. Their "Uber Presents" series and
"Rolling with Cari" interviews take two
different approaches to advertising Uber.
"Uber Presents" showcases the personal
lives of 5 driver-partners in Brooklyn,
while "Rolling with Cari" is a sports
interview conducted inside an Uber.
Lyft's initial YouTube popularity sparked
from their "UnderCover Lyft" campaign.
With celebrity driver such as Odell
Beckhem Jr. and Demi Lovato, each video
in these series captured over 1 million
views. Recently they've come out with the
"Best Music of 2017 - Car Sounds Remixes"
in which five different Lyft cars create
their rendition of popular songs like
Humble by Kendrick Lamar and Bodak
Yellow by Cardi B. Catching up to Uber in
their number of subscribers, Lyft's videos
all seem to receive high engagement and
positive reactions.

19. P L A T F O R M W I N N E R
Lyft understands the content people are looking for on YouTube. While
Uber offers instructional videos and some heartfelt clips, they fail to reach
the entertainment market that YouTube subscribers crave. While not
pertaining to their business directly, both of these campaigns (Undercover
Lyft and Best Music) are fun and create great brand awareness for Lyft.
Having these famous celebrities endorse their brand also gives them the
extra push of credibility. Lyft overall does a great job of making sure they
produce content and videos their consumers want to see.

20. - F O L L O W E R B R E A K D O W N -
21,570,810
904,000
606,529
144,000
946,000 271,000
869,746 105,707
255,571 239,949

21. To sum up this social media analysis between Lyft and Uber, Uber
succeeds in a more formal environment while Lyft takes the fun and
entertaining road. In a world of social media where it's key to capture
attention, Lyft takes the trophy. Lyft consistently engages their
customers with new and relevant material. Each platform shares the
same look and feel, but offers something unique and fitting to it. Some
recommendations I would make to Lyft is to post more frequently and
update their cover images to something more eye-catching. I also
believe they would benefit from sharing their history more on social
media. As a carpooling service through Zimride since 2007, they have
the demographic down to a T and can use this to their advantage.
CONCLUSION