“Greetings from la banlieue.”
Getting a small French ridesharing brand to make a name for itslef, in a context where people don’t care about their RTBs (cheaper, more ethical, pay their taxes in France) and in a market dominated by giants like Uber.
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The challenge:
In 2013, Heetch came as a troublemaker in the ride-hailing app market; they’re now 2nd in the category against Uber. How can they become a powerful brand that people really care about?
The strategic response:
Heetch needed to be known.
But we discovered the brand was already well-known among people we often fail to consider: those living in the poor suburbs of Paris.
More than 80% of the app’s rides involved suburban trips, and Heetch was already rooted in street-culture (rap, movies, stand-ip comedy...) This cultural legitimacy is a real strength, and we decided to leverage it. But rather than just using the “banlieues” and their culture for clout, as many brands do, we made the strategic choice to become useful to them instead.
THE WORK
Film
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Activation
Why I think it’s cool
Building a bridge between a brand's real cultural footprint and the business opportunity that lies behind it is a rare thing.
All the more so in a space that ties into my personal identity and where I come from.