Social media platforms like TikTok may be buzzing, but they’re not always the most obvious way to reach audiences in emerging markets around the world. That’s a lesson local startups know well and foreign companies are learning.
Rappi on the Rise
Rappi, the Softbank-backed delivery app that’s slowly turning into a super app, will be the Colombian national soccer team’s main sponsor during the upcoming World Cup in Dubai next November. It’s low-hanging fruit for a company bred and grown in Colombia, a country where soccer is the most popular sport.
Tuning into Uber’s Radio Show
Meanwhile, Uber is launching a radio show in Mexico tailored to the 200K drivers and delivery workers on its app. It’s a well-thought strategy: 36% of all Mexican smartphone users listen to the radio online, and Mexican delivery workers and drivers work the longest in the region (33 hours a week vs. an average 22 hours in Brasil and Colombia).
Clearly, a radio show available online is a sweet spot between long workdays and information platforms for emerging markets around the world. Listening to the radio on a smartphone is pretty accessible, as it usually doesn’t require a subscription or additional apps.
Snuffing Out the Competition?
The strategy might work as Uber is trying to retain some of its partners. It dominates 80% of the ride-hailing market in Mexico, but just 17% of the food delivery segment. For a while now, it’s been losing both customers and workers to Rappi, its closest delivery competitor.
(Sources: Statista, IFT Mexico, Uber Mexico)