Bozoma Saint John has a Lot to do at Uber | Disrupt SF 2017

TL;DR

Bozoma Saint John is managing Uber’s brand challenges one issue at a time, using more human storytelling, stronger creative checks and balances, and a more inclusive culture. Her early efforts included an NFL campaign featuring 17 driver superfans, while Uber’s broader work included the 180 Days of Change initiative, tipping, and 24/7 driver support. Read on for her responses to Uber’s controversies, legal pressures, driver relations, and diversity challenges.

Transcript

oh right as Jordan mentioned a lot has happened at Hoover in fact I heard one reporter is writing an entire book about uber and just everything that's happened but before we dive into some specifics could you give me give me an overall like an overview of what your brand strategy is a uber right now oh well there's certainly a lot to do you know I ... Read More

Key Insights

• Bozoma Saint John aims to humanize Uber's brand by focusing on storytelling and driver representation in pop culture.
• Uber launched an NFL campaign to highlight driver superfans, showcasing them as integral community members.
• Saint John responded to a controversial promotional message in India by advocating for better checks and balances in brand communications.
• Uber's legal challenges, such as the Waymo lawsuit, impact the brand, but Saint John focuses on balancing the narrative with positive stories.
• Saint John emphasizes the importance of addressing past controversies and creating a balanced conversation around Uber's brand.
• Uber's 180 Days of Change initiative aims to improve driver relations by incorporating feedback and implementing changes like tipping and 24/7 support.
• Saint John believes that consumer awareness of Uber's past issues is beneficial, as it holds the company accountable for its actions.
• Diversity and inclusion efforts at Uber are ongoing, with a focus on increasing representation and supporting organizations like Girls Who Code.

Questions & Answers

Q: How is Bozoma Saint John managing Uber’s brand challenges?

Saint John describes her approach as taking one piece at a time because there is a lot to address. She focuses on humanizing Uber through driver stories, balancing negative news with positive narratives, and building a more inclusive culture that can prevent insensitive brand communications.

Q: How does Bozoma Saint John plan to humanize Uber’s brand?

She wants to portray drivers as people and community members rather than as a purely functional way to get from one place to another. Her strategy places drivers within pop culture and makes them catalysts for the action in Uber’s storytelling.

Q: What was Uber’s NFL campaign about?

Uber featured 17 driver superfans representing the 17 NFL teams with which the company had relationships. The drivers appeared with team merchandise, flags, and bobbleheads, showing that they were both drivers and genuine members of the fan community.

Q: How did Bozoma Saint John respond to Uber’s controversial promotional message in India?

After seeing a Wife Appreciation Day message encouraging husbands to give their wives a day off from the kitchen, Saint John publicly called it unacceptable and said Uber would address it. Internally, she treated the incident as a learning opportunity and began discussing how to improve the creative review process.

Q: What changes did Saint John want in Uber’s brand approval process?

She wanted checks and balances that would expose creative work to perspectives beyond the person who produced it. Her goal was not to personally approve every item, but to foster an inclusive culture where talented teams could work without letting insensitive messages pass through.

Q: How did the Waymo lawsuit affect Saint John’s Uber brand strategy?

Saint John said she was not involved in the legal details, including Waymo’s demand for $2.6 billion. She nevertheless acknowledged that legal matters affect the brand and said her role was to create a more balanced conversation containing multiple parts of Uber’s story.

Q: What did Uber’s 180 Days of Change initiative do for drivers?

The initiative used driver feedback to identify and implement improvements in the driver experience. Changes described in the existing page included tipping and 24/7 support, with the broader aim of strengthening Uber’s relationship with drivers.

Q: What diversity and inclusion efforts was Uber undertaking?

Uber released its first diversity report and worked to increase representation and build a more inclusive culture. Its efforts also included supporting organizations such as Girls Who Code and hiring more diverse talent.

Summary

In this video, Uber's Chief Brand Officer, Bozoma Saint John, discusses various topics related to Uber's brand strategy and recent controversies. She talks about the importance of humanizing drivers, handling problematic content, managing the brand amid legal cases, supporting organizations like Girls Who Code, repairing the relationship with drivers, and working on diversity and inclusion efforts. She also addresses concerns about her role at Uber being influenced by her identity as a black woman.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Uber's current brand strategy?

Uber's brand strategy focuses on humanizing drivers and creating a more personal connection between drivers and riders. They aim to show drivers as superfans and important members of the community through initiatives like the NFL campaign.

Q: How did Bozoma Saint John handle the controversial promotional message in India?

When Bozoma Saint John saw the promotional message encouraging husbands to let their wives take a day off from the kitchen, she immediately responded that it was unacceptable and promised to take care of the issue. She then worked on improving the creative process and ensuring better checks and balances to avoid similar situations in the future.

Q: How does Bozoma Saint John handle her responsibility as the Chief Brand Officer?

Bozoma Saint John takes her responsibility as the Chief Brand Officer very seriously. While she doesn't want to micromanage the creative process, she aims to create an inclusive culture and encourage the best work from her team. She wants to be able to manage the brand effectively without needing to look at every single thing.

Q: How does Bozoma Saint John view the lawsuit between Waymo and Uber?

Bozoma Saint John mentions that she is not directly involved in the legal matters of the lawsuit. However, she acknowledges that all these legal issues have an impact on the brand. She wants to ensure that the brand behaves appropriately and that a balanced conversation is presented, highlighting different aspects of the story.

Q: How does Bozoma Saint John handle the federal probes into Uber's practices?

Bozoma Saint John states that she is not involved in the specific legal matters and leaves them to the legal team. However, she wants to focus on the future and tell a balanced story that includes legal issues, brand, pop culture, and human aspects. She believes there should be steps taken to resolve the issues and create a balanced conversation around them.

Q: What is Bozoma Saint John's day-to-day job like as the Chief Brand Officer of Uber?

Bozoma Saint John's job varies day-to-day, and she is regularly facing new challenges and situations. She focuses on creating a brand strategy, managing conversations around the brand, and ensuring that the product is communicated in a way that resonates with the public.

Q: How aware are passengers of some of Uber's issues, such as regulatory, legal, and cultural issues?

Bozoma Saint John believes that passengers are highly aware of Uber's issues, and she sees this awareness as a positive thing. People want to hold companies accountable and are concerned about how they are treated. She emphasizes the importance of addressing these concerns and maintaining a balance in the company's storytelling.

Q: Are passengers, drivers, employees, and the press equally appalled by what has happened at Uber?

Bozoma Saint John believes that passengers, drivers, employees, and the press are all equally appalled by what has happened at Uber. She emphasizes that everyone wants solutions and expresses her personal concern for how people are treated. Bozoma wants to create a more inclusive and better future for Uber.

Q: How is Uber trying to repair its relationship with drivers?

Uber launched the 180 Days of Change initiative shortly after Bozoma Saint John joined. The initiative aims to incorporate driver feedback and address immediate issues to improve their experiences on the platform. Changes like tipping options and 24/7 support have been implemented to respond to driver concerns.

Q: How did Bozoma Saint John handle the transition of leadership within Uber?

Bozoma Saint John states that she was aware of the transition in leadership and was prepared for the challenges it presented. She mentioned that the important part for her was the management of the brand and storytelling, regardless of who the CEO was. She adapts quickly to changes and pivots accordingly to address new situations.

Q: How does Bozoma Saint John respond to the idea that she was hired by Uber because she is a black woman?

Bozoma Saint John expresses frustration with the notion that she was hired only because she is a black woman. She believes that her qualifications, skills, and experiences should be the focus rather than her identity. She wants diversity and inclusion to be about more than just one aspect and hopes conversations can shift towards qualifications and accomplishments.

Q: How satisfied is Bozoma Saint John with Uber's efforts on diversity and inclusion?

Bozoma Saint John is not fully satisfied with Uber's efforts on diversity and inclusion. She believes there is still a long way to go and that numbers need to be increased. She wants to continually improve and create a more diverse hiring process and inclusive environment, both internally and externally.

Q: How does Uber's culture compare to Apple's in terms of inclusion efforts?

Bozoma Saint John mentions that both Uber and Apple face challenges when it comes to diversity and inclusion. She comments on efforts made at Apple to address these issues and suggests that she hopes similar steps are taken at Uber. She is hopeful for progress in both companies.

Q: Did Uber recruit Bozoma Saint John from Apple because she is a black woman?

Bozoma Saint John clarifies that Uber did not hire her solely because she is a black woman. She believes that her expertise and skills were the main reasons for her recruitment. She expresses frustration with the idea that her identity played a significant role in the decision.

Q: What is Bozoma Saint John's response to criticism about Uber supporting Girls Who Code instead of other organizations?

Bozoma Saint John defends Uber's support for Girls Who Code, stating that it is not the only organization being supported. She clarifies that Girls Who Code is an important organization addressing the pipeline issue in technology. She emphasizes the need to have a balanced approach and work towards supporting various organizations.

Q: How does Bozoma Saint John view the criticism from Black Girls Code about Uber's donation?

Bozoma Saint John acknowledges the criticism but feels that Uber's support is sincere. She believes that supporting different organizations is crucial, and while she respects such decisions, she will continue to work on diversity and inclusion efforts within Uber. She aims for a more inclusive community and values representing different perspectives.

Takeaways

Bozoma Saint John's role at Uber as the Chief Brand Officer involves balancing different aspects of the brand's image and storytelling. She emphasizes the importance of humanizing drivers, handling controversial content, and addressing issues faced by the company. Bozoma recognizes the need for diversity and inclusion efforts to improve but believes that it takes time and ongoing commitment. She aims to create a more inclusive culture and works towards supporting various organizations that align with Uber's values. Overall, she strives for a balanced conversation around Uber's brand and its impact on drivers, passengers, employees, and society.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Bozoma Saint John focuses on storytelling to humanize Uber's brand, emphasizing driver representation and pop culture integration. She addresses recent controversies and highlights Uber's initiatives to improve driver relations and diversity efforts.

• Saint John discusses the importance of learning from mistakes and creating a more inclusive culture at Uber. She emphasizes the need for balanced storytelling to address both legal challenges and positive brand narratives.

• Uber's 180 Days of Change initiative aims to improve driver relations by incorporating feedback and implementing changes like tipping and 24/7 support. Saint John also highlights Uber's diversity efforts and partnerships with organizations like Girls Who Code.