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

TL;DR

Bozoma Saint John, Uber's Chief Brand Officer, discusses her strategy to humanize Uber's brand by focusing on storytelling and driver representation. She addresses recent controversies, emphasizing the importance of learning from mistakes and creating a more inclusive culture. Saint John also highlights Uber's initiatives to improve driver relations and diversity efforts.

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 does Bozoma Saint John plan to humanize Uber's brand?

Bozoma Saint John plans to humanize Uber's brand by focusing on storytelling and driver representation in pop culture. She aims to shift the perception of Uber from just a ride-sharing service to a brand that highlights the humanity and community aspect of its drivers. This includes campaigns like the NFL initiative, which showcases driver superfans as integral community members.

Q: What was Uber's response to the controversial promotional message in India?

Uber's response to the controversial promotional message in India involved Bozoma Saint John advocating for better checks and balances in brand communications. She emphasized the importance of learning from such incidents and improving the process to prevent insensitive messages. Saint John reacted immediately on social media and worked internally to address the issue and ensure future communications are more inclusive and sensitive.

Q: How does Bozoma Saint John view Uber's legal challenges?

Bozoma Saint John views Uber's legal challenges, such as the Waymo lawsuit, as factors that impact the brand's perception. While she is not directly involved in legal matters, she focuses on balancing the narrative by highlighting positive stories and initiatives. Saint John believes in addressing these challenges while also promoting the humanization and community aspects of Uber's brand to create a more balanced conversation.

Q: What initiatives has Uber launched to improve driver relations?

Uber has launched the 180 Days of Change initiative to improve driver relations by incorporating feedback and implementing changes like tipping and 24/7 support. This initiative aims to address drivers' concerns and enhance their experience on the platform. By actively listening to driver feedback and making immediate, solvable changes, Uber seeks to build a better relationship with its drivers and improve their overall satisfaction.

Q: How does Bozoma Saint John address consumer awareness of Uber's past issues?

Bozoma Saint John addresses consumer awareness of Uber's past issues by acknowledging that it is beneficial for holding the company accountable. She believes that transparency and addressing past controversies are essential for building trust with consumers. Saint John emphasizes the importance of balancing the narrative by highlighting both the challenges and the positive initiatives Uber is undertaking to improve its brand and culture.

Q: What diversity and inclusion efforts is Uber undertaking?

Uber is undertaking diversity and inclusion efforts by focusing on increasing representation and supporting organizations like Girls Who Code. The company released its first diversity report and is actively working on improving its diversity metrics. Uber aims to create a more inclusive culture by hiring diverse talent and supporting initiatives that promote diversity in the tech industry. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to address inclusion challenges within the company.

Q: How did Bozoma Saint John respond to criticism about her hiring at Uber?

Bozoma Saint John responded to criticism about her hiring at Uber by emphasizing her qualifications and experience in branding and marketing. She expressed frustration that her hiring was questioned due to her being a black woman, stating that her race should be seen as a benefit rather than the primary reason for her role. Saint John highlighted her expertise and the unique challenges she was excited to tackle at Uber, focusing on her ability to evolve the brand and create impactful storytelling.

Q: What is Bozoma Saint John's approach to managing Uber's brand challenges?

Bozoma Saint John's approach to managing Uber's brand challenges involves focusing on storytelling and creating a balanced narrative. She aims to humanize the brand by highlighting the community aspect of drivers and addressing past controversies transparently. Saint John emphasizes the importance of learning from mistakes and fostering an inclusive culture. Her strategy includes initiatives like the 180 Days of Change to improve driver relations and diversity efforts to increase representation within the company.

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.