ARCHIVES: This is legacy content from before Marketing Dive acquired Mobile Marketer in early 2017. Some information, such as publication dates, may not have migrated over. Check out the new Marketing Dive site for the latest marketing news.

Hello Vino, Uber offer safe rides home for holidays

Wine shopping mobile application Hello Vino is teaming with car service Uber to launch the ?Safe Ride Home? campaign during the holidays to offer rides home to users who may have been drinking.

Upon Uber?s recent $40 billion valuation, many brands are initiating campaigns with the car service app to promote safe driving and convenience between apps. Hello Vino is also attempting to build its own reputation by linking with Uber. 

?We want to help make sure patrons got home safely during the holidays, and Button's DeepLink Commerce platform has allowed us to connect our users with Uber's ride-sharing service through the Hello Vino app,? said Rick Breslin, founder and CEO of Hello Vino, San Francisco.

Promoting safety
Since Hello Vino has found that 21.6 percent of its users are accessing the app while at restaurants and establishments that serve wine and 42 percent of app usage occurs on the weekends, the wine shopping app thought it was convenient to integrate safe driving habits with Uber.

Patrons can now claim a $30 free ride credit when they sign up for Uber through the Hello Vino app, which has been made possible through the Button DeepLink Commerce platform.

This technology allows Hello Vino users to access Uber without leaving the app, aiming to enable smarter connections between applications.

?Button is building the fabric to empower mobile commerce,? said Michael Jaconi, co-founder and CEO of Button. ?We build smarter connections between apps to enhance experiences while driving installs, engagement and commerce.?

In the Hello Vino app, users will notice the ?Get a Safe Ride Home? tab after clicking the More icon in the left-hand corner. 


The most recent update of the Hello Vino app also includes personalized recommendations, a wine label scanner using image recognition and the addition of Apple Pay to allow iPhone users to purchase wine with a single tap. 

Combining forces
Other brands have teamed with Uber to double their power and appeal.

Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker?s leveraging of Uber?s capabilities to discourage partygoers from drinking and driving by offering 250,000 kilometers of free rides points to the ride-sharing service's potential for marketers as adoption continues to grow. 

Safe driving campaigns serve as a way to build brand loyalty and awareness, such as AT&T?s It Can Wait program. These actions enable brands to emit a positive ambiance, elevating their reputation in consumers? eyes (see story).

Earlier this year, Hyatt Hotels integrated its mobile application with the Uber ride-service app to make it easier for guests to get from their current location to their Hyatt hotel.

By using the Uber button located under the My Reservations section of the Hyatt app from the day of check-in until the end of their stay, guests can use available Uber transportation and receive information about the estimated price of the trip for each option.  The update shows how hotels are responding to guests? demands for experiences that integrate mobile functionality and hotel service (see story).

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York