Why Uber's Recent Antiracism Campaign Generated Criticism

Last week, Uber launched a marketing campaign tied to the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington.

• The Wieden+Kennedy campaign’s core message tells users, “If you tolerate racism, delete Uber.”
• The message rolled out via social media, emails, in-app notifications, and billboards in thirteen cities.

An important stat: 63% percent of U.S. consumers agreed with the statement, “Brands and companies that issue a statement in support of racial equality need to follow it up with concrete action to avoid being seen by me as exploitative or as opportunists,” per Edelman’s spring 2020 brand trust report.

To that end, Uber also announced a string of commitments to back up its campaign, including creating anti-racism education for drivers and riders, formalizing a working group that seeks to identify bias in its products, and spending $10 million to support Black-owned businesses in the next two years.

• Even still, some critics, like Katie Wells, a researcher who studies Uber, saw the campaign as opportunistic.
• The company is currently under fire for unfair labor practices, and both Uber and Lyft were recently found to engage in price discrimination in predominantly non-white neighborhoods.

My takeaway: Strong antiracist messaging can generate criticism from all angles. The best a brand can do is follow through on concrete action that demonstrates commitment to its words.