taxify oü is an estonian international transportation network company headquartered in tallinn , estonia .

as of march 2017 , taxify operates in 18 countries and 25 cities in europe , western asia , africa and mexico .

the company develops and operates the taxify mobile application , which allows people to request a taxi or private driver from their smartphone .

taxify

good news , taxify is now available for all windows phone users . so far taxify has been available for both ios and android devices , and with the added windows phone solution , taxify aims to grow its market share even further .
brazen frans - how does taxify ensure the safety of . . . | facebook
glassdoor gives you an inside look at what it ' s like to work at taxify , including salaries , reviews , office photos , and more . this is the taxify company profile . all content is posted anonymously by employees working at taxify .
linda mahloko , taxify’s operations manager , later contacted me : “i would like to personally apologise on behalf of taxify and the driver for the terrible service you received .
in the business category , taxify shared honors with weekdone , a team management app .
never miss a story from taxify , when you sign up for medium . learn more
5 . taxify driver application ● drivers accept orders from client app and dispatcher . ● unlike uber and hailo , taxify only works with licensed and high - quality taxi companies .
a review of the taxify vs uber services in south africa , and how they differ .
i totally agree , rob ! after speaking to many taxify drivers who were previously uber drivers and hearing the issues they’ve had with uber makes me happy to support taxify even more .
the taxify rider app is available for download on ios , android , and windows phone .
the experience that jolted me was when an incompetent driver from taxify collected me for work .
i applied through a recruiter . i interviewed at taxify ( tallinn ( estonia ) ) .
i live in budapest and am always extremely happy with the app and the taxify taxi system .
taxify’s other focus is its rapidly growing local partner program , which allows entrepreneurs to set up their local taxify business using a franchise model and become a city manager on a revenue share model .
taxify has the most affordable rates in the market now . i also hear that they very reachable .
with lower fares and happier drivers i can get to my destination with ease . lets taxify lagos !
mode of op eration : operation is done via the taxify app . users request a taxi ride from their smartphones . taxify drivers use their personal cars . taxify claims to take 15 % commissions from drivers vs . 25 % - 30 % taken by its biggest competitors . local support is also provided for drivers .
taxify is the smartest way to move around in your city . get the app for iphone and android .
we will set you up with an account to manage employee access to a business payment option in taxify .
taxify connects millions of riders and drivers around the world to make travel easier , quicker and more reliable .
where it previously wanted to partner with existing taxi companies , taxify will now have its own private drivers .
taxify continues expansion to new cities and our next stop is london , live from today . cheers ! urltoken
didi announces strategic partnership with taxify , rideshare leader in europe and africa - news - press - didichuxing . en
finally , using cash will be an option . whereas uber uses solely card payments , taxify offers both options .
for riders , taxify’s base price is around 10 % cheaper than its biggest competitors . taxify also runs seasonal promotions that make it up to 40 % cheaper than its base price . the firm says it compensates drivers the difference .
taxify is a free smartphone app which seamlessly connects you to hundreds of cars at the push of a button . no more waiting in call - center queues or waiting on the street – taxify is simple , fast and affordable .
taxify is an estonian - developed taxi - hailing and rideshare app that has spread to multiple countries around the world .
you can use taxify for your personal or business trips . switch the payment method at the tap of a button .
taxify is europe ' s leading ride - sharing platform , building the future of transport across more than 25 countries .
taxify is a start - up established in 2013 , whose goal is to make the experience of ordering a taxi convenient and fast by connecting taxi drivers and customer via smartphone application . taxify has more than 80 thousand users in estonia .
services : taxify has only one service on offer and that means that you only have one price to pay . however , many drivers who work for uber also work for taxify . that means if you order a taxify ride , you may just land an uberblack car like i did , plus there’s no extra cost ! while taxify is still growing as a service , there may not be as many vehicles on the road , so the wait can be a little longer .
• taxify is now in paris ! • design updates and app performance improvements . if you love taxify please write us a review . • don ' t forget to leave ratings after each ride , this helps us keep high service quality !
• taxify is now in london ! • design updates and app performance improvements . if you love taxify please write us a review . • don ' t forget to leave ratings after each ride , this helps us keep high service quality !
the taxify cab - hailing app has announced it will launch in south africa on 29 april with a new business model .
taxify plans to roll out in all major hubs in south africa , beginning with johannesburg , cape town , and durban .
itl chose taxify for the award as this solution has become a hit among estonian users and has shown rapid growth . taxify has made taxi ordering faster and cheaper , as the client can choose the taxis based on location , price , payment method , car type and also see taxis arriving on the map . for taxi drivers taxify provides new kind of convenience , instead of waiting in the car , they can have smartphone with the taxify app in their pocket while waiting for customer ride notifications .
meanwhile , taxify is headquartered in estonia and operates in 18 countries across europe , west asia and africa . the app has proved popular with customers due to its comparatively low fares , which taxify is able to offer by charging drivers a lower commission than rivals ; taxify charges drivers around 15 percent commission , significantly lower than the 25 percent imposed by the likes of uber .
use the taxify app whenever you need a ride that’s quick , safe , and affordable . download our app on . . .
taxify is the fastest growing estonian startup ! in the last 15 months our company has grown from a 100 to 500 people .
taxify is one of europe’s leading ride - sharing platforms , operating globally in more than 20 countries and in over 40 cities .
taxify is literally changing how millions of people move by making on - demand transport affordable in tens of cities around the world .
on the 30th of august at 6 pm at lift99 , startup grind tallinn will host markus villig founder and ceo at taxify .
so , if you have experienced both uber and taxify rides , let us know in the comments which one you think is best .
“we became top # 2 transport app in all 3 countries where we operate and plan to achieve the top # 1 spot this year . south africa became top # 1 country by volume for taxify as a company , ” said taxify’s founder and ceo markus villig .
taxify believes in delivering high quality rides and they do so by making sure their driver – partners are happy and their riders happier .
taxify are keen to find a solution to this issue and strongly urge tfl to meet with the company at the earliest possible opportunity .
the details of a driver for online taxi service taxify have been published on social media after he allegedly abducted a cape town woman .
didi chuxing revealed the partnership in a statement , but did not specify how much it planned to invest . taxify founder and ceo markus villig said : “didi will invest in and collaborate with taxify to support the latter’s further growth and innovation across its diversified markets . ”
ps . i should correct my taxify figure of 8 % above . i have since heard and read several percentages for taxify ranging from 8 % to 15 % . the last guy to mention 8 % to me was an uber driver who had just given me a lift . he said the 25 % was outrageous then showed me the taxify app on his phone ( which was the first i’d seen of it locally , so , interesting marketing ! ) he said he was far happier driving for taxify but is clearly also relying on uber .
in this week’s episode of brand spark , we bring you a comparison between two top transportation network companies in lagos , uber and taxify .
here comes taxify , an e - hailing app founded in estonia in 2013 and has grown so rapidly in the space of 3 years .
operations . meanwhile , the startup has been tweeting drivers that download and use its app not to say they are “employed by taxify . ”
online taxi service taxify has removed a driver from its mobile app after he was accused of abducting a cape town woman on monday evening .
markus villig , founder and ceo of taxify , said :
taxify will utilize this partnership to solidify our position in core markets in europe and africa . we believe didi is the best partner to help us become the most popular and efficient transport option in europe & africa .
taxify , a utility for finding a taxi quickly , has been named as the overall winner of the competition for the best estonian mobile application .
i like taxify , because their tariffs are better and drivers seems more happy , as they claim of earning more . so far good experiences 🙂
now in over 20 countries and is currently in 4 countries and 6 cities in africa . taxify launched in lagos on november 18th , 2016 .
like other mobile taxi apps , taxify lets you choose a taxi based on arrival time , price list , car model and user feedback ratings .
contact uber or taxify to report drivers should you experience any harassment on your trip . this will ensure that any problematic drivers are dealt with .
* correction : the story previously said taxify’s discount was 30 % it has been corrected to show it was 40 % and reduced to 20 % .
didi chuxing , the world ' s leading mobile transportation platform , today announces a strategic partnership with taxify , a leading ridesharing company in europe and africa . under this partnership , didi will invest in and collaborate with taxify to support the latter ' s further growth and innovation across its diversified markets .
taxify said it didn’t receive a favourable response from the local industry , and so it decided to change its business model to be similar to uber’s .
for taxify is not just a plucky little startup taking on uber — it’s now backed by chinese ride - hailing tech giant didi chuxing in china .
taxify are immensely frustrated that tfl have not been willing to co - operate nor meet to discuss its operating licence and entrance into the london market . taxify is a fully compliant ride - hailing technology provider , already operating in 19 other countries and major european cities , where it is successfully delivering a new competitive ride - hailing platform to the benefit of both customers and drivers . taxify remain committed to playing a key role in the london ride - hailing market .
a few months ago , taxify applied for a license to operate a taxi service in london . this is important , because there is a big misunderstanding going on here about what taxify is : it’s actually fleet management software in the cloud . cab firms sign up for it , and use it to replace their tired old booking software , while taxify takes a low fee . in other words , taxify doesn’t want to run cab or private car firms . it’s basically a tech front for licensed cab firms that could never build and manage such complex software themselves . but to launch in london , it needed a way in .
taxify offers an all - in - one fleet management system and mobile apps for taxi companies . taxi and private hire companies use taxify to : * increase efficiency - automated dispatcher software allocates jobs more efficiently . * get more customers - use taxify iphone and android apps to attract new customers and gain visibility . * cut costs - our full feature backend & billing system makes fleet management a lot easier . sign up for a free 30 day trial or read more at urltoken
by saturday evening , taxify had taken off the card option to avoid confusion . i expect that the option will be disabled until the payment issue is resolved .
i also verified the support from the driver’s angle and asked some random drivers about taxify’s support and they confirmed the ease and prompt way their issues are resolved .
just this week pretoria driver lindelani mashau died from injuries after meter taxi drivers torched his car , while a cape town woman was almost abducted in a taxify .
taxify spokesman marilin noorem denied the woman was abducted and said the incident was an
unfortunate misunderstanding
between the rider and the driver on the route taken .
estonian taxify offering taxis at the push of a button in 7 countries is now making sure payments are just as easy . after launching in - app payments with debit and credit cards in baltic countries in april ( with finland and the netherlands launching in may ) , taxify has now rolled out mobile carrier billing in estonia .
taxify places as much importance on drivers , as on riders - and we all know a happy driver equals a happy customer . taxify drivers only have to pay a 10 - 15 per cent commission to the company , in comparison to 30 per cent for uber drivers . cheaper commissions amount to lower prices for customers . also , taxify drivers can create a radius around where they would like their next pick up from , so if they want to work close to home , they can .
taxify was founded by markus villig in 2013 , but made its way to africa in 2016 and was officially launched in lagos , nigeria on november 18 , 2016 .
taxify is the first taxi app in the world to launch mobile carrier billing . the main reason for it are favorable conditions achieved with emt ( teliasonera group ) :
uber no longer exists in hungary but you’re in good hands with taxify , at least in my extensive experience . i’ve never used it in other cities in hungary .
wherever you are in the city of gold , from sandton city to the neighbourgoods market at the heart of the cbd , count on taxify for great rides in minutes .
it has an “all - in - one solution for taxi companies . ” basically , a booking system with a consumer - facing app . traditional taxi companies use taxify’s web - based dispatcher and fleet management systems to manage their back - end and unite under taxify’s consumer - facing app to stay competitive against expanding networks like hailo and uber . that then lowers taxify’s costs , allowing them to charge less . it then charges the cab firm a low monthly fee of about €12 - 15 per driver per month .
“telecom operators have globally taken margins between 10 - 50 % from each transaction , ” explains taxify co - founder martin villig . “those margins have been suitable for virtual goods , but not sustainable for majority of offline services . teliasonera has now been the most innovative operator to provide competitive payout terms that can be accepted by taxify taxi drivers . ”
and the winner is… honestly , the taxify and uber services are so similar that it comes down to the smallest details about which company i prefer . while i do love uber , the messaging feature , friendly drivers , and the fact that i love supporting small businesses means that i now choose taxify as my go - to ride every time .
anneli heinsoo , the president of itl commented their decision : „people say that using taxify is pure joy , even if they don’t need to order the taxi . it is a clear sample how the usage of technology has changed the business itself – the time of traditional dispatch operators has passed . we only wish taxify success with their global expansion . ”
app : much like the uber app , the taxify app is easy to use and you have many of the same functions . you can get a fare estimate , order a ride , see your ride history , and rate your ride . my favourite feature of the taxify app is that once you’ve ordered your ride , you can message your driver .
china ride - sharing company didi chuxing has expanded into europe and africa after it made an undisclosed amount of investment in taxify , an estonian - based ride - sharing operator .
mission : let’s build the future of transport together . taxify is not just a software company . we literally change how millions of people move in cities . see careers → urltoken
for drivers , taxify takes 15 % commissions from drivers compared to between 25 % - 30 % taken by the biggest competitors . it also provides local support for for its drivers .
ever since taxify stepped into the scene , we have witnessed a breath of fresh air . me for one noticed no more / less surge on uber ! . best news ever .
a tfl spokesperson said : “taxify is not a london licensed private hire operator . we are urgently investigating the nature and extent of its activities and will take action where appropriate . ”
cheng wei , chief executive officer of didi , believes that the investment in taxify will link up transport services in asia with those in europe and africa , and develop smarter products .
over the weekend several hundreds of people have used the new emt m - payment solution . taxify team has also revealed their plans to expandit to latvia and lithuania in the near future .
this will help us move faster towards our mission of building the best way to move in cities and will bring taxify to many more locations that are already waiting for us to launch .
use the taxify app whenever you need a ride that’s quick , safe , and affordable . download our app on app store or google play store , and get a ride in minutes .
though uber has always been the major / top player in the e - hailing sector , taxify has been giving them a major run with the awoof to riders as well as drivers .
uber and taxify have had a long list of violent incidents this year . if it isn’t the meter taxi owners attacking uber drivers , it’s uber riders that get assaulted by the drivers .
taxi ordering application taxify was named estonia’s best mobile application 2014 by the minister of economic affairs and infrastructure , urve palo . the contest is organised by the estonia’s state information system authority .
taxify agrees increased competition in a city the size of lagos with over 20 million people , is inevitable and will help ease the transport difficulties here . “ride - hailing technology has the potential of easing up a lot of tension , ” says taxify’s okafor . “one vehicle servicing the transport needs of up to 50 residents would lead to reduced traffic bottlenecks and a saner city . ”
i used to prefer taxify over uber in kenya but once i had an issue with a taxify driver and he left us on the side of the road past midnight after an hour long argument over nothing and there was no option to report the driver… . i got through to them but they did nothing about this complaint . uber is usually really stricked about those kind of things
there was nothing else to do but pay with cash . i noticed that i wasn’t the only one who had that problem . taxify’s twitter feed was filled with apologies about the payment problem .
we ' re connecting riders with the best local drivers at the best prices . when you ride with taxify , we do our best to make the ride as seamless and comfortable as possible .
already launched in europe , north america , and central and south america , taxify first launched in south africa at the start of 2015 – with the aim of partnering with local taxi operators .
well - placed sources say taxify reached out to tfl in april about launch , but tfl was “walling” the firm , say the sources . faced with a slow - moving bureaucracy , taxify went ahead and literally bought a local cab firm , city drive services . this has a licence to operate with tfl , trading under two brand names , avanti car service citydrive and sigma car service .
over the last 48 hours , questions have been raised regarding the legality of its operations and taxify would like to make clear that it has made every attempt possible to comply with tfl regulations . to launch its service to london customers , the business purchased a tfl licensed operator , running taxify as a technology platform directing bookings to city drive services registered drivers . this arrangement is completely compliant within the existing uk law , and is a common practice within the industry . taxify does not need a license , as any licensed operator can use any technology platform they choose to facilitate bookings between private hire drivers and riders . in this case , city drive services was the company authorised by tfl to dispatch bookings and therefore taxify had no need to get a license for the software separately .
all in all , 71 apps were submitted to the five categories of the competition . besides taxify , the winners willl go on to represent estonia at the international mobile application world summit award mobile .
uber dominance in the metered taxi business need a strong and healthy competition , if this goes unchecked , many people will suffer . i wish taxify and oga taxi conveyor with some kind of innovations .
taxify is rapidly expanding and gaining traction in africa even though it has only raised €2 million compared to eight - year old uber which had raised more than $ 15 billion in equity and debt by last year . based on conversations with drivers and following their social media chatter , it seems more uber lagos drivers are joining the taxify platform and are either on both platforms or have switched sides completely .
“due to strong demand from our customers from both finland and the baltics , we have invested our development efforts into windows phone solution . with this milestone , we are delighted to say that taxify taxi booking service is now available for the majority of all smartphone users . developments will of course continue and more interesting news are still to come within forthcoming months , ” commented taxify’s ceo , markus villig .
“microsoft supports innovative companies like taxify through various means , such as promoting the app on relevant markets in order to help accelerate the business and secure the investment made into the windows ecosystem . taxify has great potential to become very popular among windows phone users in finland , the baltics , and other countries as well , ” said mikael stendahl , head of partner and developer relations , microsoft , nordics .
taxify , one of the fastest growing transport apps in europe with over 1m customers in 15 countries is seeing a tremendous growth in africa where uber is falling prey of its own economics of price fixing .
• design updates and app performance improvements . if you love taxify please write us a review . • don ' t forget to leave ratings after each ride , this helps us keep high service quality !
this exact situation made us enter the south african market earlier this year and we’ve quickly grown taxify to one of the top transport apps in the country . proving our point — sometimes less is more .
the taxify team would also like to express our sincere sympathy towards the victims of attacks and may the care and love of those around you provide comfort and peace to get you through the days ahead .
team management tool weekdone won the top award in the category of business and commerce , together with the taxi ordering application taxify . weekdone was also awarded a special prize for the security solution nutikaitse 2017 .
despite only being founded three years ago , taxify is already operating in 18 countries and 25 cities in europe , africa , western asia and mexico , and claims to have 2 . 5 million users .
taxify is offering a reliable ride with both – licensed taxis and private drivers ( ridesharing ) . and this is the main difference . currently 80 % of taxify drivers are taxis and 20 % are private drivers . there is a strict quality control before accepting somebody as a new driver . there is 2 - way feedback system to rate drivers and clients . we are keeping only the best and most active drivers . taxify is also offering several payment options – cash , card payments , mobile operator billing and corporate agreements . it all has worked out successfully for us , because we are market leader in baltic countries .
estonian association of information technology and telecommunications ( itl ) awarded the projects and people that have had the strongest impact to estonian ict sector at 2014 and taxify was nominated as “the breakthrough of the year 2014” .
in your analysis you don’t mention that taxify gives you only a quote , at the end of your trip , the fare is usually higher . with uber , the price you see is the price you pay
2 . taxify ● strong technical and marketing team . ● fastest growing taxi network in eu . ● backed by investors from skype and navirec . ● official launch in top 3 us cities during summer 2014 .
we have had no reported incidents on the taxify platform so far and we strive to put even more measures in place to ensure that we keep it that way because your safety is always our biggest concern .
( update : taxify has now issued a statement saying it has “done everything in its power to comply with the local regulations , but is faced by aggression from tfl . ” it says that running taxify as a technology platform directing bookings to city drive services registered drivers is “completely compliant within the existing uk law , and is a common practice . ” tfl has revoked the license held by city drive services ) .
somehow , taxify thought that just by buying a cab firm with a license , installing its cloud services and apps with the drivers , it could would then have carte blanche to launch its service in london .
tfl has raised concerns about taxify’s license directly to its drivers instead of to the platform . despite multiple attempts at communication with to resolve the issue , tfl has not provided any guidance . in an effort to stay fully compliant , and to protect drivers from further harassment and scrutiny by tfl , taxify voluntarily paused the use of its app by city drive services drivers so that it can seek clarification with the regulator .
taxify helps people find the nearest free taxi with just two clicks by putting the customers directly in touch with taxi drivers . the app recently won the popular vote of the startup competition ajujaht ( brain hunt ) .
there are at least 14 different cab services available in africa’s most populous city . the most notable of the ridesharing services without a doubt would be uber nigeria . however , there’s a new competitor in town – taxify
in africa . did you know that lagos alone has 14 ridesharing apps ? i bet you didn’t . on friday , we were greeted with the news of yet another ridesharing app , taxify , launching in lagos .
in the beginning of this year , a taxi fleet in cluj - napoca , romania started using taxify dispatcher software . once the news reached bucharest , we quickly saw an unprecedent interest from local driver - partners .
taxify is the fastest growing transport technology company in europe & africa with more than a million customers in 18 countries . we’re building a smartphone app to book convenient and reliable rides at the tap of a button .
riders can pay their fare using cash , debit card , or credit card , and if they don’t have a supported smartphone they can call the taxify call centre ( 071 188 4044 ) to book a cab .
8 . pricing ● taxify platform and mobile applications . ● 99 . 5 % uptime and technical support . monthly fee per active driver 19 $ / month fee per mobile app booking ( from driver ) 1 $
taxify is an estonian technology firm launched in 2013 to develop a worldwide taxi - hailing and rideshare app . the company , whose app recently reached the one million download mark in google play , employs over 120 people .
since its launch in estonia in 2013 , taxify has expanded to a total of 25 cities 18 different countries , most recently baku , the capital of azerbaijan , and malta , who currently holds the presidency of the eu .
founded in estonia in 2013 , taxify is building the market leading platform connecting people with taxis and private drivers and has attracted 2 million euros of venture capital investments and a team with people from skype , google & uber .
i live in budapest and am always extremely happy with the app and the taxify taxi system . the customer service is also excellent , in sharp contrast to the generally poor customer service found in enterprises in hungary . i am puzzled my the negative comments another reviewer made about this . uber no longer exists in hungary but you’re in good hands with taxify , at least in my extensive experience . i’ve never used it in other cities in hungary .
markus founded taxify when he was 19 and still in high - school . now 3 . 5 years later , taxify is the fastest growing european & african private driver platform with more than 3m customers in 19 countries . markus received the presidential award for the best young entrepreneur of estonia 2016 and was featured as the youngest ceo in the forbes 30 under 30 list in baltics . taxify recently received funding and started strategic co - operation with global ride - hailing leader didi chuxing , operating in 400 cities in china and asia . markus will share his story how long it took them to get to this stage . we will discuss growth , raising capital and sharing economy .
given the recent wave of alleged attacks on riders on competitor platforms , taxify would like to issue an official statement that we were in no way involved in these attacks nor encouraged any of these terrible acts to take place .
taxify is the fastest growing technology company with millions of customers across more than 20 countries from europe to africa to mexico . we build a smartphone app to take safe and fast rides , all at the tap of a button .
taxify has done everything in its power to comply with the local regulations , but is faced by aggression from tfl . taxify successfully launched its london ride - hailing service on tuesday , with over 3 , 000 drivers signed up , 7 , 000 drivers due to be on - boarded and over 30 , 000 customers downloading the app in the first three days . this incredible response shows the huge demand for greater choice in the monopolised london ride - hailing market .
linda mahloko , taxify’s operations manager , later contacted me : “i would like to personally apologise on behalf of taxify and the driver for the terrible service you received . it ' s always a huge concern for us when one ' s life is put in danger because the driver was not able to drive in the correct manner . when this does happen we send them to a re - training course and they also have to go and pass an advanced driving course .
seeing an opportunity we decided to partner with a local partner and comply with all the regulations . that’s right — for the first time in history , taxify is a taxi company . with fancy yellow cars driving around the city and stuff .
taxify is one of the fastest growing transport platforms in europe & africa , with + 700 thousand customers in 15 countries . we’re connecting passengers to reliable rides and believe that treating drivers better is the only way to serve our riders better .
the taxify app helps to order taxis more quickly and conveniently with a competitive fare . the company has raised 1 . 5 million euros of investments , and it employs 30 people . currently taxify’s has hundreds of thousands of users in 8 markets including estonia , latvia , lithuania , the czech republic , serbia , finland , the netherlands , and belarus . in the coming years , taxify aims to increase the volume of orders and become europe’s second largest taxi application . the company’s ceo markus villig offers participants the following advice : “focus on growing your business rather than just fulfilling the requirements of the competition . ” he adds that ajujaht gave his team knowledge , contacts , and a great marketing outlet for the estonian market .
tfl has issued a letter stating that they are revoking the license held by city drive services due to a change in the company’s director , who has no involvement with the operation or the business practice . taxify strongly believe that the reasons for tfl revoking city drive services’ license are invalid , without merit , and outside of existing law . the action by tfl is denying london customers a valid choice within the market which has limited options . taxify is appealing against tfl’s decision immediately .
this driver - centric business model has also served to position taxify as an ethical alternative for consumers who enjoy the convenience of uber , but are put off the app by swirling accusations of uber’s toxic business culture and unfair treatment of drivers .
beginning at the end of march , taxify launched its service in baku , marking the second city in the caucasus to join the list of 25 cities where it operates , following the georgian capital of tbilisi , according to a company press release .
taxify launched in estonia in 2013 and now operates in 18 countries , mainly emerging markets like eastern europe and africa . the startup claims to have more than 2 . 5 million customers , and recently announced a strategic partnership with didi chuxing in china .
two weeks after the complaint on taxify’s app , they still haven’t looked at my message , which doesn’t exactly fill one with confidence they are listening to customers . it’s a pity , because most of their drivers are competent , hard - working people .
luckily oliver joined the team – he was programmer . this is still considered to be best hire for taxify so far . oliver quickly re - wrote code base ; it’s being used still . so the taxify app helps people get a reliable ride with a push of a button . choose your closest car by price , distance , user rating or car model . you will see the car approaching real - time on the map after confirming the order . taxify currently operates in all baltic countries as well as 7 other countries in europe . real growth started in early 2014 when the team decided to find investors to finance expansion and hire new team members for new operating cities . the company has raised 1 . 5m eur so far from venture capital and angel investors .
taxify is clearly trying to shoe - horn its service into london , not by encouraging local players to sign up for its service , but by literally acquiring a local player and launching . it’s not clear yet whether it had actually outlined this to tfl .
i was going from yaba to surulere but samuel didn’t know the way so i had to direct him while having a phone conversation throughout the trip . in the midst of it all , i asked him about taxify and how he came about being a rider .
despite taxify’s “support” promising to respond within four hours on the app , there was silence on the matter . a week later i challenged them on twitter . then they offered a r100 credit , promised to send the driver for more training and put him on probation .
i know that it is hard to believe that there could be a more popular app targeting the taxi industry then uber . but the unbelievable is real in the baltics , where there is an app named taxify , which is for taxi drivers as well as taxi users .
the thing with those attacks are that they weren’t real ubers . when you order your uber or taxify , you’re provided with a license plate number and a photo of the driver . it’s important that you check that the number plate is correct before climbing into any vehicle .
taxify ’s founder markus villig said that the company was hoping to win the competition . “we’re proud and happy to be the best smartphone app of the year . now we have to work even harder to grow and become widely used in other regions as well , ” he added .
taxify customers can still pay cash , use bank cards in taxis that have terminals or select the option to pay from card or mobile carrier billing in the app . the new payment option is already available to ios and android users in estonia , with windows phone app soon catching up .
. taxify is growing really fast – from about 10 to 20 % each month ! the company’s mission is to expand its services and provide a reliable , affordable and convenient ride with a tap of a button in many cities in central - eastern europe within the next 5 years . so
chinese taxi - hailing app didi chuxing has announced it will invest in european counterpart taxify in order to create a strategic partnership between the firms , which offer the same service but operate in geographically distinct customer bases . the partnership will strengthen both companies , helping them to compete with rival uber .
he didn’t switch from uber as i previously assumed but had seen adverts on facebook and decided to sign up . according to him , he was aware of about 250 drivers already on the platform . i asked if he knew any drivers that had made the switch from uber to taxify but he didn’t .
the feedback process , which both taxify and uber utilise , is important . allenberg said : “drivers and riders can give feedback and ratings after every trip . after every ride , you and your drivers need to rate each other and provide feedback . our safety team reviews this information and investigates any issues .
in an unusual competitor move , just a few days after uber’s 40 % fare cut was announced taxify actually halved its customer discount to 20 % from 40 % . this , in effect , allowed drivers to earn even more per trip and this put more pressure on uber to reverse its price slash .
but is a new taxi app taxify set to steal its crown ? co - founded by estonian brother act markus and martin villig , the app currently operates in 19 countries and has more than 1 million customers . it was born in tallinn before expanding into other cities in europe , mexico and africa .
uber ' s total dominance could be coming to an end in australia as another major ride - sharing app enters the market this week . taxify launches in sydney at 10am today and is offering users a 50 per cent discount for the first month . it plans to roll out in melbourne before christmas .
uber’s driver troubles come just as an estonian - founded e - hailing app taxify expanded to nigeria . even though lagos has well over a dozen mostly homegrown e - hailing apps , few have been able to give uber meaningful competition for any length of time in the three years since it launched in lagos .
launched in estonia in 2013 , taxify is the fastest - growing ride - hailing company in europe and africa , offering taxi - and private car - hailing services to over 2 . 5 million users in major hubs across 18 countries , including hungary , romania , the baltic states , south africa , nigeria and kenya .
“we have attractive fares for both riders and drivers . this brings more drivers on the platform which in turn attracts riders as our rates are better and etas are improving weekly , ” villig said . “our biggest source of new riders is word of mouth – people recommend taxify to their friends as they see value in the service . ”
“we treat driver - partners better so that they can offer high quality service to customers , ” says taxify’s operation manager in lagos , uche okafor . he points to its commission of 15 % versus 20 - 25 % versus its competitors . that lower commission probably helps offset its own 40 % fare cut in competition with uber lagos .
two weeks after the complaint on taxify’s app , they still haven’t looked at my message , which doesn ' t exactly fill one with confidence they are listening to customers . it’s a pity , because most of their drivers are competent , hard - working people . but my question remains : how do the dangerous drivers slip through the cracks ?
taxify chose to enter the market in malta , where it launched in cooperation with a local taxi firm run by valdo laud , an individual of estonian origin , due to the increased demand for taxis caused by the influx of european officials and tourists in the country during its presidency of the council of the eu in the first half of 2017 .
uber now typically takes 25 % of the fee . an outrageous amount for an app that could be written in a week . that alone makes me dislike uber . taxify currently take 8 % . that’s a massive difference . i think supporting the hard working ( typically very long hours ) driver by giving them a better percentage is a worthy motivation .
this week in london to a big pr - push and fanfare . most of the coverage was about how this plucky startup was going to take on the uber giant . but taxify has now had to pause its operations in london after a transport union questioned if it had a license to operate , and official body transport for london announced it would investigate
uber faces a new challenger in london with the launch of a rival car - hailing app that promises to undercut the american giant on price as well as paying its drivers more . taxify , an estonian company that has spread across europe , africa and the middle east since it was founded in 2013 , will switch on its service in the capital on tuesday morning .
yet , taxify seems to have made something of a dent , however small . it could be its timing has just been better than other rivals , arriving at a time of upheaval for uber in lagos . its strategy is to fight for market share without taking on deep - pocketed uber in a cash battle . instead it is trying to get the drivers on its side .
for someone looking for a convenient day job from 9 to 5 , taxify ' s probably not the best fit . as people around you are always going the extra mile and moving things forward , you too are expected to deliver . personally , i like this kind of work environment , but i see how it may not fit for more lifestyle - business - loving people .
while uber is the most popular taxi choice at the moment , there’s another service that is starting to make a name for itself in south africa , and in my case , cape town . taxify is still fairly new here in south africa , but it’s quickly growing in popularity . i’ve used both of these services and i’ve decided to chat about them both in the post below .
the powerful gmb union wrote to tfl saying : “the decision to acquire an operator and not advise transport for london ( tfl ) of a fundamental change to licensing conditions seems incompatible with the law . ” it questioned whether the firm is “fit and proper” to hold a licence with tfl , asking about driver safety , and saying there is “obfuscation” about how taxify actually works and operates .
of course , there are times when i need to get around ( to blog events , coffee dates , or shopping trips ) without the help of public transport and when my darling husband is at work . it’s moments like that when the taxify and uber services are my best friends . in fact , it’s become a family joke that i’ll request an uber at the drop of a hat .
will cheng wei , founder and ceo of didi chuxing , said :
taxify provides innovative , high - quality mobility services across many diverse markets . we share a strong commitment to harnessing the power of mobile technology to satisfying rapidly evolving consumer demands and revitalizing traditional transportation industry . i believe this partnership will contribute to cross - regional smart transportation linkages between asian , european and african markets .
the verdict the only way to decide which cab service you hail is to consider consumer experience . although each company claims to offer better services , they both rely on the same cars and drivers available to them in lagos . also , both transport services operate on pretty much the same principle with navigation being done via google maps . there is also the difference ( maybe similarity ) in pricing between uber and taxify to consider .
the experience that jolted me was when an incompetent driver from taxify collected me for work . first he blamed his jerky driving on “some issue” with his wheels , then he drove on the wrong side of the road and stopped in the middle of an intersection . luckily , it was 3 . 30 in the morning so there wasn ' t much traffic . fearing for my life , i got out the car and called another taxi .


founded in 1998 by ceo , manny flores and cmo , alejandro ruelas , latinworks is a hispanic advertising agency headquartered in austin , texas .

latinworks evp and general manager , christy kranik , leads the day-to-day operations of the business , along with the support of executive creative director , gabriel garcia .

latinworks is a certified minority enterprise and member of the omnicom global network .

under the creative leadership of sergio alcocer ( 1998-2015 ) , latinworks was a nine-time cannes lions winner , a three-time ad age multicultural agency of the year , in 2010 , 2011 and 2012 and was featured twice on ad age ’s agency a-list before it was dropped from the list after mr. alcocer 's departure in 2015 .

latinworks

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a - b inbev ' s bud light is a longtime client of latinworks .
sergio alcocer is leaving u . s . hispanic shop latinworks | hispanic marketing - ad age
ask a question about working or interviewing at latinworks . our community is ready to answer .
the acquisition gives latinworks controlling interest of cultura with omnicom’s diversified agency services ( das ) unit retaining its minority interest ( 49 percent ) in the dallas shop , said manny flores , ceo and managing partner , latinworks , in a telephone interview . omnicom also is a minority stakeholder in latinworks .
latinworks also created hispanic and general - market ads for the chelada versions of budweiser and bud light .
the addition of cultura staffers will expand the number of latinworks’ employees to about 100 from 85 , flores said .
like the entrepreneurial latinworks itself , which is only minority owned by omnicom , mr . ruelas and his latinworks co - founder manny flores will own a majority share in sibling , with a 49 % stake for gsd & m . ;
knipp will work alongside christy kranik , who moves to managing director from latinworks’ vp , account management , to help clients ease into the changeover . knipp and kranik report to sergio alcocer , president and chief creative officer , latinworks , per flores .
it will be based in austin with executive creative director rafael serrano leading creative duties . serrano previously served as creative director for latinworks .
that opened the door for anheuser - busch , where latinworks became one of three u . s hispanic shops and competed for general market assignments , scoring three super bowl slots for bud light spots . after inbev bought a - b , the only hispanic agency left standing was latinworks .
consider at & t ; , which selected latinworks after a pitch against general - market agencies to launch a pre - paid wireless brand called aio wireless . the business , latinworks ' largest win in its 15 - year history , now represents 21 % of the agency ' s revenue .
in 2010 mr . flores estimates latinworks , which reliably posts double - digit revenue increases every year , will grow 10 % to 15 % .
and that ' s why it ' s called sibling . the new agency is the brainchild of alejandro ruelas , co - founder , managing partner and cmo of leading hispanic shop latinworks ; former latinworks creative director rafael
rafa
serrano ; and gsd & m ; ceo duff stewart .
“they certainly helped me achieve that growth with their communications to hispanic consumers , ” weiner says . “i couldn’t have done that without latinworks . ”
alejandro ruelas , cofounder , cmo and managing partner of latinworks , and ceo of gsd & m ; duff stewart will provide leadership and guidance .
“we are very excited to become part of latinworks , ” said cultura ceo and gm greg knipp , who joins latinworks as a managing director . “together , we will provide our clients with more of what they already receive : respect and value , as well as new ideas and innovations . ”
christy kranik , latinworks ' long - time svp and managing director , becomes evp and general manager , and steps up to run the entire agency .
obsessed with providing solutions that answer even the most challenging client business problem , latinworks is a unique and specialized agency with roots in the multicultural space .
if you are engaged and willing to work hard on ideas , latinworks is the right place for you . great list of clients and very intelligent people .
a seamless transition is planned to ensure that clients new to latinworks receive the same level of service and creative they’ve experienced in the past , flores said .
austin - based agencies gsd & m ; and latinworks have launched a multicultural agency called ‘sibling’ that will help brands appeal to a younger and more diverse audience .
mr . alcocer joined latinworks in 1999 , shortly after co - founders manny flores and alejandro ruelas , the agency ' s ceo and cmo , started latinworks in a basement in st . louis , missouri , the city where both had worked on the client side at anheuser - busch . the agency is minority owned by omnicom group .
the arboretum the domain bba management and booking latinworks spacex the modern jewish wedding f1 circuit of the americas qualcomm kennedy creative austin children ' s services hendricks gin bindlestiff inc .
competition for business is especially intense for hispanic agencies like latinworks as more general market shops go after expanding hispanic marketing budgets . not that latinworks has had to worry . the agency , in which omnicom has a minority stake , has continued to grow its client roster with high - profile accounts , even in the toughest years of the current downturn .
“latinworks had the most forward - thinking approach to the hispanic marketplace , and they had very good strategic thinking about branding and creating [ consumer ] archetypes , ” farfan says .
in ms . kranik ' s new role , latinworks ' creative and planning departments will report to her ; she was already in charge of account management , media and new business .
latinworks is one of the biggest u . s . hispanic agencies , and has been both ad age ' s multicultural agency of the year and on the agency a - list .
“with clients like marshalls and domino’s , we handle everything from the communications strategy to creative to experiential to media planning and buying , ” says christy kranik , managing director at latinworks .
sergio alcocer , president and chief creative officer of latinworks , is leaving the austin - based u . s . hispanic agency at the end of this week after more than 16 years . mr . alcocer , one of the best - known hispanic creatives , has been a major force behind making latinworks one of the biggest and most creative agencies in the hispanic market .
for many years sergio embodied the spirit of what latinworks was all about ,
mr . ruelas said .
he is a very powerful personality that people drew a lot of inspiration from . sergio will always be unique , and he meant the world to latinworks and we ' re just happy he has the chance to do the things he wants to explore .
but through a combination of new - business wins and additional brands from existing clients such as pepsi , heinz and mars , latinworks managed to end 2012 with revenue up 7 % . how ? as marketers ponder whether it makes sense to have both a general - market and a hispanic agency , latinworks is at the forefront of making the case that multicultural is the new mainstream .
latinworks heads ( left to right ) : managing partner manny flores , president - cco sergio alcocer , and managing partner alejandro ruelas new york ( adage . com ) - - injecting a creative spirit even into its focus groups , latinworks pitted a dozen chevy and ford truck owners against one another to defend their passion for their chosen brands as the agency pitched for chevrolet ' s u . s . hispanic account last summer . the big , prestigious chevy win from general motors corp . helped latinworks , which reliably posts double - digit growth , to boost revenue by 37 % in 2010 .
the total market is a destination the ad industry is moving toward ,
said sergio alcocer , latinworks ' president and chief creative officer .
it will be a reality , not an alternative .
latinworks is a multicultural agency that is walking away from standards . located in austin , texas , the good , young and innovative vibe impregnates the workspace . its a healthy place to be working at .
for the chevy brand , which has underperformed severely in the hispanic market , latinworks encouraged gm to eschew stereotypical ads about hard - working latinos reaching for the american dream while playing soccer and raising a family .
new york latinworks , the austin , texas - based hispanic shop best known for its bud light super bowl spots , has acquired a 51 percent stake in cultura , a dallas - based hispanic ad agency .
as marketers struggle to understand just where consumers are going , latinworks released research last year on ambiculturalism , the idea that more hispanics are culturally ambidexterous , fully embracing both the latino and american aspects of their identities .
the u . s . had one hispanic - agency judge at cannes this year . sergio alcocer , latinworks ' president and chief creative officer , was on the film jury in his second stint as a cannes juror .
u . s . hispanic agency latinworks is promoting from within after the departure late last month of president - cco sergio alcocer , one of the best - known creative leaders in the u . s . hispanic market .
although latinworks ' partners knew former cco mr . alcocer was planning a move , it was a big surprise in the hispanic market when he left last month , and he still hasn ' t disclosed his next move .
that deep involvement in client business hints at the backgrounds of senior management at the agency . latinworks was founded by chief executive flores , former vp , marketing development at anheuser - busch , and cmo alejandro ruelas , former head of ethnic marketing at the brewing company . before joining latinworks , kranik worked in marketing at dell , where she was responsible for consumer and global brand strategies . filli is a former marketing communications director at reebok .
our objective has never been to do general - market work ,
said sergio alcocer , latinworks ' president and chief creative officer .
it ' s to take hispanic to the mainstream , which is different .
latinworks has a deep creative bench , led by third partner mr . alcocer , who completed an executive mba last year that included a team project with mckinsey europe to analyze what makes ads both award - winning and effective .
mr . garcia joined latinworks in 2008 when the agency acquired a smaller hispanic shop , cultura , where he spent six years and was the executive creative director . before that , he was a creative at another omnicom hispanic shop , dieste . his work includes the # sintraduccion (
no translation
) campaign for target earlier this year . other major latinworks ' clients are anheuser - busch , domino ' s , pepsico and the texas lottery .
rafa is going to be our sergio ,
said mr . ruelas , referring to sergio alcocer , one of the top creatives in the u . s . hispanic market and latinworks ' president and chief creative officer .
“latinworks is a rising star in the omnicom network of agencies , ” carmen baez , president , das latin america , said in a statement . “we look forward for big things to come out of this small shop . ”
the agency ' s hispanic work prompted heinz to have latinworks adapt its hispanic tv creative for its ketchup to run in the general market , and to develop the work for a huge digital billboard display in times square in october .
alcocer , who earlier worked at leo burnett and y & r , says while he has no interest in becoming a general market shop , he believes the future of latinworks depends upon its being as good as the bigger agencies .
blue - chip marketers , too , are beginning to tap latinworks to go beyond the scope of hispanic assignments , as work targeting the demographic has become far more sophisticated than merely creating spanish - language adaptations of general - market work .
not long ago , alejandro ruelas , latinworks ' managing partner and chief marketing officer , asked a senior marketer which of his agencies did the best hispanic work . the response was a bit of a shock : a general - market shop .
founded in 1998 by manny flores and alejandro ruelas , latinworks is based in austin , tx and is a cross - cultural agency that believes brands live by their connection with culture . and today , culture is evolving faster than ever before .
chris perry , vp - global marketing and strategy for chevrolet , said that latinworks helps
identify who our audience is within the hispanic community and how best to reach them , and make sure we bring our chevy values to that consumer .
when general motors ' chevrolet brand slashed its u . s . hispanic spending by more than two - thirds in early 2012 as part of a global consolidation of the chevy business , it looked like latinworks wouldn ' t have its usual stellar year .
the agency is also one of the few u . s . hispanic shops that consistently rack up hardware at the cannes lions international festival of creativity . in 2012 , latinworks brought home gold and bronze cannes lions for its long - running cine las americas campaign for austin ' s annual latin american film festival . adding new twists every year , latinworks unearths footage of real latin american leaders saying bizarre things , with the tagline
if this is what our reality is like , imagine our films .
mr . serrano was a creative director at latinworks for three years , and has also worked at wieden & kennedy and hispanic shop bromley communications . for the last year , he ' s been working on the sibling project at gsd & m . ;
last year was the first full year that latinworks handled general motors’ chevrolet nameplate , now the agency’s largest account and one that reunites it with joel ewanick , the automaker’s global chief marketing officer , who previously hired the shop when he was at hyundai .
those insights were a major draw for javier farfan , senior director of cultural branding at pepsico . last year , farfan led a hispanic agency review that led to latinworks’ hire on brands including sierra mist , sobe , aquafina and the soda manzanita sol .
latinworks is known for highly creative work that is meticulously planned and strategically grounded , helping marketers understand and win over increasingly diverse hispanic consumers while avoiding stereotypes . bicultural hispanics , for instance , are often portrayed as having a foot in each of two worlds that speak different languages . latinworks is delving into what the agency calls the
third space ,
where it believes bicultural hispanics , not fully understood by either latino or mainstream communities , actually reside . finding that attitudinal third space is a sweet spot for brands .
sergio , sergio , sergio ,
said russell weiner , exec vp and chief marketing officer of another latinworks client , domino ' s pizza .
i ' m such a sergio fan . he ' s a big part of the special sauce .
sibling is likely to function partly as a conflict shop for latinworks , which is already shut out of numerous categories thanks to a client list that includes anheuser - busch , domino ' s pizza , mars , lowes , pepsico , kimberly - clark and target .
similarly , longtime client mars asked latinworks for online ideas for skittles targeting teens . the agency ' s weird online spot , featuring a teen afflicted by a thick unibrow made out of skittles , is the most - viewed spot on the brand ' s youtube channel .
latinworks hired former cpb account planner todd widell to run the lab , and added four creatives . its first concept , for a livestrong cycling event , was an art project called pedal painting . lowe ' s and general motors are also considering ideas from the lab .
we ' re going to toast sergio ' s success with ice - cold budweiser and domino ' s pizza ,
said mr . flores , referring to two latinworks ' clients . the agency also works with lowe ' s , pepsico and the texas lottery .
recognized on a global scale as one of the most awarded multicultural agencies , latinworks is a three - time ad age “multicultural agency of the year” , a two - time recipient of ad age’s “agency a - list” award and one of forbes’ “most influential agencies . ”
ms . kranik , who was named one of ad age ' s women to watch last year , has been at latinworks since 2003 . before that , she spent five years on the client side at dell , where she was senior advertising manager , global brand strategy .
latinworks is one of the biggest and regarded as one of the most creative hispanic shops , and has been both ad age ' s multicultural agency of the year and named to ad age ' s a - list of the 10 best agencies in the u . s .
awesome - amazing and wonderful latinworks provides an incredible work environment that allows workers to excel at what they do best . management leads by example and is not afraid to get involved by sitting next to you as the work needs to get done during those late night efforts .
the agencies that will survive in our space are the ones that behave like general - market agencies ,
said mr . ruelas . he means be rigorously strategic , disciplined , insightful , creative and keenly aware of the precise target . and that pretty much describes latinworks .
still , latinworks knows it operates in a market increasingly under siege by general - market rivals entrenched in clients ' comfort zones . so last year it rolled out some weapons to help it better serve clients , including pepsico , mars , anheuser - busch inbev and general motors .
mr . flores said that after celebrating mr . alcocer tomorrow , and halloween on friday , the agency will start addressing organizational changes next week and
how we see the latinworks brand .
mr . alcocer ' s successor is expected to be promoted from within the agency .
austin , texas - based latinworks , started by managing partners manny flores and alejandro ruelas and partly owned by omnicom group , was the third - biggest hispanic agency by 2012 revenue , up from ninth place five years ago , according to ad age ' s hispanic fact pack .
for chevy , that meant racing to create a launch campaign for the cruze , a compact car that latinworks found surprisingly
uncompact
for its price range . while the general - market launch focused on favorable reviews of the new cruze , the latinworks team , which included a former professional racing car driver ,
let the car speak for itself ,
said sergio alcocer , president and chief creative officer . in launch spot
please don ' t go
the car demos its own alluring interior features to tempt its female owner back into the vehicle .
that opened up not only larger budgets on current pieces of business , but also adding new brands ,
ms . walker said . in addition to new starburst ads breaking in march 2010 , latinworks is readying work for twix , m & m ; ' s and snickers .
founded in 1998 , latinworks is a cultural branding agency at the forefront of america’s cultural transformation . a three - time ad age “multicultural agency of the year” and two - time recipient of ad age’s “agency a - list” award , latinworks has a legacy of multicultural excellence and world - class creativity . comprised of 150 diverse and forward - thinking people from all over the world , latinworks is based in austin , texas – at the forefront of technology , music , innovation and culture , which fuel our everyday inspiration . our mission is to lead brands as chief culture officer . with a relentless focus on consumers , we live to anticipate cultural shifts and help brands to successfully navigate the ever - changing transcultural landscape . our vision is to become the agency best known for its unparalleled understanding of the new consumer universe and its ability to act on that understanding .
omnicom - based latinworks won a film silver for
pool ,
a spot promoting a parental control bar for the internet offered free by nonprofit wraac . and cine las americas , an austin , texas festival for latin american films that garners creative awards for latinworks every year , picked up a radio bronze for
maduro .
the campaign features absurd but genuine speeches by latin american leaders , and always ends with the tagline
if this is our reality , imagine our films .
this year the presidential campaign by nicolas maduro after the death of venezuela ' s former leader hugo chavez was a gift to latinworks . the agency seized on one of the most absurd moments of mr . maduro ' s campaign , when he started making bird calls on the campaign trail and claiming he had been visited by mr . chavez in the form of a little bird .
as specialist media agencies reach deeper into the multicultural market at the expense of hispanic agencies , latinworks bucked the trend . the agency ' s media buying doubled to $ 100 million last year , and its media department , which started as a party of one in 2005 , reached 36 staffers .
latinworks was the big winner among u . s . hispanic agencies at last week ' s cannes lions international festival of creativity , picking up two lions for new twists in long - running campaigns for austin ' s latin film festival cine las americas and anti - child obesity effort active life .
a celebrated creative executive who has worked in three continents , serge has over 20 years of industry experience . born in uruguay , and raised in australia , he began his career at one of the most creative agencies in the world : clemenger bbdo in melbourne , where he won his first awards . his career would take him to the u . s . , south america , back to australia and eventually to austin , tx , where he leads a talented and accomplished creative team at latinworks . prior to joining latinworks , serge worked at another legendary agency , tbwa - new york .
so , in a project that took two years to prepare , the major league baseball association worked with austin - based latinworks to launch “ponle acento” ( “put an accent on it” ) , which rights a historical wrong—by putting accent marks back into names whose accents were dropped in the immigration process .
financially healthy after years of double - digit revenue growth , latinworks has invested in proprietary research about hispanic consumer archetypes , which led to a planning tool called brandsteer . the shop also developed an ideas lab to demonstrate that it can craft strategies that go beyond the agency ' s scope of work .
since it was founded 13 years ago , latinworks , adweek ’s hispanic agency of the year , has achieved a reputation for both its creativity and its strategic insights , drawing marketers such as general motors , anheuser - busch , kimberly - clark , domino’s , lowe’s , wrigley , mars and post foods .
per the agreement , cultura will integrate its business operations , employees and client roster into latinworks , adding clients such as kimberly - clark , lowe’s home improvement , mars and the texas lottery to a list that includes anheuser - busch , batanga , domino’s pizza , espn deportes and hyundai , flores said .
started by former anheuser - busch execs manny flores and alejandro ruelas in 1998 and now minority owned by omnicom group , latinworks broke into the ranks of the top 10 hispanic agencies by revenue in 2008 , and has climbed steadily , reaching no . 5 in ad age ' s hispanic fact pack ranking last year .
aio didn ' t set out to hire a hispanic agency for its entire account , although multicultural consumers are more likely to opt for pre - paid plans . cindy matthews , director - advertising and brand at aio wireless , said latinworks stood out for its fearlessness , a crucial quality in building a new brand .
and at a time when clients are often consolidating hispanic media buying with their general - market media agencies , latinworks almost doubled the size of the media budgets it handles , and staffed up from 11 to 17 people in the media department in 2012 . in total it reached 142 employees . revenue was up 7 % .
new york ( adage . com ) - - in latinworks ' starburst commercial , a llama faces a young man as they both chew contentedly , then with a hand and a hoof feed each other more starburst candies , selling the message of an intensely juicy treat that people - - and their llamas - - love to share .
i would highly recommend working at latinworks , in particular , if someone is interested in a multicultural agency . what made my internship so great was the opportunity to work on actual client work . during a typical week , my partner and i would usually have two to three projects going on simultaneously which was both challenging and rewarding .
latinworks ' eight account wins in 2013 included target , which moved from using hispanic shops on a project basis to a new diversity platform across all its product groups ; humana vitality , which brought it into a hot new category of health care ; and a project with rock the vote to register 100 , 000 young latinos to vote .
with many years of brand development and segment marketing expertise , manny oversees agency operations , strategic direction , public relations initiatives and client relations . prior to latinworks , manny was client side at anheuser - busch where he served as vp of marketing development , launching important extensions of the company’s key franchise brands and spearheading breakthrough multicultural marketing programs .
last year , latinworks added capital one , heinz , pepsico , t . j . maxx and fox hispanic media , helping year - over - year revenue grow by 11 percent to an estimated $ 23 million . it was a year in which the agency also invested in a significant proprietary research project aimed at crunching the latest census data .
latinworks’ creative initiatives group “gives us the opportunity to come up with ideas that are more than what we are typically asked to do , ” widell says . “we can explore digital , social , tactical , experiential , guerrilla . it’s changing the way others perceive us and the way our people think about the way we approach our work . ”
latinworks for good , our employee led volunteer initiative , was born out of a passion for giving back . we’ve had the privilege of working with organizations such as the texas school for the deaf , special olympics , red cross , casa marianella , community first ! village , and capital area food bank of texas , to name a few .
latinworks generated impressive revenue growth of 32 % in 2013 . but the real story is how those billings broke down : 59 % u . s . hispanic work and 41 % total market , meaning work that addresses the general market and multicultural consumers . just a year earlier , the split was 82 % hispanic work and 18 % total market .
the difference is everything reports into her now , including gabriel ,
said manny flores , co - founder and ceo of latinworks , in which omnicom group has a large minority stake .
she ' s a very collaborative , knowledgeable leader . she won ' t have influence over the creative product ; gabriel will make those decisions .
ruelas says that while at a - b , he felt that many of the agencies he worked with weren’t meeting the brewer’s needs . as a result , he ended up doing a lot of the work on strategy and creative idea generation himself . he decided to leave the client side to set up latinworks with flores and , later , alcocer .
based in austin , the hippest of cities in the heavily hispanic state of texas , latinworks has a knack for convincing clients that in an increasingly multicultural world , the agency is the best choice to handle the total market . both the texas lottery and stripes , a small regional convenience store chain , gave the agency their entire ad accounts last year .
in 2012 , latinworks did the first hispanic - targeted campaign for heinz ketchup , driving sales and winning 45 , 000 fans for a
somos heinz
facebook page . efforts ranged from a custom hot - dog - and - ketchup - sampling truck to geo - targeted ads reminding hispanic moms within three miles of a key retailer to buy heinz .
despite an unpromising start due to chevy ' s budget cuts , latinworks was deeply involved in work for the brand ' s silverado truck , whose hispanic sales outpaced sales to non - hispanic truck buyers . for most of 2012 , silverado sales to hispanics grew by 12 % while the non - hispanic market was up by just 0 . 4 % .
the agency is known for work that transcends ethnic stereotypes , and that has great crossover appeal . latinworks’ recent bud light spots featuring cuban - american hip - hop artist pitbull ran on both english - and spanish - language broadcast networks in the u . s . its commercial featuring comic carlos mencia teaching a group of immigrants how to order a bud light in american slang was among the most popular from the 2007 super bowl and won latinworks a bronze lion at cannes the same year . meanwhile , the agency’s spot for starburst in which a young man and a llama feed each other candy became one of the most watched commercials of 2009 , according to nielsen , and earned the shop a silver lion at cannes .
latinworks is a cultural branding agency at the forefront of america ' s cultural transformation . with a relentless focus on consumers , they live to anticipate cultural shifts and help brands to successfully navigate the ever - changing transcultural landscape . their vision is to become the agency best known for their unparalleled understanding of the new consumer universe and ability to act on that understanding .
after being with the company for 6 months of so you ' ll learn how solid and predictable everything is : clients will leave , the best people will jump ship , you will follow orders and take abuse , tacos and layoffs . i arrived at latinworks in the end of 2014 , on my first day 15 people were laid off . they said it was over . layoffs continued for all of 2015 and 2016 , almost every 3 months until my boss called me on december 23 during the holiday break to wish me a merry xmas and let me go . another 10 people received this
special
xmas gift from latinworks last year . they are now down to less than 50 people and in deep trouble so beware !
last year , latinworks also hired todd widell , a veteran of general market agencies such as tbwachiatday , crispin porter + bogusky and team one , to head its new creative initiatives unit . the group is not tied to a particular client budget , thus allowing the agency to explore ideas beyond a marketer’s scope of work , which can often skew toward more traditional media .
one of the agency ' s hallmarks is work that is highly creative and effective in the hispanic market , but eschews stereotypes and transcends ethnicity . despite the disastrous 2009 economy , latinworks grew revenue by 13 % and came up with strategic solutions to drive business for its clients ' brands , earning the accolade of ad age ' s multicultural agency of the year . while other shops did layoffs , latinworks ' staff grew by 15 % to 106 people . in a slow year for new business , the agency won pitches for bacardi and burger king , now its biggest client , and took home the u . s . hispanic market ' s only trophy from the cannes lions international advertising festival . unsurprisingly , the prize went to the llama .
latinworks was founded in 1998 in austin , texas , by two anheuser - busch marketing veterans , manny flores , mr . ruelas and mr . alcocer . relationships are crucial - - a - b is a big client and the agency was already on chevy ' s radar thanks to memorable hispanic work for hyundai when gm ' s global cmo joel ewanick headed marketing there .
latinworks is one of the best in the industry for total market advertising , but unless the company takes themselves on as their most important client , i ' m not sure how long their success will last . people are unhappy at this company . they ' re running out the door , and those who are not running are getting laid off . morale is down the drain and management
to that end , latinworks is plucking talent from outside the u . s . hispanic market , stealing eric lefton , a draftfcb vp - strategic planning director , in december . this month , christian filli , a swiss - cuban former reebok exec who grew up in brazil and is managing director of wpp ' s landor associates in mexico city , joins the agency as head of planning .
“the census truly validated the importance of the hispanic consumers and how they are woven into the fabric across this country , ” says latinworks ceo manny flores . “for a marketer introducing a product or advertising in california , florida and texas , they absolutely need a hispanic component . beyond that , instead of being an ethnic segment , it’s becoming part of a larger multicultural transformation of america . ”
winning another fast food account , burger king , in early 2009 was a
blessing
because it got a tough year off to a good start , and let the agency hire people , mr . alcocer said . burger king ' s hispanic traffic was falling , and latinworks quickly realized the company promoted whoppers to the general market as
flame - broiled ,
but not to the hispanic market , where flame broiling , or
a la parrilla
is exactly how latinos like food prepared . latinworks did ads portraying a strange world where people did their cookouts in huge outdoor frying pans . in los angeles , burger king ' s biggest hispanic market , traffic had dipped by 10 % but went back up to previous levels after the flame - broiling campaign targeting spanish - dominant hispanics .
a major latinworks initiative in 2011 involved introducing the new chevy cruze compact to the hispanic market . while some 20 percent of all cars sold to hispanics are compacts , gm’s earlier entry in the category , the cobalt , didn’t manage to connect with hispanic consumers , earning less than 3 percent of market share even as its rivals , the toyota corolla and honda civic , achieved more than 20 percent apiece .
“baseball is america’s pastime and has a rich history steeped in tradition , ” latinworks executive creative director gabriel garcía tells adfreak . “it’s had tremendous influence on american culture , and hispanic players form an important part of that story . yet when we looked at its fan base , they were underrepresented , despite their contributions … and the fact that nearly one - third of mlb players are of hispanic descent . ”
jaime brings 20 + years of experience working on global brands in the u . s . and latin america . a native of miami , jaime understands the exponential cultural transformation of our country in part because he’s lived it first - hand . combined with a well - rounded perspective having held both content development and account leadership positions in his past roles , today he leads latinworks’ dynamic and successful total market accounts .
emotions have been running high in the hispanic market over clients moving hispanic business from specialist agencies to general - market shops . after burger king dismissed its ethnic agencies , there was talk of jesse jackson and his rainbow coalition marching on burger king ' s headquarters in protest . instead of fanning the flames , latinworks took the high road , in public comments on the issue and a private call to its former client .
in a radio spot from last year created by austin , texas - based agency latinworks , a woman with a crisp english accent recalls that british prime minister david cameron warned in a speech that european men were suffering from baldness as a result of eating chicken . as poultry contains a heavy dose of female hormones , consuming it could easily make englishmen gay , as they experience the “degradation of their manly being . ”
the austin , texas - based shop , in which omnicom group has a minority stake , is consistently ranked one of the best hispanic agencies in the u . s . this is the third consecutive time that ad age has named latinworks either multicultural agency of the year or to the annual a - list , and it was the only hispanic shop to be a cannes lions winner in 2011 , picking up two trophies .
in his second stint as senior leader at latinworks , luis oversees and manages promotions and experiential activities for all our clients . he brings 15 + years of results driven practices , integrating non - traditional marketing approaches , digital & media cross relations and retail programs . his background includes time on the client - side , where he served for several years as director of marketing at compass learning , an online educational software company .
beer vets latinworks was started by two anheuser - busch marketing veterans , manny flores , a fourth - generation texan who was anheuser - busch ' s vp - marketing development , and mexican - born alejandro ruelas , a - b ' s director - ethnic marketing . they ended up creating the model for their own hispanic shop when their boss , august busch , sent them to explain a - b ' s success with hispanics to other marketers who had asked about it . they opened latinworks in 1998 with sergio alcocer , now the agency ' s president and chief creative officer . ( in 2006 , they sold a 49 % stake to omnicom group . ) with their background , miller was soon the biggest client , accounting for almost half of revenues . the shop resigned the business amid leadership changes and a sense that the client was talking down to hispanics .
the u . s . hispanic market poses particular challenges . for instance , domino ' s pizza did an aggressive sales - boosting campaign last year based on a general - market perception that the pizza sucked and that a new recipe was much better . the problem : hispanic consumers liked the original taste . so latinworks steered domino ' s toward positioning the brand as an integral part of the community - - with a great taste at the same price .
the trust level [ with latinworks ] is incredibly high ,
said j . patrick doyle , domino ' s president - ceo .
when they say we have to go in a different direction , our ears are wide open . we saw the same level of lift in our hispanic business and are still communicating our core message , but we needed to take a different approach . they started shifting us to focus on being part of the neighborhood .
for longtime client anheuser - busch inbev ' s bud light , latinworks parlayed the statistic that 70 % of hispanic homes have outdoor grills compared with 50 % for non - hispanics , into an emotional and aromatic link between the beer brand and carne asada , or barbecued meat . the integrated campaign includes the slogan
smells like bud light
evoked by the tantalizing aroma of a barbecue , and a celebrity chef , aaron sanchez , dubbed the
carne asada master
in the spot .
he ' s been behind creative that sweeps award shows , like the long - running cine las americas campaign for a latin american film festival , and brand - building work for major marketers , and has been a judge twice at the cannes lions international festival of creativity . under his creative leadership , latinworks has been named to ad age ' s agency a - list of the best u . s . agencies and has been ad age ' s multicultural agency of the year more than once .
agency philosophy : latinworks was created with the belief that advertising - - at its very core - - must demonstrate respect for the consumer , and this respect must be expressed through great ideas that sell product without having to rely on stereotypes . all of our team members share the understanding that great work is the result of close collaboration with the client and with the assigned general market agencies . why ? because the hispanic market doesn’t live in a bubble , therefore achieving strategic synergy with a brand’s universal positioning is essential to communications success . mission statement : always strive to be a shop dedicated to creating irreverent , provocative work that demonstrates respect for the intellectual capacity of our target . a shop that does not rely on stereotypes , nor obscure symbolisms . a shop that delivers simple creativity , direct and to the point . latinworks must remain an agency fueled by a burning desire to produce strategic and insightful creative that sells . a place where the only thing that matters is the work . competitive advantages : latinworks has key differences that set us apart from other agencies in our industry : we are focused on gaining a deep understanding of the hispanic consumer . strategic discipline - - designed to uncover key insights that inspire our creatives - - has resulted in outstanding work . we have what we believe is the best creative team in our industry , and they are supported by a management group with proven , successful client - side experience . this combination of agency and client knowledge is what sets us apart .
as chief culture officer & partner , christy is a key member of the leadership team at the agency . she focuses primarily internally in building and fostering a unique culture in todays competitive ad agency environment . she is responsible for building a team and family atmosphere within the company and leading many of the initiatives for our team members . christy has been with latinworks for 13 years and has a true passion for developing and retaining women in the industry . christy was named one of the 2014 ad age “women to watch . ”
latinworks is one of the best in the industry for total market advertising , but unless the company takes themselves on as their most important client , i ' m not sure how long their success will last . people are unhappy at this company . they ' re running out the door , and those who are not running are getting laid off . morale is down the drain and management has yet to address any of the obvious culture issues in the room . you don ' t get promoted unless you ' re the pet . perks do not equal good culture .
“latinworks never misses on creative ; they are relentless in coming up with great ideas , ” says russell weiner , chief marketing officer at domino’s . “but unlike some agencies , they’re not just building their books and cashing your checks . you really feel like they’re in the business with you . it’s not just the account people . [ chief creative officer ] sergio [ alcocer ] is one of the best creative directors at any agency . he keenly gets the creative process , but he could be an account guy because he so well understands our other business prerogatives . ”
alejandro oversees the agency’s business development and marketing efforts . he also works closely with the agency’s leadership on key client initiatives . prior to latinworks , alejandro had an 18 - year career in the beverage industry . at anheuser - busch he led multicultural marketing for the u . s . and puerto rico , advised on international marketing operations - including serving on the board of grupo modelo - and established soccer as a premier marketing vehicle , pioneering the use of the mexican national soccer team , and helping a - b to secure the global sponsorship rights to fifa’s world cup .
this year latinworks also picked up a bronze lion in the press competition for a print campaign for active life encouraging kids to enjoy the active outdoor activities they often abandon to spend hours online , contributing to child obesity . each ad shows two children as paper cutouts from a facebook profile , with each child ' s photo , name and a few words like
4 mutual friends . add as friend .
in each ad , the two kids meet outdoors to fly a kite or play on a slide or swing . the copy line is
meet online , play outside .
this agency adheres to a people first mindset that is very unique . you can tell the leadership team truly cares about employee morale and works hard to create a welcoming environment . the ceo is regularly on the floor , circulating , and checking in to see how everyone is doing . employee ' s receive appreciation in various ways - from snack carts on fridays , unexpected holiday gift cards , and random lunches / happy hours . latinworks is a very successful agency and is an example of what can happen when you put people first . i ' m happy to be a part of this team .
though created by mars ' u . s . hispanic agency , the spot crossed over from the hispanic market to general - market tv and into the popular culture in 2009 , as people posted their own spoofs on youtube and tweeted
i wanna eat starburst with a llama .
mattel ' s american girls doll line gave one of its dolls , chrissa , a white baby llama pet named starburst . and after a double - digit decline in hispanic sales , down 27 . 7 % in 2008 , starburst ' s hispanic sales shot up 14 . 8 % within three months of latinworks ' campaign launching .
chloe began her career working at gsd & m in austin , tx as a media buyer on walmart , mastercard , texas lottery and several others accounts . she was also a media planner at temerlin - mcclain in dallas , tx , and served as the media director at the lee tilford agency in austin where she handled all media responsibilities for the agency . in 1999 , she returned to gsd & m as a senior buyer and spent almost ten years negotiating buys for at & t , bmw , mastercard , dreamworks and several other accounts . in 2008 chloe joined latinworks and helped launch the new media department for the agency .
it is easy to throw out a list of things that are not great at any agency , and latinworks has its share . so did the agency i came from , but the difference i see is that there appears to be an effort by senior management and owners to make some changes and i believe change will happen . maybe its slower than i would like , but change none the less . i hope that management takes the time to listen to all of us while charting our course , that is where the difference can become positive . make us part of the adjustment . not listening leads to a repeat of history , not creating it .
the agency’s work on cruze underscores its determination to avoid cultural clichés . the creative features images of young american latinos—a target identified by latinworks as “the unstoppables , ” those consumers who are unwilling to compromise on the things that matter most to them and who want a car that will keep them moving forward , and who happen to be hispanic . one spot features a group of young men getting into a cruze , a great dane looking all forlorn as he gets left behind and the garage door slowly closes . the final shot shows the dog happily ensconced in the backseat , as the voiceover points out that the cruze sports more interior space than either the civic or the corolla .
if i knew then what i knew now . . . i ' d step up my golf game
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laurel wentz is ad age ' s global and multicultural editor , responsible for international and u . s . hispanic coverage . she is based in new york . she previously covered europe from ad age ' s london bureau , and before that was latin america editor , based in sao paulo . the best way to reach laurel is by email at lwentz @ adage . com .
clients see the agency as constantly thinking about their business and not being limited by the scope of their assignment ,
mr . ruelas said .
the fact that we ' re bringing them ideas on a consistent basis , whether they buy them or not , elevates our standing .
instead , it identified the target consumer for the compact chevy cruze as
unstoppables
: young people who demand a car that keeps them moving forward in life . in one spot , the cruze ' s superior gas mileage is called the
keep driving until you ' re ready
feature as a bride , one of her bridesmaids at the wheel , circles the church .
in the first three quarters of 2011 , chevy ' s vehicle registrations to hispanics were 33 % higher than a year earlier . the cruze captured 8 . 7 % of hispanic purchases of compacts , a segment that accounts for 20 % of all cars bought by hispanics .