How Rapido’s Marketing Initiatives Empowered the Community
By: Sakshee Sunil Sarrawgi
Tags: Information Technology, Community Engagement, Transportation, Marketing Strategies, Ridesharing

According to a survey conducted by Ficci and the Indian Angel Network (IAN) on the ‘impact of COVID-19 on Indian Startups,’ 70% of startups say their business has been negatively impacted and 12% have even had to shut down their operations. The way companies choose to respond during these challenging times will determine their success in the future. Some Indian businesses have set new industry standards and reinvented themselves to strengthen their community and thrive in the current situation. One such company, that has successfully tackled the challenges of COVID-19 and emerged stronger, is Rapido.

Rapido, a Bengaluru-based bike taxi startup, strategically adapted its services to meet the need of the hour and make access to essentials easier for people, by partnering with Bigbasket, Big Bazaar, and Spencer’s Retail. Collaborating with the Delhi government, it delivered milk and food items to underprivileged areas across the city. Rapido also served as a delivery service partner for Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in Karnataka for their COVID-19 Home Delivery Helpline and resolved supply-chain challenges amidst the lockdown.

At a time when ride-hailing services like Uber and Ola gained popularity, Rapido’s affordable alternative and innovative concept paved the way for its success. Since its inception in 2015, Rapido has been focused on building awareness of the benefits of using bike-taxi services in India. India has one of the world’s largest number of 2W owners. But, a large portion of the time riders ride alone, leaving the pillion seats empty. With this observation in mind, bike-taxis became a solution to not only provide a last-mile connectivity option to the commuters but also utilize the empty seats to generate employment opportunities. However, bike-taxis are relatively new in India. So, this concept comes with cultural and societal challenges like sitting behind a stranger, maintaining road safety, and more.

Rapido has leveraged its platform to overcome these societal and cultural challenges and familiarize users with their innovative solution to transportation challenges. Today Rapido’s bike-taxi services are available across 100 cities, including Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The marketing campaigns launched by the company have not only helped position itself successfully in the market but also empowered the community. Let’s have a look at some of them:

Urging commuters to opt for ‘Smart Commute’ — #LoveTheChase

Rapido went live with its new 360-degree campaign — #LoveTheChase, on 9th December 2020. This campaign aims to create awareness about the benefits of riding a bike-taxi. It marks the launch of its TV Commercial, along with a host of digital initiatives including interactive social media content, a hook-step challenge, and a #TVCMeme contest. The campaign takes the consumers through two use cases — one involves Rapido helping an employee reach his meeting within 15 minutes and the other is about two friends who want to meet their dream girl. The friend who used the bike-taxi services reaches the girl first and wins her over.

Announcing the campaign, Amit Verma, Head of Marketing, Rapido, said, “With commuters looking for a safe and affordable option to commute to work, and around the city, our objective is to increase the awareness about the many advantages that a bike taxi ride provides. #LoveTheChase urges viewers to choose ‘Smart Commute’ and make the right choice for everyday commuting. The film will be followed by a host of digital initiatives giving users the power to choose, create and celebrate.”

Encouraging road safety for all — #safetyfirst

Research shows that wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injuries by 80% for 2-wheeler riders. To make people aware of the importance of abiding by traffic rules and wearing helmets while riding, Rapido launched its helmet awareness campaign in Vijaywada. The campaign was bolstered by its dual helmet policy which required both Captains (driver-partners) and riders to wear helmets. The company ensured that the Captains carried an extra helmet for the customer. If the customer is not given a helmet, he/she does not have to pay for the particular ride and the Captain is penalized with a deduction in his payout. Additionally, as part of the 30th National Road Safety Week, Rapido brought in a unique campaign — #SafetyFirst, along with MLA Vedavyas Kamath. As part of the campaign, it distributed over 150 free helmets to riders who didn’t wear headgears and those who wore helmets without ISI marks. This was one of the most important marketing campaigns run by a company in a country like ours, where road safety is largely neglected.

Putting safety measures in place and protecting customers — #PromiseOfProtection

With its #PromiseofProtection campaign, Rapido brought in a new perspective of Rakshabandhan. This video campaign celebrated different relationships and highlighted the importance of all the people who constantly stand by us, protect us, and safeguard us — a sister getting rid of insects at home to protect her younger sister, a married couple celebrating each other’s success or a grandfather taking care of his granddaughter. The video further goes on to emphasize how Rapido ensures the safety and protection of its customers with every ride. It shows how the company is working rigorously to ensure last-mile connectivity in cities across India while maintaining high safety. With masks, sanitizers, safety shields, and regular temperature checks of Captains, it limits touchpoints during a ride and protects its bond with customers. These measures have provided safe travel opportunities to thousands of people and made their everyday lives easier during the pandemic.

Making day-to-day life easier for customers — #GullyPremiereLeague, #CaptainsOfTomorrow

The love for gully cricket runs across our country. The campaign builds on this passion and shows how Rapido is now a part of the ecosystem. In the video, young boys are preparing for a cricket tournament. They gather to practise between residential buildings, in gullies, and are waiting for their Captain to arrive. By manoeuvring through every nook and corner and taking the fastest route possible, Rapido ensures that the Captain of the team makes it in time. Rapido also introduced a sub-campaign called Gully Stars that is a platform for legends like MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, and many more who started their journey from the gullies of India. With easy availability and high affordability, Rapido has brought convenience for people. It serves as the perfect mobility partner to help people reach their end destination, no matter where it is.

Uplifting Captains during a global crisis — #PeopleForCaptain

COVID-19 drastically affected the transportation and delivery sector. This meant that Rapido’s Captains who were solely depending on their earnings from rides had nowhere to go. Rapido launched the #PeopleForCaptain initiative to raise funds for drivers. The money raised is utilized for monetary aid to help sustain the families of its Captains. The founders also went on to provide a group insurance cover worth 10 lakhs for the Captains who tested positive for coronavirus. There were over 3,50,000 Captains and families whose lives were at stake. This initiative by Rapido has helped provide support to them in the form of financial aid and daily essentials. By introducing innovative measures to continue operations during the pandemic, it also ensured that a large proportion of its drivers have a chance of earning an income.

Giving employees a voice — #HumansofRapido

Through the Humans of Rapido (HOR) campaign, Rapido allows its employees to share their life experiences, accomplishments, struggles and more. The company recognizes that all humans are different and have different stories. So, it provides an authentic platform for people to voice their opinions and share their perspective with the world. From the story of its first female Captain to drivers who became independent through Rapido and interns who started their career at the company, Rapido guides all its stakeholders forward. Sharing these powerful stories not only inspires others in the team but also allows the individual to feel important and get credit when it’s due. In a nutshell, HOR is an unfiltered platform which gives Rapido’s team a chance to appreciate each other, learn and grow together.

All of Rapido’s initiatives and marketing campaigns align to achieve one common goal — providing economical, cost-effective, fuel-efficient and time-saving transport. The organization puts the safety of employees, Captains and customers above everything else and ensures that its services solve people’s problems. Whether it is heavy rains or the morning rush hour, it ensures that its customers are efficiently navigated through traffic and make it to their destination on time. Rapido has left a strong impact in the community, whether it is through making travelling safer, raising funds for its drivers, or helping the government to increase access to essentials during the lockdown. It has successfully changed the concept of intra-city travel and made last-mile connectivity affordable for people. I can’t wait to see its next marketing campaign and analyse the impact it has on our society.