And you thought only a certain CEO could do extravagant PR stunts ? Take this. If you happen to be a Uber user in Singapore or Malaysia, you might get a shiny new Xiaomi Mi Note smartphone delivered you, via an Uber driver.
Adding to its list of some really out-of-the-box PR stunts, Uber, world’s second-most valuable startup has partnered with world’s most valuable tech startup Xiaomi, to deliver high end Mi Note phones of the latter, when orederd by a user using the Uber app.
I know, made it sound like the Lannister-Stark Union in GOT Season 1. Ah ! Those good old days !
Nevertheless, moving on, the offer is valid only for a day — July 27th, but that’s a day ahead of the official launch, giving you decent enough time to brag about it. The opportunity though, is available only in Uber’s Singapore and Malaysian markets.
This stunt might well work in emerging markets, as for developed markets like US though, ride-hailing apps have repeatedly failed to capitalise on such PR stunts.
And while this Uber-Xiaomi partnership is interesting, it just might remain contained in emerging markets, largely due to the following two reasons :
- Even Xiaomi isn’t sure whether it will ever arrive to the U.S./Europe.
- And carriers like Sprint are already delivering smartphones, along with technicians in the U.S. to set these phones up. It isn’t like a delivery boy delivering Pizza.
However, both Uber and Xiaomi have a significant Indian presence, and both are aggressively marketing their respective companies to gain a strong foothold in world’s fastest emerging everything market. So yes, we MAY see something similar in India. (That mush emphasis on “may” is intentional)
