Partnership
Since 2017, we have served as the production team behind Uber’s internal Creative Request System and have provided hundreds of hours of creative services and completed close to a thousand creative requests for the EMEA region, which included;
Graphic Design
600+
Hours of Graphic Design
Our team of graphic designers has provided Uber with hundreds of creative assets. These included: the localization of existing designs into different languages, print and digital marketing materials, as well as customised branding solutions for regional markets.
Motion Graphics
300+
Hours of Motion Graphics
Our team of motion graphic experts has provided Uber with animated digital marketing assets, educational and instructional videos, as well as supporting animated assets for various marketing purposes.
Image Production
300+
Hours of Image Production
Our image production team has supported Uber’s Rides, Eats and Jump blogs with the selection and resizing of thousands of images used across all digital platforms.
Podcast Production
20+
Hours of Podcast Production
Our team of sound engineers has assisted Uber with creating educational podcasts for their Driver-partners across the SubSaharan African region.
Copywriting
15+
Hours of Copywriting
Our copywriting team has assisted Uber with creating content for online publishing, writing scripts for podcasts, as well as overseeing the copy for all digital and print creative assets we have provided.
Amazing, Right? So how did we achieve this this?
Creative Request System
In 2017, Ampersand assisted the SSA Marketing Team, under the leadership of Ross Adami, with the development and implementation of an integrated Google services-based Creative Requests System. Our system provided a single point platform that simplified and streamlined the process for Marketing Teams to acquire creative assets. Our system provides Uber Marketing Leads with complete control over production, utilising a cost-effective solution that is extremely flexible and scalable, with turn-around times that traditional design and advertising agencies simply cannot match.
1. A request is submitted on the system using a Google form.
4. Ampersand’s creative team completes the request.
2. Ampersand reviews the request to ensure that all required information is correct, and then communicates the request to Uber’s Marketing Lead.
5. Ampersand does an internal quality 8. Uber’s Marketing Lead then delivers check to ensure that all assets are the creative assets to the requester. correct, on-brand and fully meets the 9. The requester receives the creative requirements of the brief. assets, which are ready for use. 6. Assets are uploaded onto the BOX 10. Any amendments or additions are platform within 24-hours for Uber’s communicated to Uber’s Marketing Marketing Leads’ consideration. Lead.
3. Ampersand allocates the request to the relevant creative (graphic designer, animator, photographer)
7. Uber’s Marketing Lead inspects and approves the creative assets.
11. These amendments or additions are the communicated back to Ampersand and the process loops again from #3.
We’ve gone beyond just creating. Ampersand has also provided supporting services that goes beyond just the creation of creative assets.
Educational Resources
We have assisted with the roll-out of the current Corporate Identity across the EMEA region through the localization of existing assets, and the creation of new assets for these local markets. But more importantly, we have assisted in capacitating local teams through the production of Uber approved best practice guidelines that unpacks design principles, giving insight into the requirements for the most requested assets-types to mitigate any shortfalls. This, in-turn, streamlined the Creative Request process even further.
Each challenge has a solution. We have encountered a number of challenges along the way, and managed develop and implement sustainable solutions for each.
Challenges we have overcome
Unclear Briefs
Solution:
Unclear briefs are still a common encounter, especially requests coming from non-marketing personnel, or those with limited knowledge in design.
Ampersand played a key role during the Creative Request process by ensuring that each brief was completed to spec and approved by the Marketing Lead before allocation to the relevant creative to action.
These briefs usually result in wasteful expenditure and a delay in the delivery of creative asserts, which in-turn can delay entire projects.
Additionally, we have always supplied requesters with educational resources in the attempt to upskill and grow their knowledge-base, so that their future requests are accurate and any delays are mitigated.
Challenges we have overcome
Mid-way Brief Changes
Solution:
Creative professionals know that sufficient time spent on brief writing, planning and storyboarding is both a cost- and time saving measure.
We have designed the Creative Requests System with multiple checks and balance points at every step of the process. This ensured that any changes to the brief during the production phase could be made timeously and effectively.
But we also know that situations can, and often will, change mid-process resulting in us having to alter our workflow in order to accommodate unforseen requested changes.
This resulted in a flexible process that maintains its sensitivity to time and cost, so that assets and projects can be delivered on time and in budget.
Challenges we have overcome
Unknown Briefs
Solution:
Requesters have submitted ‘unknown’ briefs more often than expected.
Ampersand’s creative team has a huge amount of experience collectively across a variety of creative areas.
These unknown briefs usually come from a lack of understanding as to what the requirements of the assets are, or when a requester does not have any designrelated knowledge in terms the required specifications.
Therefore, we were always able to supply the requester with the correct creative assets that are to specification and purpose, even when the requester did not know what those specifications were.
Image Production Providing your message in the correct size and format. Our image resizing requests services takes care of all your image-related needs like photo editing, image resizing and file formatting - we do it all.
Photo Retouching (Various).
Podcast Production Bringing your message directly to your target audience. Our podcast production service is a favourite among those who need to communicate information and educational resources to our Driver-partners.
Click here to visit Uber Partner Radio.