Uber just completely changed its logo and branding
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Uber should also change their website to CheapRidesDisgruntelDrivers.com
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gold...you are my new hero!
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Uber's New Rebranding Reveals Everything That's Wrong With Uber
http://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/ub...ding-reveals-everything-thats-wrong-with-uber.html?cid=sf01001&sr_share=twitter
By Justin Bariso
It all starts with atoms and bits. Seriously.
Uber, Uber, Uber. When will you learn?
If you haven't heard, the company that everyone loves (or hates, depending on which side of the fence you stand) unveiled a complete rebrand yesterday.
My take? It reveals Uber's true colors. And they're not very pretty.
I've followed this company from the beginning, and at that stage I thought these guys had a brilliant idea. In fact, I still believe that.
It's what they've done with that idea that horrifies me.
In my opinion, Uber has become a symbol of everything that's wrong with business today: taking advantage of employees (in this case, even worse--freelancers with no benefits) for corporate gain. Hubris that prevents good decision-making. And an unbelievably overinflated valuation.
A close analysis of the rebrand helps identify some of the company's major problems:
1. The logo
Bits and Atoms. That's the basis of the new logo, according to Uber's official website. One of the videos announcing the rebrand says this:
"For Uber, the bit represents our technology. It's complex, precise, and advanced. But when it's expressed, it's effortless and refined."
Okay, not too bad...yet. But keep rolling that video:
"And if you think the bit is a big deal, consider the atom. Born 13.8 billion years ago, the atom is responsible for everything. From the BLT...to moms everywhere...to New York City. And for us, the atom signifies our rapidly improving cities, the goods we move from place to place, and most importantly, the people we serve."
I'm not making this up. But here is where it gets really good:
"Until a few short years ago, atoms and bits existed in entirely different worlds. But then, something happened.
What if we brought these two worlds together?
What would that look like?"
Yes, you guessed it. Apparently, fusing the basic building block of our universe and one of the brilliant discoveries of technology ends up in an app that coordinates logistics.
Anyone else a little let down by that?
But to truly understand where Uber went wrong in the first place, you have to read this blog post by Uber CEO Travis Kalanick from two years ago. In it, he describes the idea of bits and atoms as symbols of Uber's most valuable assets.
Their customers? Their drivers?
No.
Their investors, Google Ventures (Bits) and private equity firm TPG Capital (Atoms).
Now it all makes sense.
Regarding the aesthetics of the logo, David Shantz sums it up in a comment he left on this VentureBeat article:
"A brand identity should be a recognizable image that differentiates--a unique graphic element that makes an emotional connection on an immediate visceral level. Boom--you got it. I would remove the rationalizations--you don't think your way through a great brand.
You have to make the identity something that people like, will come to love and can create an emotional bond with... What seems to have been done here, is a stripping out of everything recognizable, unique or with any tangible personality."
2. Poor investment of resources
Don't get me wrong, maybe Uber was due for a rebranding.
But where they've really suffered recently is their reputation with drivers. Just yesterday, ironically on the same day as Uber's big reveal,The New York Times reported on driver complaints...mostly due to the fact that they feel more and more like (very poorly compensated) employees as opposed to contractors.
The Times quoted Tsering Sherpa, a New Yorker who drove for Uber six days a week:
"They call us partners. But they're treating us like slaves."
According to this behind the scenes look published yesterday by Wired, the rebrand took lots of attention from Kalanick--and approximately two years--to finish.
Nothing necessarily wrong with that. But between all the other elements of running the business, I wonder how much time that left Kalanick to address the problems with drivers?
3. Overly-rapid Growth
According to that Wired report, Uber operates today in 400 cities in 65 countries. Further, "almost two-thirds of its 6,000 or so people have been with the company less than one year."
Wired points out that this "kind of hypergrowth has a history of causing startups--Blackberry, Palm, and Twitter among them--to lose focus."
Look, the idea behind Uber is great, it's long overdue, and it's changing the way we travel. And the company is Kalanick's baby, so I respect his decision to grow at a rate that he, and investors, are comfortable with.
But you can't have it both ways. The question comes down to, what does Kalanick want?
But is it possible at this rate of growth, with the current problems its dealing with? Not a chance.
4. Refusal to Learn from Criticism
For years now, Kalanick has been labeled by the media as arrogant, belligerent, and looking for a fight--especially with regulators and the taxi industry.
According to Wired:
"Reflecting on this, Kalanick says it was all a misrepresentation by the media. When you don't really know who you are, he says, it's easy to be miscast--as a company, or as a person."
The truth is, I don't know Travis Kalanick. He might be sweeter than your grandmother.
But come on, Travis, that video! If you don't want to be labeled as pompous, you can't claim to be bringing bits and atoms together to solve the world's greatest problems.
I can understand how Kalanick might not be able to see the forest for the trees here. We all make mistakes, and those mistakes tend to multiply when we get extremely passionate about an idea. But Uber's board has some pretty smart people on it--where are they in all of this? Can't they hear the complaints; aren't they aware of the criticism?
Of course they are. Whether they simply don't want to challenge Kalanick or he is simply ignoring them, I don't know. But either way, they're failing, too.
As I've written about recently,criticism is not always fair. It's not always respectful.
But smart people learn from it anyway.
Putting It All Together
In the end, Uber may survive all of these magnificent mistakes. Kalanick and Uber's leadership team might start listening to all those loud voices. The company may adapt.
And in the end, Uber might succeed.
But if it all blows up, now you know why.
http://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/ub...ding-reveals-everything-thats-wrong-with-uber.html?cid=sf01001&sr_share=twitter
By Justin Bariso
It all starts with atoms and bits. Seriously.
Uber, Uber, Uber. When will you learn?
If you haven't heard, the company that everyone loves (or hates, depending on which side of the fence you stand) unveiled a complete rebrand yesterday.
My take? It reveals Uber's true colors. And they're not very pretty.
I've followed this company from the beginning, and at that stage I thought these guys had a brilliant idea. In fact, I still believe that.
It's what they've done with that idea that horrifies me.
In my opinion, Uber has become a symbol of everything that's wrong with business today: taking advantage of employees (in this case, even worse--freelancers with no benefits) for corporate gain. Hubris that prevents good decision-making. And an unbelievably overinflated valuation.
A close analysis of the rebrand helps identify some of the company's major problems:
1. The logo
Bits and Atoms. That's the basis of the new logo, according to Uber's official website. One of the videos announcing the rebrand says this:
"For Uber, the bit represents our technology. It's complex, precise, and advanced. But when it's expressed, it's effortless and refined."
Okay, not too bad...yet. But keep rolling that video:
"And if you think the bit is a big deal, consider the atom. Born 13.8 billion years ago, the atom is responsible for everything. From the BLT...to moms everywhere...to New York City. And for us, the atom signifies our rapidly improving cities, the goods we move from place to place, and most importantly, the people we serve."
I'm not making this up. But here is where it gets really good:
"Until a few short years ago, atoms and bits existed in entirely different worlds. But then, something happened.
What if we brought these two worlds together?
What would that look like?"
Yes, you guessed it. Apparently, fusing the basic building block of our universe and one of the brilliant discoveries of technology ends up in an app that coordinates logistics.
Anyone else a little let down by that?
But to truly understand where Uber went wrong in the first place, you have to read this blog post by Uber CEO Travis Kalanick from two years ago. In it, he describes the idea of bits and atoms as symbols of Uber's most valuable assets.
Their customers? Their drivers?
No.
Their investors, Google Ventures (Bits) and private equity firm TPG Capital (Atoms).
Now it all makes sense.
Regarding the aesthetics of the logo, David Shantz sums it up in a comment he left on this VentureBeat article:
"A brand identity should be a recognizable image that differentiates--a unique graphic element that makes an emotional connection on an immediate visceral level. Boom--you got it. I would remove the rationalizations--you don't think your way through a great brand.
You have to make the identity something that people like, will come to love and can create an emotional bond with... What seems to have been done here, is a stripping out of everything recognizable, unique or with any tangible personality."
2. Poor investment of resources
Don't get me wrong, maybe Uber was due for a rebranding.
But where they've really suffered recently is their reputation with drivers. Just yesterday, ironically on the same day as Uber's big reveal,The New York Times reported on driver complaints...mostly due to the fact that they feel more and more like (very poorly compensated) employees as opposed to contractors.
The Times quoted Tsering Sherpa, a New Yorker who drove for Uber six days a week:
"They call us partners. But they're treating us like slaves."
According to this behind the scenes look published yesterday by Wired, the rebrand took lots of attention from Kalanick--and approximately two years--to finish.
Nothing necessarily wrong with that. But between all the other elements of running the business, I wonder how much time that left Kalanick to address the problems with drivers?
3. Overly-rapid Growth
According to that Wired report, Uber operates today in 400 cities in 65 countries. Further, "almost two-thirds of its 6,000 or so people have been with the company less than one year."
Wired points out that this "kind of hypergrowth has a history of causing startups--Blackberry, Palm, and Twitter among them--to lose focus."
Look, the idea behind Uber is great, it's long overdue, and it's changing the way we travel. And the company is Kalanick's baby, so I respect his decision to grow at a rate that he, and investors, are comfortable with.
But you can't have it both ways. The question comes down to, what does Kalanick want?
- Does he want to control the brand and culture of this company?
- Or does he want to grow as quickly as possible, so that Uber becomes a globally recognized household name--even if that name evokes disgust for many?
But is it possible at this rate of growth, with the current problems its dealing with? Not a chance.
4. Refusal to Learn from Criticism
For years now, Kalanick has been labeled by the media as arrogant, belligerent, and looking for a fight--especially with regulators and the taxi industry.
According to Wired:
"Reflecting on this, Kalanick says it was all a misrepresentation by the media. When you don't really know who you are, he says, it's easy to be miscast--as a company, or as a person."
The truth is, I don't know Travis Kalanick. He might be sweeter than your grandmother.
But come on, Travis, that video! If you don't want to be labeled as pompous, you can't claim to be bringing bits and atoms together to solve the world's greatest problems.
I can understand how Kalanick might not be able to see the forest for the trees here. We all make mistakes, and those mistakes tend to multiply when we get extremely passionate about an idea. But Uber's board has some pretty smart people on it--where are they in all of this? Can't they hear the complaints; aren't they aware of the criticism?
Of course they are. Whether they simply don't want to challenge Kalanick or he is simply ignoring them, I don't know. But either way, they're failing, too.
As I've written about recently,criticism is not always fair. It's not always respectful.
But smart people learn from it anyway.
Putting It All Together
In the end, Uber may survive all of these magnificent mistakes. Kalanick and Uber's leadership team might start listening to all those loud voices. The company may adapt.
And in the end, Uber might succeed.
But if it all blows up, now you know why.
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E.T. 69
almost looks like:
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Same here, I like my slick light up sign. Modern design that everyone knows. Can you imagine this ugly thing on a car windshield?
Pretty much, that's what I got too. The base of the business is bottom of the barrel cheap service, unless you have a BMW and can join the LUX elite.
I definitely think it does, still whimsical without being obtrusive like their original stache. Lyft is a company that at least has a sense of humor and enjoys working with drivers, albeit in a constant price chase with Uber.
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Another headscratcher of a business decision by Uber. Now that everyone is finally starting to recognize your brand, change your logo!!
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Nothing like a rebrand and a rate cut. My city just got a rate cut today, yay they cut my pay by 25%.
10 mile 10min trip after SRF and 20% got me about $16 yesterday. Now today that same 10 mile 10min trip after SRF and 20% will gets me $11.80. That's a pay cut of 25%.
F\\\\\\g uber.
10 mile 10min trip after SRF and 20% got me about $16 yesterday. Now today that same 10 mile 10min trip after SRF and 20% will gets me $11.80. That's a pay cut of 25%.
F\\\\\\g uber.
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Ever been to Flint MI and tried their water?
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How bout this one?
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Team member was taking a dump when she came up with the design .....she could have been going number 1 - her reference is below
'The creative mind behind these was Catherine Ray, 28, a communications designer who was puzzling over themes when she found inspiration in the small square tiles in her bathroom.'
Dumb move to change it to bits and atoms ............real dumb, but now I have found BUGS in my app................ I'll resume driving when they are fixed cause I'm not driving around people with this stupid app acting up giving people free rides!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Not to mention the befuddling new start up BS we have to go through before we can get a destination for a pax.
'The creative mind behind these was Catherine Ray, 28, a communications designer who was puzzling over themes when she found inspiration in the small square tiles in her bathroom.'
Dumb move to change it to bits and atoms ............real dumb, but now I have found BUGS in my app................ I'll resume driving when they are fixed cause I'm not driving around people with this stupid app acting up giving people free rides!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Not to mention the befuddling new start up BS we have to go through before we can get a destination for a pax.
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As a rider, this is a weird logo. But then 'uber' is a real weird name for a not-cab company, so whatever.
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What happened to the "U?" They replace it with an incomplete circle? The logo suggests that customers will have a less than complete experience. One of which the drivers already know they are getting.
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