Placie app relaunch
Placie Donovan
Icon worked closely with Placie – a leading Australian rideshare and taxi comparison and booking platform – to re-launch its new brand and value proposition to the Australian market through PR.
The campaign educated consumers on Placie’s ability to offer real-time comparisons of fare estimates across Australia’s largest network of ride services in one single platform. Utilising this innovative technology, Icon created a strategy to address the pain points of Aussie rideshare users, calling for ‘fairer fares’ on their behalf.
Background
The rideshare industry has for some time been under fire for price gouging during periods of peak demand like public holidays, entertainment and sporting events, etc. Placie was born out of this frustration so that customers could compare their taxi and rideshare options in real time, in one place.
Placie engaged Icon Agency during a pivotal time for the rideshare industry as price surging was at an all time high while Australians grappled with a dramatic increase to the cost of living.
Icon positioned Placie as an advocate in the space through a series of consumer awareness stories, warning customers in advance of potential surges, offering advice, and encouraging them to compare prices through the app.
Challenge
Placie needed to gain brand awareness and communicate their unique sales points and value propositions in a mature market. With Share of Voice (SoV) being dominated by a small number of global rideshare brands, Placie struggled to achieve media cut through.
Placie turned to Icon for a creative campaign that both resonated with mass audiences, and positioned them as the solution to current industry issues.
It was also important to communicate Placie’s value proposition as uniquely distinct to that of rideshare and taxi providers – as a platform giving users greater visibility on price, and ultimately, more choice.
During the launch period, the company appointed a new CEO. Icon dedicated resources to bring them up to speed in a short space of time, including light-touch media training and comprehensive interview briefs.
Strategy and solution
Driving brand awareness, communicating key messages on Placie’s value proposition and generating salience with the target audience would be key to success for the brand.
To encourage positive brand association, Icon recruited Australian singer and former rideshare driver, Casey Donovan. Her endorsement was integral to bringing personality and driving salience to make Placie stand out against its faceless competitors.
To support this partnership, Icon created the Placie Donovan Car. A fully wrapped, co-branded vehicle which acted as an eye-catching visual for broadcast media – a key focus due to its proven ability to drive consumer engagement. The launch was further rolled out across Casey’s social media channels to reach a broader audience and increase opportunities for brand discovery.
Icon also developed an always-on press office, developing PR stories tied to major events like the Melbourne cup and underpinned by Placie data. While prices surged, this approach ensured Placie was front-of-mind during moments of frustration.
Impact
Icon successfully generated 200+ pieces of coverage, with a heavy concentration across national print and digital, lifestyle and all-important broadcast media. All coverage recorded a positive sentiment which was a key success factor for this campaign.
Coverage featured original data from Placie, commentary from key spokespeople including the newly appointed CEO, and importantly, key message cut-through.
Key outcomes
224 pieces of coverage
179,540,499 reach
17 pieces of radio and TV broadcast coverage
56 pieces of Tier One coverage
SoV more than doubled in percentage
87,339 social impressions
Significant increase in app visits on the day of The Placie Donovan Car launch
Highest percentage of positive sentiment across competitors
Services
Consumer PR
Broadcast PR
Creative ideation
Campaign coordination and execution
Influencer / Celebrity management
