Uber sold decongestion vision, not brand, to win Virat Kohli as ambassador

With one of the most sought after endorsers on board, the ride hailing brand looks for a fresh script for its India story

When ride hailing giant Uber approached Virat Kohli to be its brand ambassador, rather than trying to win over the cricketing superstar with how big and how global the company was, it pitched a simple idea. How Uber could help decongest India’s roads by replacing car ownership and create economic opportunities. “This is what excited us and what excited him,” says Sanjay Gupta, Head of Marketing at Uber India. “He’s a Delhi boy, he’s seen the traffic and the pollution. Virat wants to really do bigger things and things that really impact the country and the economy.”

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