Uber now lets app developers target riders with contextual information

Uber’s mission is to help you get from point A to point B with as little friction as possible. When you request a ride, a car arrives, you get in, and you’re on your way. But what happens when Uber’s ride request feature is integrated into an application? How can developers create a comprehensive experience around two services?

Say, for example, you request an Uber through the United Airlines app. The ordering part is there and the payment, but what happens in the meantime? Today, Uber is offering developers a new opportunity in trip branding and personalization, giving them a way to provide you with helpful content during the ride — within the Uber app itself. The idea is that you’ll not only get to where you need to be, but you’ll be armed with information to make the trip a success.

Uber’s trip branding and personalization program is available to developers today with launch partners Hilton, Zomato, Citymapper, American Airlines, and others.

Here’s how it works: If a rider uses an Uber-powered app and either requests a ride or sets a Ride Reminder through it, Uber’s app will feature a new section with pertinent information. The content that’s included is entirely up to the developers. But the ride request must originate through the third-party app, not via Uber itself. If you’re en route to a restaurant that you found via Zomato, the trip branding could include a menu so you can be prepared when you arrive, or if you’re heading to the airport, the United app could let you order in-flight Wi-Fi ahead of time.

The placement of this content on the Uber app marks the first time that the on-demand private car service has given up real estate to third-party apps.

Uber’s trip branding and personalization is available to all developers that are integrating Ride Reminders or ride request deep links today.