Cabify’s rebranding case study

: a repositioning challenge

Abstract

In 2016 Cabify expanded to Portugal with the intention of leading corporate transportation and seeking to stand out in the market through its service of excellence and quality. At the end of that year, an internal and external study was conducted to assess if the general perception of the brand was in line with what the company wanted to convey. The results showed that employees did not identify with the communicated brand and that consumers perceived Cabify as premium, nevertheless inaccessible. Thus, the perceived brand was not aligned with the company’s desired positioning. A rebranding strategy was put in motion in order to reshape consumers’ perceptions, placing Cabify as a more inclusive brand. The main challenge lyed in bringing the brand closer to the audience, while maintaining the premium facet an avoiding confusion in the current users. The ultimate goal of this case study is to deeply understand the reasons that led to Cabify’s rebranding, to analyze the steps taken to reposition the brand and the impact of this strategy on consumer perceptions, having in mind Portuguese preferences regarding digital platforms of mobility. Main results indicate that although a successful shift in the audience’s perception occurred, when considering the company’s intentions, there was also a propensity of perceiving the new Cabify image as more lowcost. Aditionally, the study concludes that the current image awareness is low. Some recommendations are drawned in order to leverage the company’s communication strategy and user acquisition.

Date of Award	17 Jul 2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Pedro Celeste (Supervisor)