How Uber Used Crisis Communications to Protect Brand Trust
Discover how Uber partnered with Cision Insights to identify the right messaging, reach key audiences, and navigate a high-profile cyber crisis while working to minimize reputational damage.
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Challenge
Following multiple data breaches and intense media scrutiny, Uber faced growing reputational risks and declining public trust. The company needed to respond quickly and strategically to address stakeholder concerns, manage media narratives, and minimize long-term brand damage.
Solution
Uber partnered with Cision's Insights team to monitor media coverage, analyze audience sentiment, and identify opportunities to deliver the right messages to the right audiences. These insights helped inform a proactive crisis communications strategy designed to protect reputation and rebuild trust.
Results
By combining media intelligence with strategic communications, Uber was able to respond rapidly during a critical period, helping to manage public perception and support its reputation recovery efforts.
Key features
A second data breach
Data breaches pose a significant risk for all organizations, and in today’s privacy-conscious climate, the reputational damage they can cause can be extensive.
In 2022, Uber experienced its second major data breach following a cyberattack carried out by an 18-year-old. The consequences were clear: analysis of media coverage showed the company’s reputation had taken a hit.
After the hack, 22% of all mainstream media mentions of Uber referenced the incident, with the stories emphasizing that it was a reoccurrence. During this crisis, protecting the brand’s reputation became a top priority.
Transparency during a crisis
To navigate this crisis, Uber used media insights to shape a strong global communications strategy. Research revealed that Uber ranked average compared to companies in similar situations.
Right after the breach, Uber notified the authorities and informed the public on social media about the incident. Despite the negative coverage, the impact on consumer confidence was limited to just 7% of articles.
Uber used Cision’s Instant Insights to identify its target audiences and understand how they consumed media. The reports showed that over 70% of discussions of the hack were from U.S. media. Moreover, Instant Insights also revealed that Gen Z largely consumed high-readership platforms.
Media monitoring: A pillar in crisis communications
High-impact media coverage was reported in prominent outlets, suggesting that the hack received significant exposure with Uber users. Unlike its response to the previous security incident, Uber's decision to notify authorities immediately was widely viewed as a significant improvement. Another priority was preventing data security concerns from becoming linked to broader reputational issues, such as driver welfare and treatment.
Transparency proved to be a key differentiator. Rather than focusing on new data safety procedures or cyber security hires, Uber’s communications team prioritized transparency, an approach explicitly mentioned by 33% of media outlets. With media monitoring and real-time insights from Cision, Uber was able to respond proactively and help rebuild trust during the crisis.
Watch the full story
Check out the video to see how Uber partnered with Cision's Insights team to navigate a complex crisis, shape key messaging, and demonstrate the value of proactive crisis communications.
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