Research for Final ProjectDigital Communications - Team 3

HopSkipDrive.comTwitter: @HopSkipDrive

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopskipdrive

Agenda:RESEARCH DONE BY: APRIL 4AREAS TO RESEARCH:

CURRENT BRAND FRAMEWORK RESEARCHING COMPANY POLICY/PROCEDURE PROCESS

o How to better communicate pick up/drop off process and trackingo where are they operating now? What’s their current business strategyo find a way to highlight security checks on drivers, more than just saying it on

websiteo can we add a camera?o Is there a rating system similar to Uber? Two-way rating system? Behavior report

for kid?o legal aspects--where does the service start and stop? What about relationships

that formo make sure that people use the app for arrangements

loyalty program? COMPETITIVE MARKETS (operational and comms strategies)

o what are they doing? What’s their current performance compared to their competitors?

how many successful rides, how many riders, how many times the app has been downloaded, what is its rating on Appstore compared to its competitors?

o What are the differentiators?o what are the challenges they’re all going to face in this space? Uber vs. Taxi,

other public transport GEOGRAPHIC MARKET RESEARCH Business Opportunities, target need and relevance. Less than half of kids under 18 live in a home with two traditional married parents (46%).

Pew Research (66% according to other sources) Of the 8 million children who do not live below poverty line, Child w/both parents (only 13% poor) vs. child w/father 8% of all children (21% poor) vs.

child w/mother 26% (highest poverty) - Pewresearch.org Mothers with children 40% feel challenged by work/family balance vs. 34% fathers Median Income of children with both parents $84,000 vs. Single Mothers $26,000 Number of children age 6 to 12 with all available parents in the labor force: 68% US vs.

62% Washington, D.C. (old data 2007) Number of Single Mothers: 10 million, only ⅔ work outside home (see full time 45% in

Edison Research)

In Oregon, New York, Massachusetts both parents spend more than half of their income in childcare vs. single mothers spend ⅓ of income in child care.

Median Income of Families with Children by Neighborhood available through KIDSCOUNT Data Center

TAKE AWAY: Target 2 professional working families in addition to affluent single moms with full-time jobs.

Suburbs face highest mobility challenges and are more scared of transportation than city folks.  Well-to-do cities such as San Francisco, Manhattan use these services for their kids.

o Suburbs vs cities potential candidate locations legality in cities/states

o Individual cities by nameo individual populations?

Single moms/Single dads/familieso (Look at international comparisons) o Strategic partnerships opportunities?

Care.com, school systems for after sports EXISTING AUDIENCE/USERS AND POTENTIAL AUDIENCE/USERS - Danielle

o Mom/Dad research with price point (below) consideredo Demographics - age, income brackets o Psychographics - opinions about ridesharing experiences in general

What they read, online preferences, etc. (Mommy Bloggers, Parenting, Women’s Mags)

o Driver researcho Profiles of typical users/drivers/children

“Mom” Research:http://m2moms.com/fast_facts.phphttp://www.edisonresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Moms-and-Media-2014-FINAL-REPORT.pdf

It’s worth noting, in choosing which moms (or dads) to target that the pricing is as follows:

How much does HopSkipDrive cost?Our rides will be priced using packages so the cost per ride will typically vary from $12-20 (depending on how many rides you purchased at once). The largest ride package will consist of 50 rides for $600 (Breaking down to $12 per ride). The smallest ride package will be $95 for 5 rides ($19 per ride). You can read more about the pricing of packages here.Prices will also vary for distances over 5 miles ($1 per mile) and rides over 30 minutes long ($.50 per extra minute). The first sibling always rides free. Additional passengers will be $5 each.

Vision: To bring the convenience of “adult” ridesharing to the lives of today’s busy parents and their children.

Mission: Remove the stress of transporting children by providing a solution that’s as safe and reliable as if you were driving yourself.

Key Values:SimpleReliableSmartRespectful

Business Objectives:Specifically, HopSkipDrive has several business goals over the next 12 months:

Launch this new service in five new markets (those markets should be determined by your team based on business opportunity, target need and relevance)

Enhance and/or build the organization’s digital presence across all relevant channels; create and build brand evangelists.

1MM new riders in the first year.

Presentation should include the following elements: Brand framework strategy

o content strategy Website:

raise profile of company to extend into new marketso find celebrity spokesperson - Mom (or mommy blogger)

more clarification of safety procedures and policies o increase use of images, videos, infographics

to explain process step by step, app tutorialso Q&A Forum so parents can post questions and get

answers from HSD service representativeso find community advocates: moms who have used the

service to recruit users, talk about their positive experiences

become a source of valuable information for moms and parents - “thought leader” of the industry

o Blog - about pertinent issues regarding transportation, ridesharing, kids, and how to manage schedules

connect with mommy bloggers to become advocates

Establish credibility of founderso video interview of mom founders discussing their reasons

for founding HSD, their education and business background, their kids

o Utilize education of the founders - other alums from Stanford Business School

Social media: consolidate accounts under single voice that aligns with the direct, professional tone of the website

more pictures and videos to engage moms, who respond to visual marketing

o Twittero Facebook

more community-oriented content, less of a mouthpiece, respond to queries and engage with potential customers about industry- and service-specific issues

o streamlineo Unite Tone of Voiceo tie-in with website content (post links and teasers to blogs,

videos, and other special content featured on content, repurpose existing content on website (general safety features, processes and policies) for twitter and facebook to make the most of existing content

Digital marketing campaign o paid, earned, owned content

paid: buy facebook advertising? earned: video campaign likely to have higher engagement among moms owned: website content

videos images blog general website content

1-year digital communications plan/roadmap, including but not limited to:o Tone & Voice Recommendations - look at content strategy above o Sample Editorial Calendar (1 month) - look at content strategy aboveo Recommended Channel Mix:

website (with videos, images, and infographics that live on the site to increase SEO

social media (image-heavy) twitter facebook

o user profileso Top-line Influencer Strategy:

partnerships with private school PAs and private school administrations partnerships with mommy bloggers

conferenceso sponsor programs, panels, find advocates

guest bloggers find celebrity advocate - SJP

o Recommended KPIs:o engagement on social media

Facebooko likes, shares, comments

Twittero retweets, favorites, follows

website engagement site visit duration bounce rate conversion rate (download app?) track visitors

Conversions apps downloaded number of rides

number of drivers number of customers

success metrics of markets as overall KPI business strategy which geographic markets are successful which demographic metrics are successful

o use a ratio to adjust ongoing strategy Market identification: Primary market at the five selected locations is dual-income parents who

are upper-income working professionals and middle-income single parents.  We did not include those being subsidized by public funds even though there might be a market for those parents (e.g., “typical welfare family”) that can receive about $30,800 in benefits, provided that they live in one of the 10 states, or Washington, D.C., listed in a 2013 Cato Institute report that studied an array of available family programs. http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/the_work_versus_welfare_trade-off_2013_wp.pdf

Company Overview as of March 2015 Currently only operating in LA. Founded by three business saavy working moms: Joanna McFarland (MBA from

Stanford, BS from Stanford) Brand taglines: “Created by Moms, Driven by Love” “A simpler way to get your kids there”

Possible tensions: Parents don’t trust strangers to drive their kids.How do parents know their kids has arrived safely? Both confirming with the driver and with the kid? --could we put a camera in the car? Nanny cam for the car

Competitors:Shuddle - generating lots of media coverageUberFamily - currently not same model (offers car seats, not children’s ride-share), but potential to move into space and should be watched due to established customer base and Lyft

Differentiating Factors for HopSkipDrive:There are three different types of customers: 1) The regularly scheduled parent who needs a driver, 2) The one-offs and 3) Emergencies

That’s quite a bit for anyone on a tight budget.

Media Coverage for HopSkipDrive:“New Rideshare Service Offers Kid-Friendly Uber Alternative” The Hollywood Reporter

Media Coverage for Competitors:“Busy parents: Meet Shuddle, the Uber for kids” Entrepreneur “Uber for kids: Shuddle wants to shuttle your children” Today Show “Uber, but for kids. What could possibly go wrong?” Huffington Post

“Uber-for-kids is Shuddle’s parental pitch” USA Today

Digital Footprint Overview:

Brand FrameworkBrand framework needs to address the tensions--how do you know for sure when kids are dropped off? HSD needs to communicate it better because we are confusedUnmet user need: identifying what the user need or want that must be met in order to meet the challengeMotivations: what are the (misguided or valid) motivations and beliefs that underpin user behaviors

Moms and families are busy, kids are busy: how do you get them to their various activities and obligations when your schedule is already jam-packed

According to a survey from the Today Show, the biggest cause of stress for parents say it's a lack of time to do everything that needs to get done (http://www.today.com/parents/mom-survey-says-three-most-stressful-number-kids-6C9774150)

According to CNN, many parents overschedule their kids and because they spent so much time shuffling the kids from one after school activity to another, they “let their marriages falter” (http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/08/living/overscheduled-busy-children/)

o “there is a critical element that often falls to the wayside: the family’s overall lifestyle” (http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/08/living/overscheduled-busy-children)

“some parents are looking to ridesharing service Uber to ferry their youngsters around, even though its against the company’s own rules.” (http://consumerist.com/2015/03/11/parents-using-uber-to-chauffeur-kids-to-school-even-though-its-not-allowed/)

User expectations: What behaviors have been enabled in and outside of category that are defining expectationInside the category—ridesharing and car services are very popular (Uber, Lyft), they operate on your schedule and make payment easy, you have the convenience of knowing who your driver is, where they are, and how much your ride will cost, you never have to take out your wallet

The Taxi cab system was flawed, Uber came and completely shook things upo “Their goal is simple: turn your travel headache into a luxury experience while

they make a profit.”o “Regardless of the future the company has already proven they can disrupt

transportation in some of the world’s largest cities and they show no signs of stopping.” (http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/uber-car-revolutionize-city-transportation-210645703.html)

drivers on demand, on your scheduleOutside of the category—mobile-first era where everything is at our fingertips and everything is user-centered

“Mobile has become the consumer’s preferred medium for interactions with brands, from customer service to shopping to social sharing and beyond. Mobile’s proximity to consumers, along with its potential to deliver experiences tailored to their needs and preferences, mean that basic, utilitarian mobile experiences are no longer enough.”

(http://usablenet.com/blog/shift-to-user-centered-design-if-you-want-your-brand-to-succeed-in-mobile)

o How do we make life easier for users? How do we respond to their needs?o Mobile banking—people are likely to put their personal information on a mobile

device (less secure) because it’s convenient and saves them timeDesired behavior: Who is the core user and what do we want them to do or be able to do in order to meet the business marketing challenge

Moms: it was created by three moms who “understand the struggle of getting kids around town safely”

o Anti-carpooling: “We love carpooling, but have found the constant juggle of who is in and who is out, together with changing parent schedules, a lot to manage…setting up carpools for each of your children’s different activities can be very time consuming and stressful.” (http://www.hopskipdrive.com/faqs/#About)

Other potential core users: Single parents with multiple children who have various after-school activities

o single moms account for 25 percent of American households (http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/the-mysterious-and-alarming-rise-of-single-parenthood-in-america/279203/)

but HopSkipDrive isn’t cheap—these would have to affluent single-parent homes

o single dads account for 6% of American households (http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/the-mysterious-and-alarming-rise-of-single-parenthood-in-america/279203/)

Other potential core users: wealthy suburban families with kids that have too much to doo families with two working parents are pressed for time: they “don’t have the

luxury of supervising [their children’s] free time around the clock. These activities, while sometimes costly, give us some peace of mind.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/13/fashion/over-scheduled-children-how-big-a-problem.html)

“It’s easy to say children need to wander unsupervised in the neighborhood inventing their own activities, but we live in the 21st century, not a Beverly Cleary novel.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/13/fashion/over-scheduled-children-how-big-a-problem.html)

It’s important for parents to decompress, too -- parents that are too stressed and overworked might not have the energy to help their kids with homework. Removing on responsibility (driving kids from place to place every day) from a parent’s workload can help that mom or dad be more engaged when it matters most.

Real Business/marketing challenge: identifying the actual problem we are solving with marketing

Competitive opportunity analysis: What are the competition (category, related and tangential) doing that could be exploited and what should be avoided

Uber: growing national trend of parents ordering Ubers for their kids, even though it’s illegal and the company doesn’t have the insurance to cover it

o Offers choice for price points: UberX, taxi, Black, SUV, luxo Offers UberMILITARY--their pledge to onboard 50,000 service members,

veterans, and military spouses as partner drivers on the Uber platformo global presence

o Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/uber, 1.3 million likes), Twitter (@uber, 244K Followers), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/1815218, 150, 932 followers), Google+ (https://plus.google.com/112684473482252498171/posts, 2,355,738 views)

o have a blog, talk about global partnerships, big into rider rights and anti-taxio launched Momentum magazine to connect with partner drivers and build more

communityo have had a lot of safety issues

Lyft: Sidecar: “Go beyond one-size-fits-all. Different times call for different rides, so choose

the one you need.” o available in ten US marketso have a blog, Twitter (@Sidecar, 13.4K Followers), Facebook

(https://www.facebook.com/sidecr, 18,711 likes) and Instagram (https://instagram.com/sidecarhq/, 1,041 followers)

o they pride themselves on being affordable and choosy: Lowest price on the road: “With Sidecar, you pay the least for your rides.

Period. Plus, when you snag a Shared Ride, you’ll arrive for even less” (https://www.side.cr/)

The only app that lets you choose: “Your ride is in your hands. Sidecar is the only app that lets you choose how much you’ll pay, before your ride arrives” (https://www.side.cr/)

Choose from a list of rides, sort available drivers by lowest price, shortest ETA and your favorites

o very unique value proposition for adult riderso company offers three services:

Sidecar: ride app that connects riders with everyday drivers in their personal vehicle

Sidecar Shared Rides: discounted instant carpooling app Sidecar Deliveries: they partner with a food delivery service Eat24 to offer

food and grocery deliveries “by integrating rides and delivery, we’ve created the fastest, most

affordable, seamless and scalable same-day delivery solution” (https://www.side.cr/delivery/)  

Shuddle: has the insurance to cover passengers under the age of 18 (http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/11/07/an-uber-for-kids-shuddle-is-san-franciscos-new-ride-sharing-service-for-families/)

o “Shuddle helps you handle your dynamic family life by solving scheduling conflicts, freeing up time to make a home cooked meal, or simply allowing you to breathe after a hectic day.” (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243010)

o Cost is $9/month plus per-ride fares, which average out at 15 percent more expensive than Uber or Lyft

o Shuddle website service description: 1. schedule ahead of time 2. Meet the driver: you get the driver’s full name, photo, a short bio and a

vehicle description 3. Track in real time: follow the journey from start to finish through the app 4. Enjoy more quality time

this is a key differentiator--the goal is to let the parent get their needs taken care of so that they can be more present with their kids when it matters

Custom insurance for minors: “Shuddle is the only rideshare service insured to transport kids. Our coverage is dependent on regular, in-depth inspections of our safety procedures by the insurance agency. And that’s in addition to our standard coverage of up to one million dollars for vehicles, drivers and passengers” (https://shuddle.us/safety/)

Live customer support: “all rides are monitored by Shuddle HQ. You can call a support person through the app while the ride is in progress.”

You can ride along with your kid - just let them know through the app. You can also provide specific information and notes through the app.

They have a big question and answer forum with room for comments, so if parents have questions they can post it in the comments section and Shuddle employees can respond.

Marketplace opportunity analysis: What marketplace dynamics could be exploited and what should be avoided?Exploit:

safety, ease of use, trusted drivers with childcare experience no rate increases during busy times (like Uber) specifically for children “happy riders” created by moms, for moms all drivers have experience working with children

Avoid: previous bad experiences customers have had with ridesharing services (overcharging,

taking incorrect routes, sketchy drivers) It’s not inexpensive—users have to have a certain income level to use the service

regularly

Input requirementso   Competitive analysis: category, related and tangentialo   Marketplace/landscape analysiso   Stakeholder interviewsTrue Brand Capability: how the brand can deliver on the challenge and user needCurrent brand behaviors: How is the brand currently communicating, what is it currently doing and what is resultant current user expectation?

Peace of mind: you will know who the driver is ahead of time, you’ll have their profile and vehicle information to give to your child

o The child has a special password so that they can know for sure that’s their driver

o You can track the entire ride through an appo “HopSkipDrive is a ridesharing service for kids created by three moms who

understand the stress of driving kids to all of their activities and the safety concerns parents have putting their children in someone else’s car. It’s a simple, convenient, and reliable solution borne out of necessity and fueled by care for the kids we carry.” (http://www.hopskipdrive.com/faqs/#About)

Through social media, the brand shares tips and advice for parents, a helpful, “pro-parent” TOV

Website is straightforward and direct, but there are some gaps:

o how does the parent know that the child has been dropped off, besides by following trip progress on the app?

o Who can the parent contact during the ride if they feel like something is wrong? you can contact customer service at any point, but you only know this on

a secondary “safety” page of the website--could be made clearero How can a rider (presumably without a phone) contact someone if they feel

unsafe?Brand values and meaning: what are the pertinent brand values and or benefits of the product or service being offered that can be leveraged to meet the unmet need?

Created by moms, for moms: “If we wouldn’t trust them to drive our own kids, we won’t put yours in their care

Obsessed with safetyo Zero tolerance policy for both drugs and alcohol use while driving for

HopSkipDrive, as well as making any physical contact with riders or using mobile devices (texting, talking on the phone) with a passenger in the car

o Drivers must pass the “picky mom test” Three driver profiles on the website – you can read their bios and see

their faces Must pass the following requirements:

Five years of childcare experience minimum In-person interviews Reference checks Ride-alongs Extensive background and regular DMV checks Car inspection In-person training

But, the website could do more to promote its focus on safety and securityo be more specific about certain situations in the FAQ sectiono What about having a live chat option on the website to ask questions?o Should link to the Zendrive website or more thoroughly explain what it is

Content Audit:Twitter: 129 followers, following 214, 170 tweets

Retweet parent-centric information, praise for their serviceshttps://twitter.com/hopskipdrive@HopSkipDrive

Facebook: 710 likes,“Women feel they are expected to work, volunteer at school, cook, clean, send the thank-you notes, etc. Men are often applauded for “pitching in." What do you think? Are balancing work and family more difficult for men or women? Why?” (March 7 Facebook Post)

definitely a female voice, less professional than the website, feels like one person is in charge

Operational and technological requirements: What can and can’t the brand do?Input requirements:

Brand, content and capability audit Communication review Platform and technology assessment

o How does the brand ensure the child has reached the destination, got out of the car, got in the right car? Is there technology to ensure this, or simply trusting the driver to report via app?  

What the brand can do: pick up and deliver your child from and to specific locations What the brand cannot do: extend childcare services after the ride ends

o if the driver drops off the kid at the desired location and confirms drop off, but then the kid sneaks off and goes elsewhere, it’s not the driver’s responsibility to track that child

their terms of service start and end with the ride, they need parents and children to understand this