Lyft Should Have Bought Sosh
Or, why Lyft is primed to vertically integrate local events
There have been really creative ideas about how Uber can take over the entire passenger pathway, from couch to destination. Chatting on Facebook Messenger about an event happening tonight? Call the Uber straight from the app. Want to cart your girlfriend to your place on a Friday night? Use Teleport. Bored in a Uber ride? Play this hypothetical trivia game.
And recently it was announced that Uber won an exclusive to provide rides to and from the Super Bowl, which includes Uber drop off zones. Uber now owns the time (and stadium curbside) right before and right after one of the most hyped live events of the year. Huge!
Now I imagine that if I was at Lyft, my reaction to this news would look something like:
But despair not my pink mustached friend! Why not take this opportunity to own the entire passenger pathway, couch to destination, on a local event scale? Lyft already spends an ungodly amount of money on billboards, ads in arenas, and suburban mall displays (I’ve seen a massive one in NJ). Why not actually spend some of that marketing budget on securing event packages, like Sosh used to do?
Here’s how I see this working:
Me: Wonder what I should do this weekend? *commence Googling of local events*
Lyft: Hey! There are some cool new movies out that you should watch, AND they’re playing in the new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Book a ticket to The Hateful Eight at the Alamo through us AND get a 10% discount off your ride there AND we’ll pick your date on the way!
Me: Cool!
Lyft: Here’s a calendar reminder for the movie, and we’ll send you a notification asking you to confirm that you want a Lyft driver to head your way before the movie starts!
Me: Amazing! Take my money!
Lyft is now not only my ride, but also my personal social event curator and secretary. I’ll be reminded with timely notifications about the event and my ride, and voila! Lyft has vertically integrated my social life.
Too bad Postmates already bought Sosh. And shutting it down. BUT Lyft is doing something for SF Restaurant Week so maybe it’s not too far off in the future…:)
