EssenceMediacom has successfully retained Uber’s regional media mandate across Asia-Pacific (APAC) following a competitive pitch, extending a partnership that has been instrumental in supporting the ride-hailing platform’s growth across the region since 2017.
The renewed mandate reinforces the agency’s long-standing relationship with Uber, underpinned by strategic media planning, operational excellence and the use of WPP Open’s AI and data capabilities to deliver integrated marketing solutions across multiple markets.
Over the past decade, EssenceMediacom has played a significant role in helping Uber launch, expand and strengthen its presence across APAC. The partnership has focused on combining advanced technology, marketing science and data-driven planning to create scalable growth strategies tailored to diverse regional markets.
Going forward, the agency will continue to deliver connected and adaptive media strategies by leveraging WPP Open’s AI-powered capabilities alongside strategic planning and local market expertise. The partnership will span Australia and New Zealand, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, with the regional account continuing to be led from Australia.
Maddison Keogh, Client Managing Partner at EssenceMediacom, will continue to oversee teams across the seven markets, driving a unified regional strategy while ensuring campaigns remain locally relevant. The model combines on-the-ground expertise with centralised governance to deliver consistency, operational efficiency and scale across APAC.
Commenting on the renewed partnership, Pippa Berlocher of EssenceMediacom said, “We’re incredibly proud to continue our partnership with Uber across APAC. Working together across such diverse and fast-moving markets has shaped a strong, trusted partnership. By bringing together data, technology, creativity and human ingenuity, and by consistently showing up for each other as a connected team, we’re unlocking new opportunities to ignite what’s next for Uber.”
Lee Walsh, Global Head of Media at Uber, added, “Following a thorough RFP process, we’re delighted to continue our partnership with EssenceMediacom. Their team demonstrated they are the best fit to support our ambitions across APAC. Their deep local market expertise, strong strategic thinking, and clear understanding of our business stood out throughout the process. We were particularly impressed by their vision for how data, technology and AI can help accelerate our next phase of growth.”
The mandate renewal comes on the back of a strong year for Uber’s marketing efforts, with its ‘Backseat Arcade’ campaign receiving recognition at industry forums including the Festival of Media APAC, Festival of Media Global, Cairns Crocodiles and the MFA Awards, where it secured multiple nominations and wins. The continued partnership underscores both companies’ commitment to leveraging AI, data and integrated media strategies to accelerate Uber’s growth across the Asia-Pacific region.