Babba Canales. Photo: Fabian Westerland.
The year was 2012 and the graduates Babba Canales, then 22 years old, had returned to Stockholm after a period as a trainee on the hype glasses mark Mykita Berlin. Full of confidence and with the realization that she was “sitting on a gold mine” in the form of tabs on digital marketing strategies, she decided to start their own content branding agency.
– The digital expert Babba Canales would Now on tour, and save the world! Young and naive, I was suddenly Digital expert, she laughs when she thinks back.
When the plans that best was being forged rang when four-year-old startup company Uber. Establishment of the company responsible was visiting Sweden, and in search of a local team that could launch the service in Sweden and Babba Canales’s name had come up.
Babba, who had never has been in US and nor had heard of Uber asked her boyfriend Carl Waldekranz (founder and CEO of e-commerce platform Tictail) for advice. Well, Carl knew both founder Travis Kala Nick and Uber. But they would launch in Sweden and they really had emailed Babba? A quick look at übers website and Babba were hardly impressed.
– It was the ugliest site I had ever seen. A picture of a big Lincoln Town Car and a big red button. They were obviously in need of my help. As a freelance, certainly not as an employee.
But when übers representatives, over a few glasses of wine in the hotel bar at the Anglais at Stureplan in Stockholm, had the opportunity to present their vision and display the app, Babba completely changed attitude. She went from not wanting the job to “God, how do I get it?”
– It was important for them to find someone who knew the Stockholm and that could influence behavior. I went into “full mode”, took them to an evening with VIP lists and free drinks, all to give the appearance of being a person who could lift the handset and make things happen. It would look fat out and it would look like if everyone knew who I was.
Babba Canales got the job as marketing in Sweden and so begins the story of the most successful launch in übers so far six-year history.
In 2013, suddenly began Stockholmers talk about Uber. What was it that really happened on the Swedish office?
– We had aggressive lanseringsmål and would kick start from one day to the next – without budget. For a quick result I focused on tying to me people in my private networks in the tech world. They like to test the news and I did not nag. Many were flattered and thought it was fun to be first with the new, cool phenomenon.
But suddenly went Uber from being equated with välkylt Lokavatten and the drivers opened the door to a regular taxi.
How reasoning you there?
– It was a super challenge. We decided to start talking about “Uber for all” and that given your budget, you “always getting more for less money.” When we started with low-cost products, it also opened up new collaborations in new segments. Suddenly, we reached the students and celebrations that took place outside of Stockholm.
Stockholm as the market grew at a record pace, mainly because it managed to do Uber to a phenomenon, think Babba Canales, who says that they avoided using the terminology “may now You have to get here, and here. ” It could be done before too.
– It was rather a strong brand building. We talked about taking a Uber, about being a part of Uber and arrive in style. That “ubra” became a lifestyle and the Uber became a phenomenon that it wanted to talk about and raised in Key Note and I got many assignments as speaker. We were young, cool, and we were the underdogs. When it came out that we were two people in the office who competed with normal taxi with hundreds of employees, it was even more astonishing. Many wanted supporta us. I also believe that Stockholmers felt a bit special for a company Uber chose to launch in Sweden so early.
Many of the Swedish campaigns were replicated in other markets, Babba started ” type “write manuals on how to launch Uber, for recognition of the then head Ryan Graves and acted as a mentor to many new employees within the company.
Here, had the story been able to stop. Babba Canales, born of parents who immigrated from Chile and raised in Kristianstad was growing up a typical “good girl” with the highest grades in everything except English. Someone international career saw she was therefore not in front of them.
– However, I have always made decisions based on what I think and feel and very little “by the book”. I have probably been unaware of the unwritten rules because I do not come from a highly educated family.
Uber grew up, went from acclaimed underdog to also criticized. Still have not Uber lift economically in Stockholm, even if the brand was established. The annual report for Uber Sweden AB show that turnover in 2014 ended at 8.9 million and a profit of around SEK 0.7 million.
While the climate for Uber hardened in Stockholm wanted Babba on. For the United States, she finally reached, after all.
– It had never happened to any non-American was sponsored and got visas. But was it really impossible? What’s the worst that can happen if I ask, I reasoned to end. I get a “no”? “
Today Babba employee Marketing for the New York office focusing on brand building partnerships. One of the most publicized collaborations was with the American fashion brand Rag and Bone during New York fashion week.
– Fashion Week has historically been a closed event for the fashion industry, but the Rag and Bone opened up her fashion show to the public exclusively by Uber. We made headlines like “Uber ice Democratizing fashion week”. It was “spot on” for us, we had to show that Uber is for everyone. That’s what we want to democratize private driver experience.
You sit on the board of the mobile casino Leo Vegas – what do you think can bring there?
– I think I have a lot to contribute because I come from the digital world and have built my career on mobile and digital. Also, I can provide a different perspective. Secondly, I am the youngest, and then I’ll come from the startup world and with an innovative marketing perspective. And so I have experience of launching an American concept in the Swedish market.
From one to the other. You and like many others in the tech world, you spend ten days per year on the Nevada-festival Burning Man. I am very curious. How is it? Hippie Festival or mingle party for the Silicon Valley elite?
– Burning Man is what you make of it. Sure, the whole Silicon Valley is probably definitely there, but mainly to take a break from being precisely Silicon Valley. For me it is that it is extremely inspiring and creative, and the only time of year that I am 100 percent offline in ten days. It is a “back to the roots-environment” that is not real. It has no contact with the outside world, even if one would like.
And finally. Travis Kala Nick, übers founder, have you met him? And how is he?
– Yes, of course, I started on Uber so very early. He is extremely present. Every week we have a Q & A with all the offices in the world and he is always on, no matter what time it is where he is at that moment. When we have the most pressure during the holidays, he works always. He is a super inspiring person.
Babba Canales
Age: just turned 25
Raised: Kristianstad
Live East Village, New York
Family: Mom, Dad, two siblings, her boyfriend Carl Waldekranz, dog Blue
Favoritapp: Tictails shoppingapp
Babbas best career advice
“Make your own value. Do not try to adapt by, for example, dress yourself “right.” I’ve realized that I’ve got the job I wanted because I have been straight and honest and put some counterclaims. Sure, I’m 90-baby boom. Our generation is working for our own sake – the result is better of it. “
About the New York tech hub: ” My opinion is that the tech scene in New York is more integrated with other industries. It is no small bubble where you can just hang out with others who are also wearing T-shirts with company logos. Many of New York’s taken an active decision not to be shown in San Francisco. They want to do something else in New York. “
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