Uber Advertising launched a set of “Offsite Ads” that for the first time extend its first-party data signals beyond its own apps to reach consumers on Meta and Google Shopping, while tracking the results back to Uber Eats orders and store visits. This is the first time that Uber has looked beyond its own apps to sell ads, and comes at a time when its ad business is already surging, having surpassed $2B in ad revenue last year.
Here's how it works:
- Brands buy Uber ad placements that run on Meta and Google Shopping rather than inside Uber's own apps, extending Uber's reach to where consumers already spend their time online.
- Uber targets those ads using its first-party data such as what people actually order, when they order it, and where they were at the time, which are signals it has never made available outside its own ecosystem until now.
- Uber then closes the loop by tracking whether someone who saw an ad actually placed an Uber Eats order or visited a store, tying ad spend to real purchases rather than clicks.
- One thing to note is that Uber isn't actually handing Meta and Google its data. It keeps the raw signals in-house and only applies them to target the ads, so the platforms never get their hands on your order history. Then again, there's probably a lot that Meta and Google can infer from the targeting signals.
The move turns Uber's ride and delivery data — covering meals, errands, events, and destinations — into a targeting layer brands can use off-platform.
Yippee for customers! Advertisers used to just follow you around based on your web activity, now you'll start seeing ads based on your real-world activities too. Let's hope for your sake the local strip club doesn't advertise on Uber. “Honey, why is Google TV advertising a 50% off buffet coupon for your tenth visit to The Trophy Club?”
Alongside the launch, Uber unveiled new ad formats, including spots that appear within the Uber ride-sharing app, allowing brands to offer sponsored discounts to riders and brand takeovers on Uber Eats. For example, one new in-app format offers a shoppable menu carousel that lets users add items straight to the cart.
The move pushes Uber deeper into the commerce-media race against DoorDash, which rolled out its own full-stack advertising expansion just a few days earlier.
