Grab taps actor James Reid to rev up revenues in PH

REID is not just an endorser, but a Grab user as well

Hip and cool.

These are the two traits that mobile app-based transport network vehicle service (TNVS) Grab says it shares with its newest brand ambassador and one of the country’s hottest young actors: James Reid.

And as far as endorsers go, Grab can proudly call Reid one of its most loyal customers.

At his meet-and-greet with fans arranged by the company recently in Makati City, Reid said he “hasn’t even tried any other [mobile-app based transport service].”

“I’ve been in other [cars under another TNVS], but I’ve never downloaded the other apps,” said Reid. “As a person who actually uses Grab, I can say the service is really good.”

In a separate interview, Brian Cu, Grab managing director, said they chose Reid because they “believe he can stand for the brand’s ideals and principles.”

“The team knows that by getting James as a brand ambassador, it will delight our passengers who are also his fans, and that has always been a goal we constantly strive to achieve,” Cu added.

Cu also said Grab had come to a point wherein they felt the need for a “credible public figure” to represent them and their continuous growth.

“We felt it would be an added value to the brand to get an ambassador, especially someone like Reid,” he said.

Asked if this recent move meant that competition could be getting ahead of them, Cu replied, “I can confidently say that Grab is the leading transport app in Southeast Asia. In the four years since we launched the company in Malaysia, we’ve grown to be a name to be reckoned with in the transport industry.

GRAB claims to be the leading transport app in Southeast Asia

“Competition keeps us on our toes and keeps the innovative products and campaigns coming,” he added.

Grab’s direct-booking service allows passengers, through the mobile app, to easily hire a taxi or private car and arrange the pickup and dropoff points. Other TNVS companies, like Uber, even offer carpooling services, something which Grab has yet to do.

“The team is continuously studying the market and its needs. Should we see a need for other transport services, we will surely push to provide it to the public,” said Cu. “The company aims to provide accessible transport services to the public and if that means expanding our array of products, then we will gladly do so.”

Competition aside, Grab and other TNVS companies are still facing a major hurdle in their expansion: The Department of Transportation (DOTr) in July announced, through a memo issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), that no new applications for ride-sharing app operators would be processed pending a review of existing rules covering such transport service.

In an earlier Inquirer article, DOTr spokesperson Cherie Mercado said the suspension of applications was also put in place to control the “sheer volume of applicants,” as well as allow government to review such companies’ fare scheme.

In the meantime, Cu said that the company continues to train and “upskill” their drivers to make sure that the suspension doesn’t affect the quality of their service. He added that Grab was “in a continuous discussion with [LTFRB] to find solutions to the suspension.”

Such setback also doesn’t seem to faze Cu when it comes their business’ growth.

“We started with taxis and made our way to private cars and express deliveries (on-demand parcel delivery) [within two years]. “That type of expansion should be able to speak for itself,” he said.

What matters, said Cu, is that whatever the company rolls out—be it a new service or campaign—is always geared “toward the unified goals of providing safe and reliable transportation, and improving the livelihoods of our partners: the drivers.”