Ride-share operator DiDi has reported a 33 percent increase in market share over the past 18 months, attributing the growth to an assertive marketing campaign aiming to challenge Uber’s prevailing dominance in the sector.

The company’s campaign, launched in July 2025, featured a distinctive, surreal advertisement centered on an online film depicting three young adults guided through a series of DiDi rides by a whimsical, flute-playing character named Nudgy. The initiative formed part of a broader marketing strategy that included partnerships with prominent sporting events such as the Australian Open, the Australian Football League (AFL), the Victoria Racing Club, and activations at the NFL match at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Marathon, and various concerts.

Tim Farmer, DiDi’s head of brand marketing, explained the strategy was designed to overcome barriers posed by brand recognition and consumer habits, rather than service quality. "We have an 85-90 percent overlap of drivers, so the service should be reasonably similar. We knew it wasn’t a service issue, it was a marketing issue," he said.

The campaign effectively boosted DiDi’s top-of-mind brand awareness from roughly 6 percent to 12 percent, while delivering brand recall exceeding 90 percent among those exposed to the advertisements. The consumer response translated into a 41 percent rise in ride volumes and a 32 percent increase in new riders, with a substantial uptick in the total number of users engaging with the platform.

DiDi concentrated its efforts primarily on the Melbourne and Perth markets, where it had an existing presence and anticipated the fastest share gains. Despite competing against Uber with a significantly smaller marketing budget, the company’s investments in high-profile partnerships and cultural activations helped it secure notable recognition—garnering five awards, including a Gold, at the 2026 Advertising Council of Australia’s Effie Awards, which honor effective advertising campaigns nationally.

Looking ahead, DiDi intends to convert heightened brand awareness into more frequent use by existing customers. Farmer noted the company’s goal to increase the average user’s trip share from two or three out of every ten rides to four or five. To facilitate this, DiDi plans to refine its marketing approach by clearly articulating its value proposition and providing straightforward reasons for consumers to choose its service.

The company also aims to expand geographically into Sydney and Brisbane and broaden cultural engagement beyond sports into music, travel, dining, and nightlife sectors. Farmer indicated the original Nudgy campaign, after 15 months in market, is showing signs of fatigue. DiDi is exploring ways to evolve the character into a longer-term brand asset without simply replicating the original approach.

Embracing its role as an underdog, Farmer highlighted that the competitive pressure from Uber has refined DiDi’s strategic focus. "Uber really creatively celebrate the utility of their services," he said. "For me, it makes it crystal clear that we have to offer a different distinct proposition and so we focus more on the value and what the value can unlock. We need to get people’s attention and stand out and we need to offer them a reason to switch. We’re on the path to doing that."

He added, “I think it’s better to be remembered than be kind of bland and vanilla. So we can live with some people not liking the ad.”