Yesterday was going to be just like any other ordinary day, albeit with a lot of rain in Karachi (an extraordinary feat on its own). However, popular ride-hailing service Careem had other ideas in mind. Some really unconventional ideas.
Pakistanis woke up to a weird new notification from Careem. Instead of the captain that they never ordered, people were greeted with a “Your rishta has arrived” status embracing their notification logs. YES, if you have been living under a rock or something, Careem has indeed started offering a “Rishta Aunty” service. And no, it’s not even the first of April today.
Basically, you can order a new type of Careem car type which will not only take you to your destination, but also get a “Rishta Aunty” to accompany you during the ride. Available for a limited time, this service is only available for the “Ride Later” option and in three cities; Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
Definitely a marketing stunt on Careem’s end, this new move has left the people of this country with some very mixed feelings.
Some people were left disappointed with this ‘unprofessional‘ level of marketing, calling it a cheap tactic.
Others were wondering whether it was really enough to fix the norms of our society?
While had some even better next-level suggestions for what Careem can do next…
Shockingly, there were also some who were left alone in this scheme designed to not let people be alone. Ironic, isn’t it?
The best reaction, however, was from Travly, Pakistan’s very own Rikshaw startup, and Uber,
Overall, people have taken this marketing stunt lightly and it has served as fodder for fun, be it at Careem or be it at the aging cultural tradition of arranged marriage through Rishta aunties. Although Careem may not have managed to capture as many positive reactions from the public as it would have hoped, it has definitely scored the attention of the masses.
#Careem has been trending on Twitter and Facebook and is all over blogs as well as mainstream news outlets in Pakistan. Even if no one gets a Rishta, we certainly did get a lot of jokes out of this.
