Uber partners with Yext to deliver shoppers directly to stores
Uber and location data firm, Yext, are partnering on an advertising initiative, turning Uber's app into a marketing platform. Businesses that are Yext clients will be able to plug Uber ride hail button into their sites which, when clicked, shows the shop or restaurant's physical location, for instance, and a specific drop off point for Uber drivers. It will also enable brands to target users with special offers directly through the Uber app whilst in the car. Currently, US firms including Cole Haan, home health care service BAYADA, and Guitar Center have signed up for the service, however, critics suggest the idea may be less likely to catch on in smaller towns where ride hail not widely used.

Holiday shopping is just about to kick into gear, and brands now have one more app to consider for marketing this year—Uber. Today the ride-hailing app is partnering with location-data company Yext to let brands create in-app campaigns.

Uber has already worked with brands like Dick's Sporting Goods and Casper to deliver on-demand products but now appears to opening up the actual app as a marketing platform.

Here's how it works: Brands can use Yext's software to plug Uber's API into their mobile apps, sites and emails.