Brand Saga

Brand Saga: A page out of Urban Company's evolution in storytelling

Urban Company has evolved from just a service provider to a brand that advocates for change and empowerment. Here’s a closer look at Urban Company’s journey.

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Pranali Tawte
New Update
Urban Company

A grand court where a queen sits on her royal throne, surrounded by ministers and attendants. With a single clap, the court snaps into action. Orders are passed, people rush to fulfil her wishes, and everything gets done instantly. No long wait times, no endless follow-ups, just seamless service at her command.

Fast-forward to modern city life: a leaky tap, a broken AC, an overdue salon appointment. If only getting things fixed were as easy as that one clap. That’s exactly what UrbanClap set out to do when it launched in 2014: bring expert services to your doorstep hassle-free.

When Abhiraj Bhal, Varun Khaitan, and Raghav Chandra started their journey in 2014, they wanted to build a user-friendly, tech-driven platform to solve a common problem: finding trusted, verified, and high-quality professionals for a wide range of services from beauty and wellness to home repairs. The idea was born out of personal experiences and observations of the difficulties in hiring dependable local services.

As the founders brainstormed, they listed over a hundred potential names, but nothing quite clicked. Then came the inspiration:

  • Urban – because they were building for busy city dwellers who needed convenience.

  • Clap – because, much like the emperors of old, their users could get things done with a simple action.

For the first few years, the name served them. But as the company expanded, an unexpected challenge emerged.

By 2020, UrbanClap had grown beyond Indian metros, launching in countries like Australia, Singapore, and the UAE. But in these global markets, they faced an issue they hadn’t anticipated—language and perception.

In some Western slang, ‘clap’ was associated with a sexually transmitted disease (STD). A name that worked well in India didn’t necessarily carry the same appeal internationally.

Beyond this, the company had also evolved. It was no longer just a marketplace connecting customers with service providers. It was actively training, certifying, and upskilling its professionals to offer standardised, high-quality services.

Thus, in January 2020, UrbanClap became Urban Company.

Leveraging social media for brand building

Urban Company has been utilising the power of social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter) to strengthen its brand presence and engage with its audience. By adopting an omnichannel marketing approach, Urban Company effectively connects with customers, amplifies its campaigns, and creates a dynamic online community.

On Instagram, with 742K followers, the brand uses influencer and celebrity marketing to reach a wide audience. Content spans beauty, home interiors, and lifestyle, with posts that highlight Urban Company's professional services and quality offerings. 

 

On YouTube, Urban Company has 94.9K subscribers. It engages viewers with a mix of TV advertisements, how-to guides, home makeover videos, and service-related content. The ‘Urban Company Impact’ series stands out. It tells the stories of the professionals behind the services, emphasising the human side of the brand. This content fosters a deeper connection with customers.

On X (formerly Twitter), Urban Company shares updates on new services, responds to customer queries, and highlights success stories from service professionals, with 22.4K followers. The platform enables real-time engagement, strengthening the brand’s customer-centric reputation.

 

By integrating these social media platforms into a unified marketing strategy, Urban Company has built an interactive online presence that nurtures customer relationships and builds brand loyalty.

Redefining the dignity of labour

As Urban Company grew, its role extended beyond connecting customers with service professionals. With this growth came a deeper understanding that certain jobs—like plumbing, cleaning, or beauty services are often unfairly labeled as ‘small work.’ This perception led to the creation of the three-part campaign series ‘Chhota Kaam, Chhoti Soch, Chhoti Baat’, conceptualised by Talented, to challenge and shift these outdated views.

The first campaign, ‘Chhota Kaam’, took aim at the persistent bias that devalues specific professions. It highlighted the professionalism and expertise of Urban Company’s service providers, whether it was a plumber fixing a leak or a beautician delivering salon-quality services at home. The core message was clear: every job deserves respect, and every worker deserves dignity. In 2023, this message gained momentum through a film by Talented, which featured a service partner's conversation with a young boy during a bathroom cleaning job. The dialogue unfolded in a way that emphasised the respect for all kinds of work, whether ‘white-collar’ or ‘blue-collar.’ The film aimed to confront the prejudice that associates blue-collar jobs with a lack of education or choice, highlighting that these professionals are skilled, trained, and committed to delivering high-quality service.

The second campaign, ‘Chhoti Soch’, was released in time for Women’s Day, taking an intersectional approach to address how society perceives women working in blue-collar jobs. The film followed the journey of a young masseuse who navigated the stigma surrounding her profession, not just for herself, but also for her younger brother, who faced ridicule for her choice of work. As the story unfolded, the woman took the opportunity to unpack the deep-seated biases that fueled her brother's feelings, encouraging him to challenge societal norms and rethink his prejudices. The film exposed how the stigma surrounding certain jobs is often gendered, demonstrating how these perceptions disproportionately affect women.

With both campaigns, Urban Company took the conversation beyond just customer service and into the realm of social responsibility, pushing for a shift in mindsets toward greater mutual respect in all professions. Through these stories, the brand highlighted that respect shouldn't be confined to the office, but should extend to every person who works hard, regardless of their job’s title or nature.

The ‘Chhoti Baat’ campaign, which followed, dove even deeper into everyday interactions, encouraging people to show respect in small but significant ways by acknowledging the value of a job, appreciating service professionals, engaging with them as equals and trusting them.

Through these campaigns, Urban Company didn’t just position itself as a service provider—it became a brand advocating for change. 

Urban Company’s evolution from a simple service marketplace to a powerful advocate for social change highlights the transformative impact that brands can have when they address societal issues with purpose. By shifting the narrative surrounding blue-collar professions, the company has been aiming to work towards challenging outdated perceptions and emphasise the dignity of labor. 

urbanclap Chhota Kaam dignity of labour Chhoti Soch Chhoti Baat