Lyft is hoping to get smartphone users out of their routines.

The ride-sharing app is rolling out a new “Check Lyft” campaign in New York City and San Francisco, and it’s designed to nudge people into considering a second travel option for a change.

“Our customer obsession led us to discover that most people were on rideshare autopilot—habitually opening the same app without thinking they had options—even though our data shows riders are happier and drivers strongly prefer us,” Lyft CMO Brian Irving tells Fast Company. He says they found their most loyal customers kept saying the same thing of their friends: “They just need to wake up and check Lyft.”

Hence the new campaign, which Lyft is rolling out with out-of-home advertising and influencer collaborations, like with Subway Takes host Kareem Rahma. (Hey, guys, don’t forget about us!)

Switching costs

Getting smartphone users to change their habits can be hard. Researchers at the University of Cardiff found smartphone users tend to use a few popular apps every time they open their phone—following that, there’s a steep drop-off. An individual’s second most popular app is about 73% less popular than their first, and their third most popular app is about 73% less popular than their second, a pattern that continues until reaching increasingly unpopular apps, according to the study, published in 2019.

That’s great news for popular apps like Uber, the leading rideshare app by marketshare, but it leaves competitors like Lyft fighting for screen time. “When talking to our audiences about why they choose Lyft, it’s a combination of emotional and rational decisions,” Irving says. “You have to be there on-time and be competitive on prices. That’s the baseline rational work that we excel at.”

Signalling a “new Lyft”

By leaning into other differentiators, though, like allowing women to match with female drivers, an updated app for older riders called Lyft Silver, Lyft is hoping to set itself apart further. It seems to be working. On its most recent earnings call, CEO David Risher said the company had a record number of active riders in the second quarter.

“A new Lyft is emerging,” Risher said. “Not only are we consistently delivering for riders and drivers, but that customer obsession is producing record results quarter after quarter, and our momentum is building.”

If riders prefer Lyft rides but Lyft isn’t their preferred ride-sharing app, the company faces an uphill battle in getting users to switch more often. Muscle memory with app habits is real, but a simple “Check Lyft” campaign could help.