In business, customer acquisition – it’s best to call it this way rather than “acquiring customers” – pertains to the strategies and processes a business uses in order to gain fresh customers. It spans and encompasses the whole customer track – from brand awareness to the sale – with the use of strategies, such as content marketing, advertising, and sales outreach. This process is measurable.
On the other hand, customer frequency refers to the key performance indicator, or KPI, measuring the average number of times a customer makes a purchase from the business within a certain timeframe. Also known as purchase frequency, this tracks how often customers return, making it a critical metric for gauging customer loyalty, retention rates, and overall business health.
However, businesses encounter challenges in customer acquisition and purchase frequency. They often struggle with rising competition, changing consumer preferences, limited marketing reach, and maintaining long-term customer loyalty consistently.
For Lyft, the answer to these challenges, or how to address them, is simple: to enter into loyalty partnerships with brands.
According to a recent report by ridesharing media, Lyft’s loyalty partnerships with brands are what drive customer acquisition and frequency.
“Some tend to drive frequency and new customer acquisition a little bit more,” the CEO of Lyft, David Risher, stated. “Some tend to drive other behaviors that we like, like airport rides and so forth. It’s super, super important. We remain very committed to the concept of really developing the ecosystem.”
For instance, more than a quarter of Lyft’s rides, or a whopping 27 percent, were connected to the company’s partnerships together with other brands. In particular, its partnerships with companies like United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and even DoorDash offer a significant opportunity for the company to grow and expand its business across several vectors.
“They tend to be airport rides, not surprisingly, which means higher bookings per ride, which tends to mean higher profits,” Risher added. “So that’s wonderful. How do we reward United customers? Well, we give them miles.”
And, the figures don’t lie. These partnerships are contributing to and helping Lyft finish a strong quarter, with revenue up 14 percent year-over-year to $1.7 billion in the first quarter of 2026. Also, the number of active riders increased 17 percent year-over-year to a whopping 28.3 million. Whoa!
Thanks to these brand partners, Lyft get a share of their customer base, each offering its own benefits for the company.
Lyft is a ridesharing app that connects passengers with nearby drivers through its mobile app. Passenger book rides, choose the type of car, track drivers in real-time, and pay digitally within the app. Drivers use their own cars and earn income from completed trips. Lyft also offers bike rentals, scooters, and shared transportation services in selected cities across the USA and Canada. For more ridesharing news, stay with Ridesharing Forum.