Flok claims to be North America's first long-distance ridesharing platform built specifically for sporting events and festivals. While they are the first to market themselves that way, are they any different from other ridesharing platforms?
The fact that the drivers of Flok do not make a profit, nor is their core audience looking for rides within their city; Flok is not competing with Uber or Taxi services.
“Vancouver already has many environmentally friendly ways to get around. One of the reasons we created Flok is to be able to get out of the city.” - Co-founder, Clio de la Llave.
Their most frequent competitor would be Hitch Planet. Like Hitch Planet, Flok provides private messaging and profiles for hitchers and drivers so you can learn more about with those you travel. What seems to set Flok apart from Hitch Planet is that Flok aims to create communities with shared interests.
“Flok isn’t about ridesharing with just anyone. It is about building relationships.” - Co-founder, Clio de la Llave.
Co-founders, Clio de la Llave and Nadine Robinson, believe that with Flok, people will form communities with trusted relationships that inspire future endeavours. One can argue that building relationships are also possible on other ridesharing platforms, but Flok is the first to create a community forward brand image. Flok has also partnered with a variety festivals and companies, including, but not limited to, Centre of Gravity, Whitecaps, and Stanford Athletics department. What does this mean for Flok users? Well, for Vancouverites, it means free parking at the upcoming White Cap’s game for whoever shows that they used the Flok App.
If anyone in Vancouver downloads the app today, they won’t see many users. For example, one can can find two rides to the White Caps game, four rides to Life is Beautiful in Vegas, three rides to the Stanford Cardinal game, one ride to BC Lions game, and zero rides to a few other festivals. That doesn’t give users much choice, but Flok just launched last month.
“We are looking into expanding from sports and music festivals into University Networks.” - Co-founder, Clio de la Llave.
Tired of being late for class due to Translink’s inefficiency? Maybe Flok will be the answer. With backers like Jacob Hoggard of Hedley and Daniel Weinand of Shopify and remunerative partnerships, it is likely that Flok will be you next way to leave the city and get to school on time without your vehicle. Some might view Flok’s partnerships as a way that gives corporations and big-name festivals another platform to advertise on inadvertently, but hopefully, Flok stays true to their community and sharing economy values so that grassroots festivals and events don't fall to the waste side.