Do you remember the last time you ordered food online? Chances are, one of these three names popped up on your screen: Deliveroo, Uber Eats, or Just Eat. It’s like a three-way race to win the hearts (and stomachs) of food enthusiasts. 

These food delivery giants have taken the culinary world by storm, each with its unique marketing approach, yet all aiming to satisfy the same hungry customer base.

So, who wins the race to be the best-known, most favoured online food delivery service?  What unique marketing approach does each take and how do they communicate their offers?

Let’s take a look at some of their latest marketing campaigns.

1. Deliveroo: Bringing the Kitchen to Your Doorstep with ‘Pablo’

Deliveroo is often associated with speedy deliveries and a diverse choice of restaurants. 

In the summer of 2023, Deliveroo launched a campaign called “It’s All On Your Doorstep” in collaboration with creative agency Pablo London. The campaign aims to promote the convenience of Deliveroo’s food delivery service, emphasising that everything one needs is available ‘on their doorstep’.

The campaign celebrates the role of Deliveroo in connecting consumers with the food that they love and highlights the relatable rituals, behaviours, and moments surrounding food.

Deliveroo adopts a mixed-media approach to communicate its value proposition to the audience through creativity. 

The campaign

The campaign features two 30-second videos, one focusing on Deliveroo’s grocery delivery service and one highlighting their restaurant offerings. The grocery delivery film features the different ingredients one might need throughout the week depending on cravings and occasions. The restaurant ads show an animated Deliveroo rider taking the viewers on a journey through a vibrant food community promoting the different local restaurants that can deliver food to a buyer’s doorstep.

Our thoughts

The factors that contribute to its success are a combination of appealing content, animation style, and a soundscape designed by the audio team at London-based media house, Creative Outpost. The spot focus of the restaurant video is to create energy and excitement for all the unique characters throughout the piece. While for the Grocery commercial, the sound design aimed to capture various food moods from  “Healthy Monday” to a “Lazy Sunday”.

The outcome 

The approach turns food delivery into an event. It resonates brilliantly with people’s love of choice and the results are impressive!  Deliveroo has seen:

• Global revenue increased by 5% to $1.27 billion 
• UK operating profit surged by 106% to reach $156 million
• Their ad platform features ads from over 50,000 merchants, contributing to a 5% revenue growth in H1 2023

The numbers demonstrate that not only did Deliveroo experience a surge in customer engagement but it also gained attention from various media outlets. It’s remarkable how it fulfils the commitment to excellent service and brings significant results.

2. Uber Eats: The Promise of Delivering Anything

Uber Eats has always been focused on providing convenience. In 2023, they took this to a different level.

The Campaign

Their latest campaign “Get Almost, Almost Anything ” is designed by Village Essence Mediacom and its supporting agency. The campaign communicates the company’s proposition of being able to deliver anything, anytime, anywhere, while highlighting the brand’s commitment to providing a seamless delivery experience.

Uber Eats has successfully positioned itself as a go-to delivery service, for a wide range of daily needs.

Our thoughts

Uber Eats has used several video campaigns to communicate its unique selling point but the one that caught our eye recently is the one featuring actor Tom Felton. The ad shows the actor, known for his role in the Harry Potter films, ordering a magic wand from Uber Eats 😂, only to find out the hard way that it’s better if you can’t order certain items.  Combining humour and celebrity influence showcases that Uber Eats understands how to cleverly promote their brand.

The outcome

The outcome of this campaign is phenomenal. Uber Eats experienced a 76% year-over-year (YoY) growth in gross bookings, reaching $12.9 billion with their revenue growing significantly by 89% YoY to reach $1.9 billion.

They want to alter the perception that Uber Eats just delivers food from restaurants, it’s about delivering the promise of convenience.

This move helped them tap into a fresh market and establish themselves as a reliable overall delivery service.

3. Just Eat: The Blend of Music and Opera Rap

In a surprising twist that left everyone eager for more, Just Eat Takeaway unveiled an extraordinary marketing campaign “Did Somebody Say” starring the pop icon Christina Aguilera and rising rap star Latto. 

The Campaign

The campaign combines the musical worlds of opera and rap, merging two distinctive genres to create a unique and unforgettable experience. 

It has since become Just Eat’s most successful campaign. The ad is set in a lavish entrance hall and is nothing short of spectacular Christina Aguilera’s operatic voice harmonises flawlessly with Latto’s rap verses to create a campaign that surprises and delights audiences.

Our thoughts

Just Eat employs a marketing strategy based on collaboration to convey its unique value proposition. The success of this commercial is due to the combination of celebrity influence and magical lyrics. The lyrics showcase Just Eat’s offers which gives you more ‘flavours than you tasted or you heard in your life’ through their delivery of both everyday grocery essentials and popular restaurant dishes. 

The music video shows Christina and Latto glamorously dressed as opera singers as they make their way through a palace. Couriers and admirers attend to their every desire, providing a variety of their favourite dishes from Just Eat, such as tacos, poke bowls, and sushi, all delivered to the stars by train.

 “Working with Just Eat Takeaway and my girl Latto on this genre-fusing project was honestly a blast. We laughed a lot, sang loud and got to make a lavish video all in celebration of our favourite takeaway and grocery app.”

– Christina Aguilera 

“When I heard about the opportunity to work with Just Eat I was actually abroad on tour using the app! It was a no-brainer for me, especially with the iconic Christina Aguilera involved. I had so much fun with this collab and have loved seeing it come to life.”

– Latto

The outcome

So, what’s the strategy behind all of this?  

Just Eat successfully elevates the simple act of ordering food to a truly decadent experience. This marketing approach speaks volumes about their ability to connect with audiences, catering to both opera enthusiasts and fans of modern rap music. The results have been outstanding, with a 59% increase in brand awareness and a positive engagement response of 95% on social media. 

Conclusion 

Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat have firmly established themselves as leaders in the food delivery industry. 

Each of the platforms used has its own marketing strategies and approaches that cater to various customer preferences. Whether you’re in the mood for dinner, a late-night snack, or in need of ingredients delivered quickly, you can rest assured that these brands have got you covered! 

So sit back, relax, and let your favourite restaurants come to you. 

Bon appétit! 😉

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