DELIVEROO CROSSING

TitleDELIVEROO CROSSING
BrandDELIVEROO
Product / ServiceDELIVEROO
CategoryB02. Breakthrough on a Budget
EntrantTHE SECRET LITTLE AGENCY Singapore, SINGAPORE
Idea Creation THE SECRET LITTLE AGENCY Singapore, SINGAPORE
Production THE SECRET LITTLE AGENCY Singapore, SINGAPORE

Credits

Name Company Position
The Secret Little Agency TSLA The Secret Little Agency Creative Agency

Why is this work relevant for Creative Strategy?

Animal Crossing’s popularity soared during the pandemic. People around the world used it to escape, and Singaporeans were no different – making it the perfect vehicle to drive eyes towards our brand. The game’s vast customisation features allowed us to bring our brand in-game, while its social features allowed us to reach targets intimately. By taking advantage of the game’s popularity and features, we were able to establish ourselves as the only delivery brand that will deliver anywhere – even in a video game. And, because anyone can play Animal Crossing, we were able to do it all for free.

Background

Despite being in the market for 5 years, Deliveroo was losing both market share & relevance with Singaporeans. As its discount-driven competitors engaged in a price war, Deliveroo’s superior service went unnoticed. In a bid to turn that around, Deliveroo diverted their entire year's marketing budget into a highly visible nationwide outdoor brand campaign demonstrating its superior service and dedication to Singaporeans. Sadly, just a week into the campaign, Singapore announced a lockdown. With 80% of the population stuck indoors, Deliveroo's billboards and bus stops were rendered virtually useless. With limited marketing budgets, we needed a quick and cost-effective approach that enabled us to go where our audiences are while emphasising our dedication to quality service.

The Interpretation of the Challenge (30% of vote)

In a price-sensItive market like Singapore, Deliveroo struggled to equate value with its premium image. While its commitment to service is appreciated by some, more needed to be done to showcase the value of service excellence to the masses. To ensure long-term sustainable growth, Deliveroo needed to do more than tell its customers of the lengths they would go to; they needed to show it. And when lockdown hit and being stuck at home created a surge in demand for food delivery, we knew there was an opportunity for Deliveroo to breakthrough the doom scrolling & be there for its customers when they needed comfort food, and it had to be done in a cost-effective way.

The Insight / Breakthrough Thinking (30% of vote)

With budget limitations in mind, we explored platforms with already-existing, highly engaged audiences. Two weeks into lockdown, we saw more people use video games to make social connections. The more isolation set in, the more Singaporeans resorted to gaming, with companies like Lazada and Carousell reporting surges in gaming-related searches and transactions. To understand this deeper, we conducted consumer focus groups with casual gamers via Zoom and uncovered Animal Crossing as our platform of choice for 3 reasons: 1. It was gaining momentum locally, with its easy-to-use UI making it accessible to non-gamers 2. It has highly engaged local communities that enable sharing and socialising 3. It has free customisation tools that players were already using to replicate their favourite brands We found that, by leveraging these features, we had everything we needed to bring Deliveroo to life and deliver on our brand promise to “Deliver Anywhere”.

The Creative Idea (20% of vote)

The creative idea was simple & meaningful: deliver where no delivery app had before, by delivering in Animal Crossing. In 24 hours, we created a virtual HQ and Deliveroo uniforms using in-game customisation tools. We also designed a mechanic that mirrored food delivery services in real-life, allowing users to place an order via Facebook Messenger. We then sent virtual Deliveroo riders to deliver in-game food items to players' island homes, together with a promo code that island owners can use to redeem food in real life. Players also received real-time in-game delivery updates on when their food will arrive, demonstrating Deliveroo's excellent service at all times. To maximise excitement and participation, we seeded Facebook communities, as well as local gaming and lifestyle media. On campaign day, a virtual war-room was set up for the Deliveroo customer service team, virtual riders, and tech support to ensure all deliveries were fulfilled.

The Outcome / Results (20% of vote)

This three-hour digital activation garnered over 700,000 engagements and 13 million impressions, with $0 media spend. It earned $1.2 million in media value, across major publications such as Mashable, Timeout, AsiaOne, and The Straits Times, Singapore’s top news website. More importantly, Deliveroo Crossing demonstrated the lengths Deliveroo would go to delight its customers at the height of the pandemic, demonstrating its service excellence and reinstating the brand as a category leader. At a time when Singaporean's only comforts were online communities and piping hot food, Deliveroo came through, igniting brand love and setting Deliveroo on the right path to long-term growth.

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