DoorDash and its competitors have put aside their differences during the Covid-19 pandemic. On Friday, DoorDash, the third-party marketplace with the largest share of business, launched a new campaign titled Open for Delivery (#OpenForDelivery), urging consumers to order from local restaurants via DoorDash, or from rivals Uber Eats, Grubhub, Postmates, or Caviar. The latter is owned by DoorDash.
DoorDash kickstarted the feel-good campaign by tagging order delivery services.
DoorDash describes the campaign as “an initiative aimed to let consumers know that restaurants are open, that delivery is safe, and that restaurants need patronage more than ever to weather COVID-19.”
Restaurants across the country have been forced to close dining rooms and move to off-premise models due to the coronavirus pandemic. In light of this evolving situation, third-party delivery providers have offered various promotions to consumers and restaurants. Many operators and industry advocates have found that these relief efforts have not been transparent and have not gone far enough. These marketplaces can take as much as 30% commission per order from restaurants. DoorDash has offered new restaurants 30 days with no commission fees. Still, restaurants already established on the site areonly be eligible for such a benefit for pick-up orders, not delivery. (We’ve outlined what these third-party marketplaces are doing, and not doing, for restaurants.)
On DoorDash’s new website, OpenforDelivery.com, the company touts the importance of restaurants to the community, includes quotes and photos from operators across the country, and the latest information about food delivery safety. The site links to DoorDash as well as rival delivery sites.
“Restaurants have always been there for you...now you can be there for them,” says a voice-over in ‘There for you,’ the first video released in the campaign. The videos show empty dining rooms but busy kitchens with employees cooking and plating food for delivery. Ads from this campaign will appear across major TV networks.
The campaign apparently came to life in about 72 hours, as the digital agency Bukwild noted on Twitter.
DoorDash worked with large chains, like McDonald's, The Cheesecake Factory, and Chilli's, emerging chains like HoneyGrow, as well as independent restaurants like Besharam in San Francisco and Katz’s Delicatessen in New York City.
Of course, the Open for Delivery campaign is one of many that have been started to help restaurants and draw attention to their off-premise menus. For example, ad agency High Wide & Handsome worked with a coalition of restaurants to create “The Great American Takeout.” The group is encouraging consumers to order takeout or delivery on Tuesday, March 24.
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