Some take-out fans in Edmonton and Ottawa got a surprise last week when their orders were delivered by the Oilers’ Drake Caggiula and Senators’ J.G. Pageau (pictured)

As part of a one-day stunt with food delivery service SkipTheDishes, Caggiula and Pageau acted as delivery personnel, posing for photos and letting fans grab autographs. The stunt celebrates SkipTheDishes partnering with NHL teams across the country.

Kendall Bishop, director of marketing with SkipTheDishes, said the stunt was largely targeted at recruiting new users to the service. It was promoted through paid Facebook and Instagram advertising (with all media buys conducted internally).

SkipTheDishes has also engaged in similar relationships with the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames, and it’s looking to expand its hockey relationships even further. Bishop said the relationships with local hockey teams helps build brand affinity, emphasizing that it’s a “truly Canadian” company, as well as tying it to the communities it serves.

SkipTheDishes competes in some major markets with international giants, like the U.S.-headquartered UberEats and Foodora, which has a head office in Berlin. SkipTheDishes’ head office is based in Winnipeg. Bishop said aside from its home-grown Canadian aspect, the company aiming to raise awareness of the fact that it’s available in many other markets where competitors aren’t.

“Right now we’re focused on increasing awareness and making sure our Canadian identity shines strong,” Bishop told MiC. “We’re focused on launching in a lot of new markets where there aren’t any competitors, and it’s important for people to know that you can find us in places like Brandon, Manitoba.”

On top of experiential and sponsorships, SkipTheDishes engages in a wide array of traditional media including radio, television, OOH and print.

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