Since Uber Eats launched sponsored restaurant listings on its platform last September, feedback from its merchants has prompted the company to take its food delivery platform beyond menus and paid listings. The result: an integration with Instagram called Merchant Stories, connecting restaurants and other Uber Eats merchants with a growing Canadian user base.
According to the latest research from Vividata (Winter 2021 Survey of the Canadian Consumer released Apr. 15), 6.2 million Canadians (20% of the population over 18) have used a food delivery service, with Uber Eats ranking as the second-most popular platform after Skip the Dishes.
Those same users reportedly spend more time on digital media, as well as print or online magazine content compared to the average Canadian. They take transit more often and drive less, making the largely Gen Z and Gen Y audience – with higher than average income – an enviable target audience ripe for both digital and OOH media exposure.
Further consumer research by Uber Eats indicates customers feel more comfortable making food decisions when photos are provided, and they’re more likely to purchase when there’s an image of the meal they’re getting.
In order to tap into the increasingly engaged audience, Uber Eats has integrated Instagram directly into the platform along with Merchant Stories, allowing restaurants and other merchants to more effectively engage with consumers.
When restaurants connect their store’s Instagram account to their Uber Eats account, consumers will see their feed directly in the app, allowing them to scroll through for food photos, location updates, specials and more. In early testing, 13% of consumers who clicked through a restaurant’s Stories placed an order to that restaurant in the same session.
Lola Kassin, GM of Uber Eats Canada, says, “We’re always looking for new ways to connect restaurants with their customers. Merchant Stories and Instagram integration will grow the digital hospitality experience on Uber Eats, and help build deeper relationships between users and their favourite local eats.”
With files from Mike Connell
