Feeding Australia’s Appetite For Convenience

There’s no doubt the pandemic has severely affected many industries in Australia – from tourism to telecommunications, education to events. Despite this, quick service restaurants (QSRs) have managed to perform relatively well during this difficult period, with some even reporting sales revenue growth over the last two years. 

Now, as the country continues on its recovery phase and businesses start adjusting to new customer habits and lifestyles, QSRs are facing additional challenges on several fronts. These include new entrants into an already saturated market, upgraded offers such as prepared meals from supermarkets and cafes, and a growing consumer trend towards a more plant-based diet.

In order to stay relevant and ahead of the competition, especially where Gen Z is concerned, QSRs need to start thinking of new ways of marketing to their audience, fostering brand love and loyalty, and increasing accessibility. To aid them in their efforts, Twitch conducted a study with Asia Insight, a research consulting firm, where both the general population and Twitch audience in Australia were surveyed on their attitudes and behaviours towards QSRs.

Recipe for success: A dash of choice, a pinch of convenience, and a sprinkling of community.

In many ways, the things that Twitch viewers love about the service – Choice, Convenience, and Community – are mirrored in their approach towards QSRs. This parallel reinforces the fact that these restaurants need to elevate their marketing and become more than just a place to get a quick meal, but also a part of an established lifestyle if they wish to successfully appeal to the growing Twitch audience.

Choice:

With millions of unique streaming channels on the service, Twitch viewers are definitely spoilt for choice. While the number of QSRs on the market are certainly not in the millions, new players will be heartened by the fact that 50 per cent of Twitch viewers stated they like to try new QSRs, which definitely helps lower the all-important product trial hurdle.

Convenience:

Whether it’s watching their favourite streamer on their phone while on public transport or on a big screen monitor in their bedroom, Twitch viewers have long enjoyed the convenience of fitting their entertainment into their routines, not the other way around. Similarly, for QSRs, Twitch viewers are more inclined to take advantage of the convenience of pickup (70 per cent) and delivery (77 per cent), while preferring locally-owned restaurants for dining in (74 per cent).

Community:

Twitch is built on its communities and a large part of its appeal is that there’s almost certainly a channel for anything you’re interested in. From games to travel, music and more, Twitch brings people together. When it comes to food, Twitch viewers are far more likely to enjoy a QSR meal with family (56 per cent) and friends (53 per cent) rather than alone (24 per cent).

Today’s special: The what, how often, and how much of dining at QSRs.

When deciding which QSR to eat, Twitch viewers listen to their taste buds almost as much as they do their wallets, with taste and price being their top two considerations. Furthermore, compared to the general population, QSRs selling burgers, chicken, sandwiches and tacos rank the most popular among Twitch viewers.

Now serving: Food right at your doorstep.

Meal delivery services experienced a boom during the pandemic, and they’re still going strong. Currently, the top three companies, in order of preference both for Australia and among Twitch viewers, are Uber Eats, Menulog, and DoorDash. 

However, Twitch viewers prefer to have freedom of choice and 55 per cent of them rely on more than one service to order their food. While a reasonable delivery fee (62 per cent) and deals offered (49 per cent) are factors in choosing which service to use, the biggest consideration for Twitch viewers is whether the service has a variety of their favourite restaurants to choose from (70 per cent).

Case study #1: The Uber Eats Cook-off

Uber Eats Australia wanted to get the word out that they now deliver groceries with the same speed and convenience that its customers have come to expect from the service. Leveraging on the insight that everything is a competition to gamers, Uber Eats created a live cook-off on Twitch between two popular streamers, Loserfruit and Fasffy. The competition was hosted by the duo /MissMollyMakes who also provided cooking tips and drove the conversation as the contestants cooked their “Aussie Christmas” dishes.

The live content, fun personalities of the streamers, and engagement with viewers through votes made this campaign a resounding success with an increase of 55 per cent in ad messaging associations, 39 per cent for top-of-mind brand awareness, and 19 per cent in unaided brand awareness.

Case study #2: Everyone’s Player One With DoorDash

As the new service on the block, DoorDash needed a unique way to drive consideration and let people know they delivered more than just food, but also groceries, gifts, pet food, and more. In collaboration with Twitch streamer PlayitShady, DoorDash created two commercials in the style of a retro 8-bit video game to appeal to the audience and make every viewer feel like they’re Player One. 

These commercials premiered during PlayitShady’s two-hour livestream and were supported by a live delivery of everything her avatar ordered in the commercial. To foster engagement, a special promotion was offered to chat users and DoorDash even gifted subs to viewers during the stream. All this helped drive live chat mentions of DoorDash from an average of 330 to over 2,200 within the 2-hour period.

When talking to a generation raised on speed and convenience, QSRs are certainly in a good position to build long-lasting relationships based on not just what they eat, but also the why, when, and with whom. More importantly, they need to go beyond just providing value-for-money meals and start providing engaging experiences and authentic content as well.