Zomato Marketing Strategy- A Detailed Case Study

Imagine it’s a lazy Sunday afternoon,and you’re craving your favorite biryani. Instead of stepping out, you unlock your phone, open Zomato, and within minutes, a delivery partner arrives at your doorstep with a steaming hot meal. But have you ever wondered what makes Zomato the go-to platform for food lovers across India? The secret lies in the Zomato Marketing Strategy —a powerful mix of data-driven insights, creative social media engagement, and customer-centric campaigns that keep users coming back for more

What truly sets Zomato apart is its ability to evolve with consumer preferences. Whether it’s adapting to new trends like cloud kitchens, expanding into grocery delivery, or leveraging AI to improve user experience, Zomato continually innovates to stay relevant

In this blog, we’ll explore the brilliant marketing strategies that have helped Zomato dominate the food-tech industry and revolutionize the way India eats.

Brand Introduction of Zomato

Zomato is a leading Indian food delivery and restaurant discovery platform, founded in 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah. Originally named Foodiebay, Zomato started as a restaurant review and discovery website, allowing users to browse menus, read reviews, and find local eateries.

Over time, it expanded its offerings to include online food ordering, table reservations, and even grocery delivery, evolving into a comprehensive platform for food enthusiasts. Today, Zomato operates in multiple countries, providing a seamless experience for both diners and restaurant owners. Through innovative digital marketing and a user-friendly app, Zomato has become a household name, revolutionizing the way people discover and enjoy food.

Zomato Marketing Analysis:

A proper SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) helps in understanding Zomato’s position in the competitive market and how its marketing strategies contribute to its growth and sustainability.

Strengths of Zomato:

• Wide Reach: Zomato has a vast network of restaurants and food delivery partners across multiple cities and countries. Its presence in both metro and tier-2 cities gives it an advantage in reaching a larger audience
• Innovative Technology: Zomato continuously improves its app with AI-based recommendations, location tracking, and an easy-to-use interface. Features like Zomato Pro, live tracking, and personalized food suggestions enhance customer experience
• Strong Brand Recognition: Through effective branding and digital marketing strategies, Zomato has become a household name in food delivery. It is known for its engaging social media content, creative ad campaigns, and viral marketing strategies
• Diverse Offerings: Apart from food delivery, Zomato offers restaurant discovery, online table reservations, and grocery delivery through Zomato Market. These diverse services increase customer engagement

Weaknesses of Zomato:

• Reliance on Discounts: A major part of Zomato’s marketing involves offering discounts and cashback offers to attract customers. This strategy increases customer acquisition but reduces profit margins
• Limited Geographic Reach: Although Zomato has expanded to multiple cities, its presence in rural and smaller towns is limited. Expanding into these areas requires significant investment in logistics and marketing
• High Competition: Zomato competes with Swiggy, Domino’s, Rebel Foods, and local delivery services. The food delivery market is highly competitive, making it challenging to retain customers
• Operational Challenges: Managing a large fleet of delivery partners, ensuring timely deliveries, and maintaining service quality pose operational difficulties that can impact customer satisfaction

Opportunities for Zomato:

• Expansion into New Markets: There is potential for Zomato to expand into tier-2 and tier-3 cities, as well as international markets where food delivery services are growing
• Focus on Sustainability: Zomato can promote eco-friendly initiatives such as sustainable packaging, waste reduction, and carbon-neutral delivery services to attract environmentally conscious consumers
• Diversification of Services: Beyond food delivery, Zomato can grow its grocery delivery, cloud kitchen partnerships, and restaurant subscription services to increase revenue streams
• Partnerships with Restaurants and Businesses: Collaborating with more restaurant chains, food brands, and beverage companies can help Zomato gain a competitive edge

Threats to Zomato:

• Intense Competition: Swiggy, Domino’s, and emerging platforms like ONDC pose significant competition. Competitors constantly offer better discounts and faster delivery options, affecting Zomato’s customer base
• Regulatory Challenges: Government policies regarding food delivery, labor laws for delivery executives, and taxation issues can impact Zomato’s operations and marketing efforts
• Changing Consumer Preferences: Customer preferences are evolving, with increasing demand for healthier food options, homemade meals, and direct restaurant orders. Zomato must adapt its marketing to cater to these trends
• Geopolitical Risks: Political and economic factors, such as international trade policies and inflation, can impact Zomato’s expansion plans and financial performance

Competitors of Zomato and Their Marketing Strategies:

Swiggy Marketing Strategy:

• Discounts & Promotions: Offers attractive discounts, cashback, and Swiggy Super membership for free delivery
• Fast Delivery Promise: Promotes quick delivery services like “Swiggy Instamart” for groceries
• Influencer & Social Media Marketing: Engages with customers through humorous social media content and influencer collaborations
• AI & Data-Driven Recommendations: Uses AI to suggest food options based on user behavior
• Hyperlocal Expansion: Expanding in smaller cities with aggressive marketing campaigns

Domino’s Strategy:

• Strong Brand Positioning: Domino’s promotes its “30-minute delivery” promise for reliability
• Exclusive Mobile App & Website Offers: Provides better deals on direct orders to reduce dependency on Zomato and Swiggy
• Loyalty Programs: Offers discounts and points to encourage repeat purchases
• Offline & Online Ads: Uses TV ads, social media, and YouTube promotions to strengthen its brand image

Uber Eats Marketing Strategy:

• Global Presence: Uber Eats focuses on international expansion in markets where Zomato is present
• Strategic Partnerships: Collaborates with restaurants and brands to offer exclusive deals
• Subscription Model: Offers Uber One for free deliveries and extra benefits
• Cross-Promotion with Uber Rides: Uses its ride-hailing platform to promote food delivery services
• Localized Marketing Campaigns: Adapts marketing messages based on local food preferences and trends

Understanding the Target Audience for Zomato:

If we talk about Zomato Marketing Strategy , then audience targeting is the most important factor here. Zomato’s target audience is largely urban, tech-savvy ,around 39% belong to the age of 25 to 34 years. The company appeals to both casual diners and food enthusiasts looking for diverse dining options, reviews, and timely food delivery

Zomato Marketing Strategy:

• Listing and Promotion of Restaurants: One of the main ways Zomato makes money is by charging restaurants for listing and advertising their businesses on the app. Restaurants pay Zomato to increase their visibility, and the fees charged depend on the level of exposure a restaurant receives. The more prominent the listing, the higher the fee, helping Zomato earn substantial revenue from restaurant partnerships
• Delivery Charges: Zomato also earns through delivery charges . When a customer places an order, Zomato charges a delivery fee for bringing the food to their doorstep. Additionally, restaurants pay a commission on each order, which is split between Zomato and the delivery partners. This model ensures that Zomato benefits from every food delivery transaction
• Loyalty Programme: Zomato uses its loyalty program to build long-term customer relationships. Through subscriptions like Zomato Gold , users can pay a fee to access exclusive rewards such as discounts and free delivery. However, this program hasn’t been as successful as expected, as customer engagement has been low. Despite the challenges, Zomato continues to refine this strategy in hopes of increasing its appeal
• Sales of Event Tickets: Another revenue stream comes from selling tickets to special events . Zomato organizes and promotes events, often in collaboration with restaurants, where it sells tickets to users. In exchange, Zomato earns a commission for directing customers to participating restaurants during these events, creating a win-win scenario for both Zomato and its restaurant partners
• Jomaland Event: Zomato occasionally hosts large-scale food festivals, such as the Jomaland event, which draws a significant crowd. These events are designed to attract city dwellers and food lovers, boosting Zomato’s brand recognition while promoting participating restaurants. Despite being a costly venture, these events help gather valuable customer data and reinforce Zomato’s position in the market.
• Consulting Services: With access to vast customer data, Zomato has tapped into offering consulting services to new players in the food industry. By understanding the preferences, behaviors, and buying patterns of its users, Zomato provides insights to businesses looking to enter the market. These consulting services help Zomato monetize its deep knowledge of the food delivery industry
• Hyperpure: Recently, Zomato introduced a new business initiative called Hyperpure , which focuses on providing high-quality ingredients to restaurants. Through this strategy, Zomato supplies fresh produce and other essential ingredients directly to restaurants, ensuring consistency in food quality. Hyperpure not only adds a new revenue stream for Zomato but also strengthens its relationship with restaurants by offering them more comprehensive support.

Digital Marketing Strategy of Zomato

SEO Strategy of Zomato:

When we talk about Zomato marketing strategy SEO plays a very important role in it. Zomato’s SEO strategy is a well-structured approach that has played a significant role in driving its online visibility and growth. With millions of users searching for restaurants, reviews, and food-related content daily, which attracts more users and builds stronger brand credibility.

• Primary Keywords: Zomato targets broad, high-traffic keywords such as “food delivery ,” “restaurants near me ,” “order food online ,” and more specific keywords related to popular cuisines or dishes. By focusing on these high-demand keywords, Zomato ensures that it appears for users looking to order food or discover restaurants

Example:

• Long-Tail Keywords: Beyond general keywords, Zomato utilizes long-tail keywords to attract users with specific needs, such as “best Italian restaurants in Delhi ” or “late-night food delivery in Kolkata .”. Long-tail keywords help Zomato capture more targeted traffic and cater to users looking for particular dining experiences

Example:

• Seasonal Keywords: Zomato adapts its keyword strategy based on seasonal trends and local festivals, for example, “Diwali food delivery ” or “Valentine’s Day special dinner offers .”. By staying relevant to seasonal trends, Zomato keeps its content fresh and aligned with user searches during peak times

Example:

• Mobile-Friendly Experience: As mobile search grows, Zomato ensures its website and app provide a seamless, mobile-optimized experience. Its responsive design and fast-loading pages contribute to a better user experience, which is crucial for high search rankings

Example:

SEO Performance of Zomato:

Zomato’s SEO numbers are outstanding.

Monthly Traffic: 20.4M

Number of Backlinks: 4.8M

Traffic From Different Channels: It gets 41.58% traffic from Ddirect sources and 54.63% traffic from Oorganic search or SEO efforts.results

Social Media Marketing Strategy of Zomato:

Zomato uses social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to engage with its audience, promote its services, and strengthen its brand identity. Here’s a closer look at the core elements of their strategy:

Zomato’s Facebook Marketing Strategy:

• Informative and Engaging Content: On Facebook, Zomato shares posts that provide value to its followers while keeping them entertained, like food tips, restaurant promotions, and updates

Example:

• Long-Form Storytelling: Facebook’s format allows Zomato to craft detailed posts that tell stories, whether it’s about food habits, a trending restaurant, or an ongoing campaign. For instance, Zomato might narrate a day in the life of a food lover using its services

Example:

• Festival-Specific Content: During festive seasons like Diwali, Eid, or Christmas, Zomato shares festival-themed content, often tying it to special offers or discounts available on the platform.

Example:

Zomato’s Instagram Marketing Strategy:

• Visual Storytelling: Instagram, being a visually driven platform, is ideal for Zomato to showcase mouth-watering food photography and videos.

Example:

• Reels and Short Videos: Zomato uses Instagram Reels to create entertaining and informative content. Examples include: Behind-the-Scenes” clips of food being prepared, Humorous skits about food cravings and delivery scenarios.

Example: A post shared by Zomato (@zomato)

• Creative Use of Stories: Instagram Stories are used for Sharing time-sensitive offers, conducting polls, quizzes, and countdowns for campaigns, and featuring user-generated content like food photos tagged by followers.

Example:

• Memes and Relatable Posts: Zomato’s Instagram feed is filled with meme-worthy content that is humorous and highly relatable. They often use trending internet jokes and apply them to food-related scenarios. This ensures high engagement and shareability.

Example:

Push Notification Strategy of Zomato:

Zomato effectively uses push notifications to inform users about ongoing offers, seasonal discounts, and trending restaurants. Push notifications keep users engaged and encourage them to open the app more frequently.

Example:

YouTube Marketing Strategy of Zomato:

• Content Style: Zomato produces cinematic ads showcasing unique food experiences, often using humor and wit.

Example:

• Campaigns: Popular campaigns like “Humans of Zomato” highlight the struggle of their delivery partners.

Example :

• Storytelling Videos: Focus on videos that narrate the journey of chefs, restaurants, or unique cuisines.

Example :

Email Marketing Strategy of Zomato:

• Zomato Gold Offers: Emails showcasing exclusive benefits like free delivery and dining discounts.

Example:

• Seasonal Campaigns: Sending thematic emails during festivals or special occasions like “This Diwali, Treat Yourself with Zomato!”

Example:

Zomato WhatsApp Marketing Strategy:

• Personalized Offers and Discounts: Zomato sends customized messages, such as the one showcasing a “Deal-icious Weekend” with a ₹200 flat discount. This creates a sense of exclusivity and encourages immediate action by targeting users’ preferences with compelling visuals and easy call-to-action buttons like “Order Now.”

Example:

• Celebratory Campaigns: For special occasions, such as birthdays, Zomato offers additional incentives. For example, the birthday campaign provides an extra 10% discount up to ₹500 , making customers feel valued and motivated to use their services. This is paired with humor (“Get older, not broke”) to add relatability.

Example:

Zomato’s Paid Marketing Strategy:

• Search Ads (Google Search Network): Zomato runs text-based ads on Google whenever users search for food-related queries like:“Best restaurants near me ”, “Order food online ”,“Pizza delivery in kolkata”. The ads appear at the top of search results, increasing visibility and driving high-intent traffic to the website and app

Example:

• Display Ads (Google Display Network – GDN): Zomato runs banner ads across millions of websites and apps that are part of Google’s Display Network. These ads feature mouth-watering food images, discount offers, and catchy slogans to attract users

Example:

• Video Ads (YouTube Ads): Zomato runs YouTube ads in the form of skippable and non-skippable video ads. These ads showcase exciting food offers, fast delivery, and app features

Example:

• Social Media Advertising: Zomato runs engaging ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X) to drive app downloads and food orders. The brand uses carousel ads, video ads, and influencer partnerships to capture user attention

Example:

• TV Commercials: Zomato has also invested in TV commercials featuring Bollywood celebrities to expand its reach

Example:

Zomato’s Failed Campaigns:

The Kachra Ad (2023)

• Campaign Idea: Zomato released an ad featuring a character named “Kachra,” inspired by the famous character from Lagaan. The ad tried to highlight Zomato’s waste management and recycling initiatives
• Why It Failed: Many people criticized the ad for being insensitive and casteist , as the character Kachra was a Dalit in the movie and was associated with garbage collection
• Public Reaction: Social media users accused Zomato of promoting caste-based stereotypes, forcing the company to take down the ad and issue an apology

Example:

Har Customer Hai Superstar (2023)

• Campaign Idea: This campaign aimed to celebrate every Zomato customer by calling them “superstars.” The ad featured a dramatic voice-over treating an ordinary food order like a VIP event
• Why It Failed: The campaign unintentionally came off as exaggerated and unrealistic , making it difficult for customers to relate to
• Public Reaction: Many users mocked the campaign on social media, saying that in reality, delivery executives face tough working conditions and customers don’t always get premium service

Example:

Billboard Copy in Delhi (2017)

• Campaign Idea: In 2017 , Zomato launched an outdoor advertising campaign in Delhi featuring a billboard with the text:”MC BC” – Mac n’ Cheese. Butter Chicken.”
• Why It Failed: While the ad aimed to be humorous, many people perceived it as offensive and inappropriate , especially in a public space
• Public Reaction: After facing backlash, Zomato quickly removed the billboard from public spaces. The company issued an apology , stating that the ad was meant to be light-hearted and fun but was not intended to offend anyone

Example:

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Conclusion

Zomato has built a strong presence in the food delivery industry through its smart marketing strategies and customer-focused approach. From creative social media posts to personalized offers and strong SEO tactics, Zomato ensures that it stays ahead of the competition. Its use of data, AI, and innovative services like Hyperpure help it grow and stay relevant in the changing market

However, Zomato has also faced challenges, including failed campaigns and stiff competition from companies like Swiggy. Despite this, it continues to adapt and improve its strategies to provide better services to users and restaurants

In the end, Zomato’s success comes from its ability to understand what people want and deliver it in an engaging and efficient way. Whether through funny memes, exciting offers, or quick deliveries, Zomato has changed the way people enjoy food in India and beyond

• About
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Sayani Mukherjee

Digital Marketing Executive & Trainer at Institute Of Digital And Content Marketing (IDCM)

Qualification: M.B.A
Certification: Semrush Academy Certificate, AI-Powered Performance Ads Certification, Google Ads Video Certification
Profession: Digital Marketing Trainer

Sayani Mukherjee has 5 years plus experience in SEO, Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Google Ads.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalmarketersayanimukherjee/

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