Zomato Premier League (ZPL), one of the biggest attractions of this IPL, and is a testament to Zomato's innovative and one-of-a-kind application of in-app gamification. ZPL was aligned with the latest IPL season, blending the love for cricket and food in India.
Zomato aimed to boost user engagement and revenue by introducing an in-app gaming experience, the Zomato Premier League (ZPL). They combined cricket match predictions with attractive food rewards, resulting in increased participation, higher sales and, valuable insights into customer behaviour.
India has a massive market for online food delivery platforms, with a growing number of players competing for customer attention and loyalty. To stand out in this competitive landscape, companies must innovate and engage their users in various ways. The IPL season presented a timely opportunity for platforms to tap into the nation's love for cricket, making it a prime period for driving user engagement and boosting revenue.
How did ZPL work?
Zomato introduced a prediction model within its app, where users could make predictions about their favourite cricket teams. To offer a seamless user experience, Zomato leveraged Roanuz Cricket API to access data, such as live scores, toss information, player runs, winner details, points tables, playing XI, and match stats. Users who made accurate predictions received rewards in the form of discounts or cashback, thus perfectly blending their love for cricket and food during the IPL season.
Not just that, Zomato is also the food delivery partner for eight IPL teams, offering users the convenience of enjoying their favourite cuisine while watching their favourite match live.
Gamification in Zomato
ZPL was an immediate hit with over four million participants within the first three weeks. Moreover, Zomato was also able to extract some interesting insights:
- The Mumbai Indians (MI) vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) match on April 15th alone received over 60,000 predictions. This indicated high user engagement during key matches, as well as the potential for driving app usage and revenue during high-stakes games.
- Increase in 15% D7 retention rate since the launch of ZPL. Users were returning back to the app to make their predictions, claim their rewards and essentially order from the app leading to a significant increase in return rates.
- Weekly orders went up by 15-20%. Users were more likely to order desserts using the rewards they won, highlighting certain behavioural patterns in purchasing decisions shaped by the availability of rewards.
The success of ZPL is likely to usher in a trend of more platforms incorporating trending events with in-app gamification. These collaborations could include sports events, festivals, or popular television series – any cultural moment that captures the public's attention can be leveraged for user engagement and monetization purposes.
Moreover, ZPL validates the importance of gamification strategies for companies operating in the online food delivery space. It emphasizes the need for businesses to monitor customer preferences, behaviours, and market trends to offer gamified experiences and develop products or promotions that resonate with their unique users.
By intelligently wrapping their food offerings around a sporting event during the IPL season, Zomato was able to blend sports enthusiasts' passions with their love for food, creating a win-win situation. In an industry marked by seemingly infinite competition, ZPL stands as a shining example of creatively leveraging opportunities to capture audience attention, creating affinity, loyalty, and ultimately, increased business.
As we move forward, it is expected that this innovative approach to gamification will inspire similar strategies across platforms, challenging brands to think more creatively to distinguish themselves, innovate, and thrive.