Roku is helping to serve up food delivery and perks to users’ doorstep via interactive TV ads under a new multi-year partnership with DoorDash.
The streaming TV company has teamed up with the food delivery service to introduce click-to-order offers within Roku ads for DoorDash merchants. DoorDash is teed up to be the exclusive marketplace ad partner for DoorDash U.S. restaurants and grocers that buy interactive shoppable ads on Roku for the first year of the partnership.
DoorDash merchant partners can run ads directly on Roku, and once consumers interact with the TV offer they receive a promotion through SMS text or email and are then directed to the storefront in the DoorDash app to redeem.
Wendy’s is one of the first restaurant partners signed on to try out the new experience and will offer discounts through ads on Roku’s platform. Roku said subscribers that see the Wendy’s ad will get $5 off any purchase of $15 or more from the fast food chain.
In announcing the partnership, Roku called out the benefits for restaurant advertisers, as they can partner with DoorDash and Roku to attribute, target and measure streaming TV ads on the platform. Roku now has more than 70 million active accounts.
“Streaming and delivery just go together which is why we're making it easier than ever for Roku users to order their favorite food right from their TV,” said Gidon Katz, president, Consumer Experience, Roku. “Just in time for the big game, we’re bringing consumers and marketers the same leading scale, data and tech that have made buying a new device or signing up for a service simple and delightful.”
To boost the new interactive shoppable TV effort, the companies are also offering new and existing Roku account holders a free six-month membership to DashPass. Membership is typically $9.99 per month and offers $0 delivery fees on eligible orders. To get the complimentary offer, users have to be net new subscribers to DashPass, meaning not those that have had a trial or paid subscription in the last six months.
“While this offer unlocks DashPass benefits and perks for Roku users everywhere, it also provides our merchant partners with an opportunity to promote DoorDash offers through TV streaming,” said Rob Edell, GM & head of Consumer Engagement, DoorDash, in a statement. “Consumers can conveniently and affordably get the best of their neighborhood delivered to their door, while brands can reach diners at the right time and drive instant conversion from the comfort of the living room.”
For Roku, it’s the latest development in the streaming platform’s efforts to bring more interactivity and commerce to TV screens. Walmart last year was a key partner that turned up a shoppable TV ad pilot with Roku, enabling customers to purchase and have orders fulfilled directly by the retail giant with a click of the remote.
Speaking to Fierce Video last month, Roku VP Dan Robbins said the company was “very encouraged by the consumer response” and early results with charter partners in the pilot – with the company’s burgeoning foray into smart TVs poised to help expand the shoppable TV format.
And when it comes to TV and food delivery, Roku and DoorDash see them going hand in hand. Roku cited internal research data that 1 in 3 Roku users order take-out or food delivery weekly, while 36% of the streaming platform’s users are interested to receive interactive offers such as a scannable QR code or text message.