Just Eat on why its tech will become a ‘permanent feature’ in UK living rooms
As Just Eat launches its “industry-first” group ordering service on Apple TV, the brand’s UK marketing director Ben Carter tells Marketing Week how it plans to become part of customers’ everyday lives.
Just Eat announced earlier this week that it is planning to launch an “industry-first” group ordering experience on Apple TV, as well as its first smart TV app.
The Apple TV app will sync with any mobile phone connected to the same Wi-Fi network, so that friends in the same room can place a combined order via the app from individual iPhone and iPad devices.
The online food order and delivery service is set to launch separate apps for other smart TVs within the next few months, which will allow the brand’s restaurant partners to bring their brands to the big screen. Just Eat also plans to use its partner’s platforms to raise awareness of the new initiatives.
Ben Carter, UK marketing director for Just Eat, told Marketing Week the new technology aims to make customers’ lives as “frictionless” as possible, but also seeks to make the brand part of customers’ everyday lives.
“Working with brands like Apple, Amazon and others, we want our technology to become a permanent feature in our customers’ living rooms, as well as in our restaurant partners’ offices and kitchens,” he said.
As new competitors like UberEATS launch and offer consumers similar experiences, the brand hopes its technology focus will be an important differentiator.
“Technology is in our DNA. We are a food company first and foremost but we are committed to opening up new ways of ordering food online for our customers. Offering this at scale nationally and globally gives us a clear competitive advantage and we are reinforcing that by working with the best technology partners,” he commented.
The initiatives are part of an existing pledge by the brand to invest £40m in marketing and technology in the UK this year, which Carter says is aimed at “increasing value” for its restaurant partners.
“The £40m investment will go towards helping our restaurant partners grow their businesses. We will do this by rolling out technology solutions which make running their businesses easier and will drive more customers in their direction,” he said.
