Case Studies

How Zomato Gamified Food Ordering with the Help of Roanuz Sports Data

May. 10, 2023

When it comes to food, there are two types of people in this world - those who eat to live and those who live to eat. If you're part of the latter group, then you must be familiar with Zomato, the online restaurant search and discovery platform that has taken the food industry by storm. Founded in 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah, Zomato started as a simple restaurant directory and has since grown into a global giant, operating across multiple countries and serving millions of customers every day. But what sets Zomato apart from other food apps is their constant innovation and experimentation, and one such experiment that has revolutionized the way we order food is their gamification strategy.

What is gamification?

Gamification is the process of adding game-like elements to non-gaming activities to make them more engaging and fun. And that's exactly what Zomato did with their food ordering process. They partnered with Roanuz, an AI-powered sports technology company, to incorporate live cricket scores into their app and gamify the food ordering experience. Gamification has been around for centuries! The concept can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where games were used to educate, entertain, and promote social bonding. It seems our ancestors knew the secret to make life more enjoyable all along. Blue Did you know interesting fact Instagram post (4).png Here's how it works - whenever there's a cricket match happening, Zomato users can place food orders and predict the outcome of the match at the same time. They earn points for each correct prediction, and the points can be redeemed for discounts and other rewards. This simple addition of a game-like element has transformed the food ordering experience from a mundane task to an exciting and engaging activity. But how did Zomato and Roanuz come up with this idea, and how did they execute it? Let's dive into the details.

Background

Zomato was founded in 2008 as a restaurant search and discovery platform. Over the years, the company expanded its services to include online ordering and food delivery. With millions of users across the world, Zomato has become a major player in the food delivery market. However, as competition in the industry increased, Zomato needed to find new ways to keep users engaged and loyal to their platform. This is where Roanuz Sports API came in. Roanuz is a leading provider of sports data and analytics. Their API allows developers to access real-time data from a variety of sports leagues and tournaments. Zomato saw an opportunity to use this data to gamify the food ordering experience and make its platform even more engaging.

The Execution

Integrating live cricket scores into the Zomato app was no easy feat, but Roanuz's expertise in sports technology made it possible. They used real-time cricket data to display it in the Zomato app. The gamification aspect was also carefully planned out. Zomato users could predict the outcome of each ball, over, and match and earn points for each correct prediction. The points could be redeemed for discounts and other rewards, making the food ordering experience more exciting and engaging. But the real challenge was to ensure that the integration was seamless and didn't affect the user experience. Zomato and Roanuz worked closely together to ensure that the app was fast, responsive, and easy to use, even with the added feature of live cricket scores. Black Gradient Minimalist Corporate Business Personal Profile New LinkedIn Banner.png

The Results

The gamification of food ordering with live cricket scores was a massive success for Zomato. The feature was launched during the 2019 IPL season, and within a week, it had over 120,000 active users and generated over 4 million predictions in 3 weeks. The engagement levels of Zomato users also skyrocketed, with users spending an average of 10 minutes after implementing Roanuz Sports' APIs; Zomato saw an immediate impact on their user engagement and retention rates. Users were spending more time on the app, exploring various food options and placing orders. This led to an increase in the number of orders placed on the app, resulting in a boost in Zomato's revenue. One of the most significant impacts of Roanuz's sports data integration was the gamification aspect. Zomato had created a virtual league called "Zomato Premier League" (ZPL), which offered users a chance to win prizes by correctly predicting the outcomes of IPL matches. With the help of Roanuz's data, Zomato was able to provide real-time updates and insights on the IPL matches, making the virtual league more exciting and engaging for users. By offering users the ability to make informed predictions, the virtual league feature introduced by Zomato garnered significant attention and engagement. During the IPL season, Zomato experienced a notable increase in daily active users (DAUs), contributing to the platform's overall growth. The virtual league, known as ZPL, played a key role in driving this surge in user activity. Additionally, Zomato witnessed a substantial spike in revenue during the IPL season, with a significant increase in orders and a boost in the average order value. The use of Roanuz Sports data allowed Zomato to gamify the food ordering process, resulting in increased user engagement and loyalty. Customers who used the “Predict and Win” feature had a 20% higher retention rate than those who did not. Zomato was also able to attract new customers, with 10% of users signing up for the app just to participate in the cricket prediction game.
"Integration: Unlocking a world of endless possibilities”
The success of the “Predict and Win” feature inspired Zomato to launch similar gamified experiences for other popular sports events such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. These initiatives continue to drive user engagement and loyalty.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the collaboration between Roanuz and Zomato has been a game-changer for the food ordering industry. The use of Roanuz's sports data API has allowed Zomato to gamify food ordering, making the experience more engaging for users. This has resulted in increased user engagement and retention and, ultimately, more revenue for Zomato. But this partnership has also set a precedent for other industries to incorporate unconventional data sources into their products and services. By thinking outside the box and utilizing data in new and innovative ways, companies can gain a competitive edge and improve their bottom line. So, the next time you order food on Zomato and see the cricket scores on the app, you can appreciate the complex and exciting partnership that made it all possible. And who knows, maybe in the future, we'll see even more unexpected collaborations and gamification in our everyday experiences.