Zomato Integrated Campaigns – Building Brand Personality

Executive Summary

Zomato, founded in 2008 as Foodiebay by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah, evolved from a restaurant discovery platform into India's leading food delivery service. This case examines how Zomato built a distinctive brand personality through integrated marketing campaigns. The company became the first Indian unicorn from the consumer internet space to list on Indian stock exchanges in July 2021, raising ₹9,375 crore through its IPO, as documented in its SEBI prospectus.

Brand Communication Strategy Evolution

The Strategic Shift (2015-2017)

When Zomato entered food delivery in 2015, the market was dominated by Swiggy and Foodpanda. According to a 2019 case study by the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Zomato initially focused on functional messaging around restaurant variety and delivery convenience. By 2017, the company shifted toward building emotional connections through humor and cultural commentary.

Sanjay Nazerali, Zomato's Global Head of Marketing, stated in a March 2019 Brand Equity interview that the company deliberately moved away from traditional advertising featuring food glamour shots. He explained that Zomato wanted to "own conversations, not impressions." In a September 2018 Mint interview, Deepinder Goyal stated that the marketing team had "unusual freedom" to experiment with voice and tone, provided the content remained "non-offensive and brand-safe."

The Topical Marketing Approach (2017-2019)

Zomato gained attention for its real-time, topical marketing on Twitter and Instagram. According to a June 2018 article in The Ken, Zomato's social media team operated with minimal approval hierarchies, allowing rapid response to trending topics. These posts typically used food delivery as a creative anchor while commenting on cricket matches, Bollywood releases, political events, and viral trends. No verified data exists regarding the conversion impact or customer acquisition effectiveness of these campaigns.

Key Campaigns Analysis

Period Leave Policy Announcement (August 2020)

On August 8, 2020, Zomato announced menstrual leave for employees through a blog post. The company introduced up to 10 days of "period leave" per year for all employees who menstruate, including delivery partners. Deepinder Goyal wrote that the policy addressed the "biological truth" that menstruation can be painful and that societal stigma needed to be challenged openly. The announcement was framed as a brand statement about progressive workplace culture rather than merely an HR policy update.

According to a Reuters report from August 11, 2020, the announcement sparked debate on social media about workplace policies and gender equality. The campaign generated extensive coverage in The Hindu, Indian Express, Bloomberg, and international publications. No verified information is publicly available on whether this campaign affected employee applications, brand perception scores, or customer behavior.

Rider Safety Campaign (2019-2020)

Following reported incidents involving delivery partners, Zomato launched campaigns highlighting rider safety. According to press releases from October 2019 and March 2020 on Zomato's newsroom portal, the company introduced health insurance, personal accident insurance, and financial assistance programs for delivery partners. These initiatives were communicated through integrated campaigns across digital platforms, outdoor advertising in major cities, and partnerships with road safety organizations.

In a November 2019 CNBC-TV18 interview, Goyal stated that "treating delivery partners well is not just operational necessity but brand differentiation." A February 2020 Mint article reported that Zomato released short documentary-style videos profiling delivery partners through its "Riders First" campaign on YouTube and social media. No publicly available data exists regarding viewership numbers or the campaign's impact on partner retention or customer sentiment.

#IndiaKaCelebration Campaign (2021)

Around its IPO in July 2021, Zomato launched #IndiaKaCelebration, described in the company's July 14, 2021 press release as "a celebration of India's entrepreneurial spirit and the role of the internet economy." The campaign featured stories of restaurant partners, delivery executives, and small food businesses. According to a July 2021 Campaign India interview, the campaign positioned Zomato as an enabler of livelihoods and economic opportunity. The integrated approach included television commercials (Zomato's first major TV campaign), digital video content, print advertisements, and outdoor advertising in metro cities. No verified metrics on reach or business impact are available in public documents.

"Har Customer Hai Star" Campaign (2022)

In March 2022, Zomato launched "Har Customer Hai Star" (Every Customer is a Star) featuring actor Hrithik Roshan, documented in the March 15, 2022 press release. The campaign focused on customer service excellence and reliability, running across television, digital platforms, and out-of-home advertising in 300+ cities. In a May 2022 earnings call transcript, Goyal mentioned that brand campaigns in FY22 were designed to build "trust and reliability" during increased competition. He did not provide specific performance metrics for individual campaigns.

The "Food Rescue" Feature (March 2023)

On March 21, 2023, Zomato announced the "Food Rescue" feature through a blog post, allowing customers to purchase cancelled orders at a discount, reducing food waste. The campaign communicated both functional benefits (discounted food) and values-driven aspects (sustainability). Press coverage appeared in Mint, Economic Times, and India Today. However, on March 28, 2023, according to Business Standard and The Ken, Zomato withdrew the feature following concerns from restaurant partners about margin and brand reputation impacts. In Zomato's Q4 FY23 shareholder letter (May 2023), the company acknowledged the need to "balance innovation with partner interests."

The "Pure Veg Mode" Controversy (March 2024)

On March 19, 2024, Zomato announced a "Pure Veg Mode" and dedicated "Pure Veg Fleet" through social media and a blog post. According to coverage by The Hindu, Indian Express, and Reuters, the feature would allow vegetarian customers to order from exclusively vegetarian restaurants, delivered by a separate fleet in green uniforms. Within 24 hours, following widespread criticism about potential religious profiling and discrimination, Deepinder Goyal posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Zomato would retain the Pure Veg Mode but scrap the separate fleet. His March 20, 2024 post stated: "We realise that even some of our riders may not want to be associated with delivering specific types of food, and we respect that. But the separate fleet idea was a mistake."

The rapid reversal was covered extensively as a case study in brand crisis management and the challenges of building brand personality in India's diverse cultural landscape. No verified information is publicly available regarding long-term impact on brand metrics or customer behavior.

Integration Approach and Communication Channels

Based on publicly available information, Zomato's integrated campaign approach consistently utilized digital-first distribution through social media platforms (Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn), owned media leverage through its blog, app notifications, and email communications, earned media strategy designed to generate news coverage and social conversation, and selective paid media including television advertising for major campaigns. According to a November 2021 Forbes India interview, Goyal stated: "We don't take ourselves too seriously. Indians appreciate brands that can laugh at themselves and participate in cultural conversations without being preachy."

Limitations of Available Information

Several key aspects cannot be analyzed due to lack of publicly disclosed information. Campaign-level ROI and performance metrics are not available—Zomato's investor presentations and annual reports do not attribute customer acquisition, order volumes, or revenue changes to specific campaigns. Brand health metrics including awareness, consideration, preference, or Net Promoter Scores are not publicly disclosed. Attribution and measurement methodology, creative development processes, specific campaign budgets, target audience segmentation strategies, and competitive effectiveness studies are all unavailable in verified public sources.

Key Lessons

Consistency of voice builds recognition. Across multiple campaigns and years, Zomato maintained a conversational, humorous, and culturally engaged tone, as evident in publicly available campaign materials and executive interviews. This represents a clear strategic choice sustained over time, though whether it translated to measurable brand differentiation cannot be verified from public sources.

CEO involvement amplifies reach. Deepinder Goyal's personal social media presence generated significant earned media coverage, with multiple documented instances showing how CEO communications became news stories. This suggests that in digital-first environments, founder/CEO participation can serve as a force multiplier.

Cultural sensitivity requires continuous calibration. The Pure Veg Mode controversy and earlier instances demonstrate that bold brand personality building in diverse markets carries risks. Zomato's rapid responses, documented in public statements, illustrate the need for real-time monitoring and flexibility.

Values-based campaigns generate attention but require stakeholder alignment. The period leave policy and Food Rescue feature both received substantial media coverage. However, the Food Rescue reversal illustrated that brand initiatives must align with commercial partner interests in platform businesses.

Integration across owned, earned, and paid media extends reach. Zomato's campaigns consistently appeared across multiple channels simultaneously, documented through press releases and media coverage, ensuring multiple audience touchpoints.

Conclusion

Zomato's approach to integrated campaigns and brand personality building represents a digital-first strategy emphasizing humor, cultural relevance, and conversational tone. The company leveraged owned media platforms, generated substantial earned media coverage, and selectively deployed paid advertising. However, significant limitations exist in evaluating effectiveness—no verified public data links specific campaigns to business outcomes. What can be stated with certainty is that Zomato made deliberate strategic choices to differentiate its brand through distinctive communication style and willingness to take public positions on social issues.

Discussion Questions for Classroom Analysis

1. Brand Personality vs. Brand Safety Trade-offs: Given documented instances of campaigns generating controversy (Pure Veg Mode, MC BC advertising), how should platform businesses in culturally diverse markets balance distinctive brand personality against risks of alienating customer or partner segments? What organizational structures or approval processes might help navigate this trade-off?

2. CEO as Brand Ambassador: Evaluate the advantages and risks of founder/CEO-led brand building in consumer-facing technology platforms. Under what circumstances should companies encourage CEO brand involvement versus maintaining separation between leadership and brand personality?

3. Measuring Brand Building Effectiveness: This case reveals significant gaps in publicly available data linking Zomato's campaigns to business outcomes. What measurement framework would you propose to demonstrate brand building ROI, considering both leading indicators (awareness, consideration) and lagging indicators (customer acquisition, lifetime value)?

4. Values-Based Marketing in Platform Businesses: The period leave policy and Food Rescue feature illustrate how values-based campaigns must balance multiple stakeholder interests. What framework should guide decisions about which social issues a brand should take public positions on?

5. Digital-First vs. Traditional Brand Building: Compare Zomato's topical, social media-driven approach with traditional brand-building through sustained television advertising. What are the theoretical advantages and disadvantages of each approach? Under what market conditions might each be more appropriate?