Foodies around the globe can now be enticed to try out new dishes by scrolling through Uber Eats short-form video feeds. It’s trying to copy the recipe of TikTok, which is set to attract new customers for merchants.
Many others, like YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat, have successfully copied this style. TechCrunch is reporting that LinkedIn is also experimenting with its own TikTok-like feed.
Uber Eats hopes the short-form video feed could help restaurants showcase their food more attractively and appealingly. Uber Eats’ Awaneesh Verma has told Tech Crunch the new feed is being tested in New York, San Francisco, and Toronto. Once the pilot project has been successfully completed, it will be launched in the rest of the world.
How does Uber Eats short-form videos work?
Strategic placements of these videos will be visible in carousels across the app, Tech Crunch reports. Once the user clicks on a video, it will redirect the viewer to a vertical feed of short-form content to explore.
But what if the algorithms feed you shorts from restaurants far out of reach? Uber Eats says users can only consume content from nearby restaurants that can deliver it.
Verma told the media outlet that the feed has been designed to “replicate the experience of being in a restaurant in person.” This way people can see how the food is prepared while feeling inspired to try something new.
The motivation behind this new project is based on data showing customers are likelier to try out new dishes if they can visually see them. With specific details of the portion size, the colors, and the presentation thereof, it’s easier to try something new.
One million merchants for Uber Eats
Uber Eats has built over a million merchants on its platform worldwide. Small restaurants, grocers, and convenience stores now use the food delivery app to reach consumers quickly.
It started with a few restaurants in Los Angeles. The delivery service was called UberFresh before it finally expanded and launched Uber Eats in 2015.
Uber Eats is now focusing on helping those merchants, albeit small and unpopular, diversify their brand. This way they can be discovered by the rest of their communities. “There’s so much more we can do to support the business goals of merchants who want to grow through delivery,” it says in a statement.
The video feed brings restaurant advertisements into customers’ homes. The exposure business owners receive has the potential to grow and expand beyond anyone’s imagination.
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Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
