Brief:
- Burger King is now catering to dog owners with the introduction of the "Dogpper," a bone-shaped treat with flame-grilled beef flavor for dogs. The burger chain partnered with food delivery service DoorDash on the limited-time promotion, according to a press release.
- To claim a free dog treat, customers need to order a Whopper sandwich for home delivery on the DoorDash app through Dec. 4. New customers also can get free delivery for orders of $10 or more from participating locations with the promo code DOGPPER.
- Meanwhile, DoorDash announced an integration with online travel agency TripAdvisor to let travelers order from the food delivery service in more than 1,800 cities throughout North America. The TripAdvisor app and website have a new "Order Online" button that's connected to DoorDash where they can place food orders for delivery or pickup, per a separate announcement.
Insight:
Burger King's introduction of the Dogpper is a novel way to appeal to delivery customers who have trouble enjoying a hamburger as their dog begs for a bite. About 60.2 million U.S. households own at least one dog, and the American Pet Products Association estimates that U.S. spending on pets will grow 3.7% from last year to $72.1 billion in 2018, including $29.9 billion on food and treats. If the Dogpper proves to be popular, Burger King may be able to add it as a permanent paid item to its menu to appeal to pet parents and encourage delivery through DoorDash.
The Dogpper promotion with DoorDash comes a few weeks after the companies partnered on a tie-in with Activision for the launch of "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4," the latest installment in the hit game franchise. The month-long campaign included a takeover of Twitch, the Amazon-owned video streaming platform for gamers, that will display the burger chain's king mascot competing against popular gaming personalities.
This campaign could support Burger King as it battles archrival McDonald's in the mobile delivery space. At the same time, DoorDash faces off against competitors Uber Eats and GrubHub in the quickly growing delivery space and has sought to generate brand awareness with marketing campaigns and partnerships, like the one with Burger King. By having a prominent place on TripAdvisor's website and app, DoorDash could reach many travelers who may be unfamiliar with restaurants in new cities and who want to order food for delivery to a hotel room.
Earlier this year, the on-demand food delivery service introduced a subscription service with restaurant partners Wendy's, The Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen and White Castle, another move that could give the company a leg up against competitors on mobile.
