The war between the UAE’s biggest food delivery apps just got personal. After Deliveroo boss Anis Harb’s scathing comments about the Careem’s ‘Dirhams for Delay’ policy went viral, the ‘Everything app’ has publicly clapped back at the man personally, using the brand’s own advertising against them.
“Hey Anis Harb, we noticed Deliveroo AE used to talk about ‘on time’ a lot. What changed?’ said the brand on Twitter.
The battle has been going on behind the scenes for a while. Careem, known for its ride-hailing services, expanded its operations into the food delivery market by launching Careem NOW in 2018, Placing them in direct competition with the established UK giant.
Since then, the two companies have engaged in an intense battle for market dominance, fiercely vying for customers, drivers, and restaurant partnerships.
In an interview with Arabian Business, things got heated when Harb spoke about the controversial new policy, as we wrote about earlier today, but calling out the man himself may be a bit personal for a food service rivalry.
Careem to Deliveroo: ‘This You?’
So what’s going on here exactly? The post in question shows adverts that are likely from the company’s 2020 “on time tastes better” campaign, pointing out that while Careem may be putting its money where it’s mouth is, so to speak, implying that need for that may have come because apps such as this have been slacking on the ‘on time’ aspect of their business.
The Everything App’s current campaign, running through June, offers 1 dirham for every minute a delivery is late, with a maximum of 10.
“Personally, I think a marketing campaign that is centered around delays has implications, implications in consumers’ minds, and maybe wider in the network. I’m aware of some of the backlash but I don’t think too much about their campaign,” Anis Harb, Vice President and Middle East General Manager told Arabian Business earlier today.
Yep, safe to say this latest episode in the rivalry underscores the fierce competition prevalent in the Middle East’s food delivery market.
As both companies strive to secure their position and attract new customers, they are willing to push boundaries and engage in slightly more aggressive tactics.
For what its worth, this delivery beef is more entertaining than we think anyone could have expected. Kind of makes you want to order in some popcorn and watch it unfold.
Social media, of course, has been debating the matter for what feels like months now, as the endless debate over the ethicality of the apps continues.
One offers VOX movie theatre snacks, so I think I’m siding with them on this one for convenience sake. But will it come on time? That’s what we’ll have to figure out for ourselves.