Zomato: From relatable branding to food safety scrutiny
Zomato head emphasizes authentic customer engagement as Zomato addresses recent concerns over warehouse inventory practices.
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Zomato, one of India's leading food delivery giants, has been in the spotlight not only for its innovative marketing and customer engagement but also due to recent scrutiny surrounding its food safety practices.
Deepinder Goyal, co-founder and CEO of Zomato, credits the brand's success to a young, talented marketing team that has redefined brand communication. By crafting relatable, witty notifications, Zomato has built a unique connection with its customers, moving beyond standard advertisements to create memorable interactions.
Goyal recently shared on The Kapil Sharma Show on Netflix that he encouraged his marketing team to make notifications more personal, sparking a new direction in Zomato's communication strategy. "Our team is young and not from a traditional marketing background," he noted, which he believes had led to fresh, humorous messages that resonate with users. This approach, paired with Goyal's own customer-facing interactions-such as posing as a delivery agent-demonstrates Zomato's commitment to bridging the gap between its leadership and its customers.
However, Zomato’s path to building trust faced a setback recently when media reports highlighted a controversial issue in one of Zomato Hyperpure’s warehouses in Hyderabad.
The Hyperpure unit, which supplies ingredients to over 30,000 restaurants across 10 cities, was found to contain stored items with future-dated packaging. This finding follows a previous “fake paneer” controversy, which raised questions about food authenticity and safety.
Goyal responded to these allegations, clarifying that only a small batch of mushroom packets worth ₹7,200 was in question, representing a minor fraction of the overall inventory. “These packets were never intended to reach customers,” he stated, adding that Zomato had earned an A+ rating despite the incident.
Goyal suggested that the issue gained traction due to the perception that “all big business is bad business” and noted that some may benefit from the virality generated by such narratives.
