New Delhi (Staff Correspondent): India’s quick commerce brands – Zepto, Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart – pulled a prank in the midst of appraisal season that left users on the Internet rolling with laughter. It all started with an interesting search on the Zepto app, when a user typed ‘appraisal’, and got… peanuts!
X (formerly Twitter) user Harshita shared a screenshot of the same and wrote, “Brands are so good at moment marketing. When you search “appraisal” on @ZeptoNow you find peanuts! That’s crazy, no???”
She also clarified that it was not a brand promoting post, but a result of the curiosity of a marketing professional. The screenshot of this funny search soon went viral on social media, and other users also replicated it and shared their experiences. Interestingly, Zepto was not alone in this trend.
On Swiggy Instamart too, peanut-related snacks were shown when searching for terms like “appraisal” or “evaluation”. Blinkit even went a step further and not only showed peanut chikkis, but even kitchen utensils when searching for “evaluation”! This also raised the question, is this a fun marketing campaign or just a coincidence that happened to be at the right place at the right time?
Zepto’s reel gives a hint
While these brands have not made any formal statement on this, Zepto had posted an Instagram reel a few days ago, in which two delivery agents enter the office with butter and peanuts – in a funny way to show that after ‘buttering’ the employees, they get peanuts in appraisal.
This reel was based on the humour of the appraisal season and now it is clear that the ground for this funny trick of Zepto was already being prepared.
Funny reactions of users
Users on social media praised this brand stunt. Some funny reactions:
– “Impact after appraisal.”
– “Marketing is madness these days.”
– “Moment marketing at its best.”
A user also wrote, “Now if you talk to the boss about appraisal and he hands over peanuts, then understand that this is the effect of quick commerce.”
Great example of momentary marketing
In the world of marketing, this is called “Moment Marketing” – that is, reacting to such an occasion when people are associated with a particular emotion or event. During the appraisal season, working people are already full of confusion and expectations, and these brands recognized this moment and added humour to it.
Whether it was a well-planned strategy or a coincidence, there is no doubt that Zepto, Swiggy and Blinkit have presented the ‘funny truth’ of the appraisal season in a very funny way. This kind of brand activity also makes it clear how quick commerce companies have become very fast not only in delivery but also in digital communication and understanding the pulse of the consumers.
