Why DoorDash, Marvel worked together to create a new digital comic book
Marvel Comics and DoorDash collaborated to create The Dashers, a new digital, animated comic book that celebrates the lives and work of DoorDash’s drivers. The delivery brand hopes to extend and amplify the idea that dashers and delivery people should be celebrated for the work they do.
“In the throes of the pandemic, we saw communities rally around Dashers, recognizing and thanking them for their efforts at a time when most were staying inside,” said Emma Glazer, DoorDash’s head of dasher marketing. DoorDash wanted to find an engaging, authentic way to maintain this narrative of gratitude and support for Dashers as the world returned to pre-pandemic norms.
The financial agreement of the partnership was unclear. The comic book depicts how four Dashers save the city of “Dashville” by being independent and flexible, while still pursuing their personal passions. DoorDash debuted the digital comic at New York Comic Con at its activation booth.
Glazer declined to share exact advertising figures. According to Pathmatics data, the brand spent a little over $175 million so far this year on advertising efforts. Glazer did, however, offer a general breakdown for this campaign, “We supplemented the experiential activation at Comic Con with digital video, display and local Digital OOH in NYC, and will be amplifying the campaign through the end of the year with additional paid social sponsorships, digital video and out of home placements.”
New York Comic Con gave the team a chance to connect with comic book and gaming fans with its programming and push its Dash app to new users, Glazer said.
Every week, Marvel will release a new Dashers chapter on their YouTube Channel. Users can also watch chapter teasers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. As Glazer explained, paid social advertising campaigns will be implemented across TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Google Display, and more, leading up to a nationwide exposure leading up to Marvel’s cinematic release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which will include a Snapchat takeover and a Twitter premiere sponsorship. According to Glazer, DoorDash will share the story with its customers next month through the DoorDash app, providing some entertainment while you wait for your order.
“It’s part of a larger narrative you’ll see across all DoorDash marketing, that every order placed creates a ripple effect of good in people’s lives, livelihoods, and neighborhoods, by which Dashers are able to fund and achieve their goals, and businesses are able to grow and succeed in the convenience economy,” said Glazer.
DoorDash caters to a wide audience, including workers looking for extra income, aspiring business owners, and semi-retired people hoping to spoil their grandchildren. With this campaign, the brand is focused on appealing to audiences across their ecosystem, not just to consumers.
“With the growth of their business being heavily reliant on a consistently growing and steady supply of distribution and delivery, this campaign is looking to cement the brand perception that DoorDash is the right home for gig workers and as a result is going to be an interesting Dasher acquisition and retention tactic,” said Eunice Shin, partner and head of technology, media and entertainment practices at Prophet, a growth strategy consulting firm.
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