Wendy’s and UberEats Take Over Twitch With Massive Influencer Marketing Push Towards Gen Z

This week, Wendy's and delivery service UberEats are offering a special menu for viewers of Twitch livestreams, according to an announcement by the burger chain. The "Never Stop Gaming Menu" includes items selected by five of the most popular streamers on the live streaming platform. Twitch, which has surged in popularity amid the pandemic, appeals primarily to Gen Z, who are target customers for QSR brands.

In the past, video games may have been considered a niche marketing segment, but in 2020, the numbers say otherwise. Tfue, a streamer with 9.7 million followers on Twitch, started off the Wendy’s campaign with his meal combination on Tuesday. Other streamers that are involved in the campaign include Flight, with 1.2 million followers, itsHafu, with 1.1 million, xChocoBars, with 666,000, and Myth, with 7.1 million. Each streamer will reveal their favorite Wendy's orders during their live gaming sessions on Twitch this week. 

According to the announcement, UberEats will also put a "prize pass" in the delivery bag of each order, giving customers a chance to win UberEats gift cards, along with Wendy's merch like hoodies, slippers and even a PS5.

These kinds of customized menu items selected by influencers or celebrities have become a hugely popular strategy among restaurant chains. McDonald's recently collaborated with rapper Travis Scott on a combination meal, which ended up being so popular that it led to ingredients shortages. McDonald's also followed the promotion with the "J Balvin Meal" featuring the popular reggaeton musician. Dunkin' last summer also introduced a drink called "The Charli" after TikTok's biggest star, Charli D'Amelio.

While other franchisors have been partnering with mainstream musicians or social media stars, Wendy’s seems to be the first to specifically target celebrity gamers. For the past few years, Wendy's has been active with gaming-related promotions as part of a broader effort to connect with younger consumers. Last year, the burger chain engaged with fans on the hit online game, "Fortnite," creating a Wendy's avatar and returning to Twitch last summer to play the game while live-streaming the action.

As QSR and fast casual brands compete for Twitter followers and the attention of younger generations, it is safe to say that we’ll continue to see franchisors coming up with creative ways to get customers excited about their favorite fast food chains.