QSRs Served Up Record Impressions on Retail Media

QSRs Delivered Record Retail Media Activity

Quick service restaurants (QSRs) ramped up their retail media efforts in July, resulting in a record-breaking month for impressions. Total category impressions climbed +54% MoM to 894M, more than doubling the volume from July of last year. The YoY growth was largely fueled by increased advertising on delivery platforms like Uber Eats (+529M impressions) and Grubhub (+24M), but QSRs also found creative ways to advertise at supermarkets and big box stores. At Walmart, for example, Taco Bell launched a campaign for “Taco night in one click” which promoted delivery of their branded taco shells and sauces, blurring the lines between fast food and grocery.

It Was a Tight Race Among Leading QSR Advertisers

In July, 60 different QSRs competed for visibility on retail media, 20 more than the same time last year. The category spanned everything from burgers & fries to pizza, coffee, and more, highlighting the breadth of the landscape. While competition among leading brands was tight, McDonald’s narrowly captured the lead with 107M impressions. Notably, all 10 of the top advertisers prioritized Uber Eats in July, leveraging the platform to drive sales and reach customers at home.

QSRs Turned to Facebook to Tempt Hungry Scrollers

In July, most QSRs followed a relatively streamlined channel strategy, focusing their efforts on a short list of key platforms. Facebook led the way, accounting for the largest share of impressions for the top four QSRs, including 76% of McDonald’s impressions. TikTok and Snapchat also played a key role in the category. Subway turned to TikTok to promote a free turkey footlong, while Dunkin’ used Snapchat to offer a free iced coffee. Across all platforms, free product giveaways were a common tactic for driving clicks.

Uber Eats Led the Category with a “Summer Deals” Campaign

Category growth in July was largely driven by Uber Eats, who launched a “Summer Deals” campaign featuring special discounts and free menu items across a range of top QSRs. Taco Bell offered a free taco, McDonald’s promoted a BOGO deal on McNuggets, and Baskin Robbins offered savings of $6, just to name a few. Despite featuring multiple brands, the campaign maintained a highly consistent design aesthetic, putting Uber Eats’ branding front and center.

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