An Uber Eats job post reveals it's about to add digital billboards to its app
New job posting: Ads Lead... “Responsible for creating a new ads business that enables eaters to discover new foods.” TechCrunch reporters noticed that up on the Uber Eats career page. It's a signal that instead of taking just a delivery fee off your late-night chimichanga order, Uber is adding a new revenue stream from the prime real estate at the top of its Uber Eats app.
We're calling it a "Browsing Billboard"... As your fingers browse Uber Eats for dinner, your eyes will see a billboard. The app's valuable space highlighting food options can be sold as ads to restaurants that crave better delivery sales. Here's how Uber Eats' Browsing Billboard would go down:
- You: Starved for saucy pizza, but don't want to get up. So you open the Uber Eats app.
- The list: Before, the top 5 NYC pizza joints delivering to you featured Di Fara's, Pasquale Jones, Lil' Frankie's, Dani's, and Emily. They're at the top of the list because of their ratings.
- The (future) list: Soon, that top spot might be occupied by Pizza Hut (with the word "sponsored" in small letters underneath). It's at the top of the list because it paid for it.
- Uber: Makes money selling ads, just like Google does on Google search.
The Browsing Billboard is the next evolution of platforms... Web platforms like Uber play a middleman role, connecting buyers with sellers. Expedia plays that role too — but when you search for vacation options, some of the top results are paid ads. And more platforms could start doing that:
- Spotify's platform for music discovery could start making money by promoting artists that pay for it.
- Apple's podcast store could make $$$ the same way.
- Tweet us your own ideas for potential Browsing Billboards @RobinhoodSnacks.