“It’s this moment of anticipation,” says Karis Simmons, Skip’s Marketing Lead, Sports Partnerships. “People are thinking about the game – and also thinking about their food. What are they going to order that night?”
And in Canada, the quintessential sports & food ritual has to be pizza and wings during the hockey game. “It’s this ritual of ordering,” Simmons adds. “Sports fans love to have their own rituals and what they’re doing. So, we’re really bringing these moments of joy – food joy and sports joy – together.”
More than 16.1 million Canadians follow the NHL – that’s a lot of hungry sports fans. And it’s why Skip’s partnership with the NHL (naming Skip as the Official Food Delivery App of the NHL) has been such an important part of our growth in Canada.
“That’s why we partnered with the NHL – we knew that there was a large captivated audience that we’d be able to reach through hockey, with an opportunity to turn viewing occasions into habitual ordering occasions,” Simmons explains.
So, what can these partnerships mean for you, our Partners?
More opportunities, more rewards, and more business. When your business is part of a Skip sports partnership, whether at a live event, video content, or promotion, you have the opportunity to introduce your food to potential new customers and become a tasty new part of their game day routine.
Prime example: this summer, we were on-site at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft viewing party in Montreal. We brought along our Skip-branded food truck, operated by our Partner (and Montreal favourite) Tacos Frida for the day.
Wait, hockey and…tacos? Why not! While we’re fans of the classic pizza and wings during the big game, we also love sharing some less obvious food and sports combinations.
Simmons says, “We are able to profile all different types of cuisines. We do want to show that breadth and depth. We have so many great options, so let’s really inspire fans to experience all that we have to offer on game day.”
And not all opportunities with our Partners are on-site. For example, we’re working on a project called ‘Bring Home the Game‘ with the Edmonton Oilers, running throughout the 2022-23 season. The content series will feature some of our spectacular independent restaurants in the Edmonton region, served up to Oilers fans across the team’s powerful social and digital channels.
Try a Free Delivery promo on game day.
Throughout the season, NHL teams will be promoting that Skip offers free delivery from select restaurants on game days – and that could be you!
This is your chance to get your restaurant’s name out to hockey’s huge fan base and increase your business.
Here’s how it works:
First, sign up to be a part of our NHL Game Day Free Delivery promo. Simply fill out the Google form here with your business name, city, and postal code, and be sure to check the box to receive more information about game days.
Once you’re signed up, you can activate your Free Delivery promo using these simple steps:
- Sign into the Partner Portal as you regularly would.
- Click “Promotions” from the side menu.
- Under “Free Delivery,” click “Select Promotion.”
- In the “Create” screen, review the promotion details and click the checkbox to view the promotion’s terms & conditions.
- Click “I read and agree to the terms and conditions” in order to finalize the promotion.
- Click “Create” and your Free Delivery promotion should now be listed as “Active.”
In addition to our promotional opportunities, some of our events are simply to reward our Partners, like a contest we hosted offering a pair of free tickets and a trip to a Stanley Cup® Playoffs game.
So, could you be part of a Skip sports event?
When it comes to featuring local businesses, here’s what makes a prime candidate to feature, Simmons says:
“And when it comes specifically to the ‘Bring Home the Game content series‘ in Edmonton, we look for an outstanding independent restaurant of which the owner is a fan of the team or has ties to the sports community. Potential Partners also have to have the ability to create a hockey meal combo or some type of promotional offer on game days in the month you are featured to drive orders. And owners will also need to be available for at least one hour to film video content. In addition, we want to ensure that we highlight a range of cuisine types in the overall campaign to showcase the diversity of our Restaurant Partners.”
Our exciting events with our Sports Partners are happening all year long. Keep reading The Secret Sauce to find out about opportunities in the coming weeks and months including free delivery promotions on game day, NHL and Partner activations, and more!
Our exciting events with our sports partners are happening all year long. Keep reading The Secret Sauce to find out about opportunities in the coming weeks and months!
