Why is Swiggy addressing all its users as 'Suryakant'?

Swiggy users are accustomed to receiving personalised mails, notifications and offers. They were recently caught off guard when the food delivery brand addressed them all as 'Suryakant'.

It was neither a glitch nor a goof up, but part of Swiggy’s latest marketing campaign. The campaign was a bid to grab the attention of users as the app announced the launch of its revamped ‘Swiggy SUPER’ subscription service.

On Wednesday (March 10), Swiggy sent the same communication to its users, addressing them as 'Suryakant'. Within minutes, users across the country took to social media to call out the seeming 'error' in Swiggy’s communication. While consumer chatter continued to rise over the next few hours, Swiggy laid it to rest by revealing the real intent behind this communication.

“Earlier today, you and lakhs of other Swiggy customers received communication from us referring to all of you by one name 'Suryakant'. This wasn’t so much an error as an attempt at correcting an error. You see, in the past we’ve made the mistake of treating all our customers exactly the same - we had just one SUPER plan for everyone. But over the last few years, we’ve noticed that no two foodies are exactly the same. Which is why we’ve made some big changes to our membership programme, Swiggy SUPER. With the all-new SUPER, you can pick from three plans based on how often you order and the kind of benefits you’d like. In other words, we’re giving you the power to choose how you save,” Swiggy wrote in its next communication to the users.

Swiggy’s characteristic communication style

In a press release, the brand mentions that the communication sent to the users brings a sense of comfort and familiarity. Swiggy, in particular, has been widely praised for its highly personalised emails, like Swiggy StatEATstics and the Swiggy Appraisal mailer that shared individual ordering trends with the users. Swiggy users, who are used to this personalisation, were surprised to receive an email of this nature from the brand.

However, it turned out to be yet another innovative way for Swiggy to drive home the point that unlike most one-size-fits-all subscription programmes, Swiggy SUPER will now offer three different plans based on how users order and the benefits they like. The plans are designed to suit different needs and make the food ordering experience more convenient than ever. In a blog post titled 'The Story Behind Why We Got Your Name Wrong', the details of the plans are available.

Launched in 2018, SUPER was the first food delivery-focused subscription in the country with a loyal and growing subscriber base. So far, it has resulted in a cumulative savings of over Rs 580 crore for almost four million users.