Skip to main content

How Domino's Keeps Topping the Online Pizza Game

WARNING: This post may make you extremely hungry

What is the worst part of ordering a pizza online? Definitely the waiting. You've chosen your toppings, added in some garlic knots, selected the delivery time to "As Soon as Possible"...and now you wait. Similar to ordering a new product online, the wait for a pizza can be excruciating. What could make the wait better? The sound of waves crashing against the shore, or perhaps you could pass the time by listening to a baseball announcer call out each step of your order as it's being prepared.  The Domino's pizza tracker turns that excruciating waiting period into entertainment, whilst keeping you engaged on the website. 

Image result for domino's pizza tracker
(Buzzfeed)

After ordering food online, most customers do not continue to stay on the ordering website. However, with the Domino's pizza tracker, customers can see who is preparing their order (by name), and how far along in the process the order is. While doing so, a customer might also browse the menu again, subscribe to Domino's emails, or even check out its social media pages. This seemingly simple tracker is what made me first notice the brand's creative online platforms.

Domino's also uses its social media accounts to deepen relationships with its customers, beyond just showcasing its food. This June, Domino's unveiled its "Paving for Pizza" campaign. As part of the campaign, Domino's pays for road repairs across the United States. So what's the connection between fixing roads and pizza? Simple - a perfectly good carry - out Domino's pizza can get ruined on a bumpy ride home. The campaign is driven on social media and through a custom website: Paving for Pizza. Through these channels, customers can nominate or vote for their towns, and can even order pizza. In August, Adweek reported that the Paving for Pizza campaign was expanding from 20 locations to all 50 states due to the number of nominations. This digital campaign creates goodwill for the brand in a way that is creative but also that makes sense.  

Even in the worst of times, Domino's used social media to build up its brand image. When many customers complained about the taste of Domino's pizza online, the company listened. As this Medium article by the Online Marketing Institute (OMI) describes, Domino's invited customers to share their opinions and ideas on social media for a prize and for the chance to have their idea implemented. Additionally, Domino's invested resources into developing its mobile app to ensure seamless pizza ordering no matter where their customer is. According to OMI in 2018, over half of all Domino's orders were placed from a mobile device. 

Going forward the challenge for Domino's will be to continue to stay digitally innovative among its competition. In March, Pizza Hut generated buzz by launching a sneaker that could order pizza by the press of a button (Fortune.) As other pizza chains develop their own digital presence, Domino's will have to adapt its strategy to stand out. While Domino's is great at reviewing and responding to customer feedback online, I believe the brand would benefit from posting more user generated content. The Domino's social channels are highly curated which helps to keep the brand image consistent, but still makes its channels feel like a brand, and not like a friend. I believe user generated content would also increase and enrich the brand's online engagement.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Fascination Archetype

What do I have in common with Tina Fey and Malcolm Gladwell? Turns out we have similar leadership styles! Who knew? This week, I took The Fascination Advantage assessment to learn how others perceive me and how I can use this to my advantage, both personally and professionally. The assessment, created by Sally Hogshead , has given me a new perspective on how my peers view me and how I can become a better leader. Taking the assessment was actually a lot of fun, and even before I received the results, I found that I was learning more about myself just by thinking about the questions. I could see right away that I wasn't motivated by status, but felt more passionate by producing good work through creativity. So let's dive into the results... At first I was surprised by my results. My primary advantage (my most effective method of communication) is described as "Mystique." The word mystique sounded a little too cool to describe me. But once I read more, I knew it de...
1 comment
Read more

Does Big Data Come With Big Responsbility?

Big data has transformed the way marketers learn about their consumers and therefore make decisions. According to Forbes , big data helps marketers understand more about consumers' purchase behavior, patterns, and likes and dislikes. However big data doesn't come without its risks. The problem with big data is threefold - good data doesn't automatically correspond to good decisions, vast data collection is a major privacy concern, and the growth of fake followers and bot accounts tests the reliability of data. ( Alberto Brea ) Is Big Data Enough to Make Strategic Marketing Decisions?   The Guardian said it best: "the amount of data available does not necessarily correlate with its value – not everything that can be counted counts." Basically all the data in the world is out there but is it all useful? In my experience, I think big data can certainly inform insights but is not yet capable of decision making. Big data can answer the when and where  - wher...
2 comments
Read more

Alexa, Tell Me Everything You Know

( Mashable ) Alexa is no longer just a girl's name and Google no longer requires any typing. Connected devices are an integral part of our lives now. From Fitbits, Nests, and smartwatches - consumers rely on these devices to go about their daily routines. Devices don't just help solve consumer's problems though, they are a treasure trove for marketers as well. At the forefront of all of this, is the Internet of Things (IoT). The internet of things allows marketers to know more about consumers than ever before. The challenge is making sure their brand is seamlessly integrated at the right time without appearing intrusive. So, what exactly is the internet of things? Forbes defines the IoT as simply connecting devices with an on and off switch to the internet, and to other devices. The internet of things is a giant network of connected "things", including people ( Forbes ). Sounds a little creepy right? While there are many benefits to having your devices c...
1 comment
Read more