How thinking like a technology company transformed the Domino's experience

Global advertising strategy magazine Admap asked iris how we have helped Domino’s pizza in the UK to embrace participation and think more like a technology company.

Together Domino’s and iris have been on a five year transformation journey, pre-empting the rise of the food aggregators by repositioning the brand from pizza delivery to a digital-first mealtime solution. It’s been a big success.

You can find the piece in their January 2017 edition ‘Marketing Food’ or read it here.

Or if you just want the conclusions, here they are:

1. Fight disintermediation by taking the digital disruptors head-on. It would have been all too easy for Domino’s to wait and watch for market developments before deciding whether to invest in transformation. In difficult economic conditions, Domino’s could have opted for consolidation, deciding its value existed in its retail stores, distribution network and core product of pizza. By acting pre-emptively, the brand avoided handing its customers to the aggregators and effectively becoming suppliers in the distribution chain.
2. Constraint can be the catalyst for innovation. As a franchise business, Domino’s could only increase marketing spend in line with increased revenues. This has forced the brand to favour incremental, efficient experimentation over a heavy upfront investment in transformation. Trying to do more with less has taught it to be smarter, more agile and ultimately more effective.
3. Keep the process simple and seamless. A consistent challenge has been the ability to combine agile innovation with brand consistency. And the way Domino’s has achieved this is through a tight, highly collaborative team. We at iris have worked seamlessly with media partners Arena and the Domino’s marketing team to create new solutions across an ever-widening range of channels and challenges. In a world where speed, efficiency and agility trump everything, it’s this kind of role-swapping, hands-on team dynamic that can make the biggest difference of all.
4. Blend utility, entertainment and value. Sometimes it can feel like a difficult choice for food brands: invest in distinctive, culture-shaping ideas that drive salience, or build innovative services that enhance the customer experience. Alternatively, do neither: focus on price competitiveness and offer straight commercial value. The Domino’s story shows us that it’s possible — and optimal — to blend all three. Customer experience enhancements that give people value for their time and money alongside currency for their social networks. Because this is the magic formula that allows brands to embed themselves in the lifestyle, culture and conversations of their audience.