Domino’s and Twitter: A Match Made in Pizza Heaven?

I’ve had a twitter account since my senior year of college, so less than 4 years, and according to my twitter stats I’ve composed just 93 tweets. That’s actually more than I would have guessed. It’s not that I don’t get the point of twitter; I find it intriguing and I enjoy sharing my thoughts. It’s just a community where I don’t have a lot of friends so it’s not so enticing to spend time there. That being said, maybe it’s not just friends that will draw me into social media in the future. Companies have been integrating advertising into Facebook, YouTube and others for several years. They have personal information about users’ preferences based on information that users’ have supplied to the platform and they’ve found this to be an great way to reach potential customers without needing to advertise to the entire world.   I’m sure the number of companies who take advantage of the power of social media will continue to increase but one that has already begun making waves is Domino’s.

Over the past few years, through strong marketing work that has included admitting that their pizza didn’t used to be very good, Domino’s has remade itself and its image. I personally was not a fan of the old Domino’s despite the bargain prices they touted. I’d be curious to see how their prices have changed but the quality has surely improved greatly. In an article this past May, Evan Schuman of Computerworld.com said, “It's the ultimate social media tactic and it's predicated on a reality that is pure Domino's marketing. I say that it's pure Domino's marketing because the message is one that no other major company has ever tried: We used to be awful and now we're better.” Schuman is referring to Domino’s newest “buy-anywhere-anyhow “campaign. Hungry pizza lovers can now purchase Domino’s without leaving the confines of the media that they’re currently using; that is, they can order a pizza using Twitter, Samsung SmartTV, Pebble Smartwatch app, Android Smartwatch app, Ford SYNC Applink and also a Domino’s voice recognition app. The cobranding is savvy here, as is the use of new technology like smart watches, but best of all is how they’re taking Twitter to a new level.

It’s an absolutely genius strategy to increase publicity without the high cost of traditional advertising. Domino’s customers will create buzz each time they order a pizza through Twitter and it’s a win for social media using customers as well. They can share the fact that they’re ordering a pizza with friends while simultaneously ordering it. Also, they’ll do this knowing that Domino’s is the only company to make this possible. Sure it’s not really any faster than ordering through Domino’s mobile app but the idea is for it to be way more fun. Unfortunately, it should be noted that customers would only be able to use an existing Domino’s account when they order on Twitter and they will need to replicate a past order including the address and payment method. According to Domino’s, this will account for less than 10% of all orders. Yet with close to half a billion orders each year, this will still be an incredible amount of free publicity and it’s the ultimate testimonial for the brand. If a friend is ordering food and proud enough to advertise the fact to all of Twitter, it is fair to assume that she really loves it!