a pizza in front of a stone oven

Is there anything better than pizza?

The basic combination of bread, cheese and tomato sauce can be defined as the holy threefold unity of food. I think many people would agree with us as pizza is one of the most consumed products in the world. Everyone has his or her preference. A chain, fresh or from the freezer. From pizzas with pineapple to vegetarian pizzas with vegetable bases. It is therefore no surprise that competition in the world of pizza is fierce.

Listen to the customer

The low point of the Domino’s brand was around 2008. Many negative adjectives were spoken about the brand. The crust tasted like cardboard. The sauce tastes like ketchup. And many other negative statements.

Patrick Doyle took over as CEO of the company and started the turnaround. The 49-year-old recipe that Domino’s used was no longer good enough. New ingredients and processes were introduced with the goal of creating the best pizza on the market at a competitive price.

The marketing team designed a pricing strategy that placed them below the competition and launched the deal ‘two medium pizzas for $5.99 each’. This strategy that focused on customer needs and market demand changed everything and regained the attention of consumers.

Make a customers life easier

Domino’s was early to let customers order online. Even before there was Uber Eats or Takeaway. And they kept innovating. Like the Pizzatracker, which allowed customers to track their order from the moment they clicked the ‘Place an Order’ button, until it arrived at their doorsteps. And still Domino’s continues to innovate to make it easy and fun for people to order pizza.

Keep innovating

Last year Domino’s opened their own ‘Innovation Garage’ in Ann Arbor, Michigan. There they developed, among other things, the Domino’s DXP. A vehicle designed exclusively for pizza delivery with a built-in oven to keep pizzas warm. I am very curious to see if we will see this in the Netherlands and what other initiatives will roll out.

Okay. To be completely fair. Domino’s is definitely not our favourite pizza. Just give us a classic and authentic Italian pizza, but they did a great job with their comeback. They’ve laid out a clear and straightforward story. They have listened carefully to users and they have continued to innovate. And well, sometimes you have to break with old traditions.