ANN ARBOR, MI: Domino’s Pizza is focusing its communications on innovation with the chain riding high after its most recent quarterly earnings report.
Domino’s posted 10.5% revenue growth in the third quarter, as well as a 16% increase in profit. Shares were up 13% this month, reaching a record high on Wednesday afternoon, and the chain opened 160 stores in the period, according to CNNMoney.
And while the pizza chain has long been perceived favorably by college students, it has revamped its menu in the four-plus years since it launched a campaign criticizing the quality of its own food.
Chris Brandon, director of external communications at Domino’s, said the company isn’t "big on taking too many victory laps," which is why it is focused on figuring out the brand’s next big idea.
"You’re only as good as your next innovation, and that’s certainly true in the ever-evolving world of technology," he explained. "So that’s what we’re most excited about right now as far as what’s going to get us to the next chapter for our brand."
By focusing on technology such as its mobile and digital initiatives, Domino’s will try to make it easier for customers to access, order from, and interact with the company, Brandon added.
While the brand has apps for smartphones and tablets, including an order-by-voice app that launched a few weeks ago, Brandon said Domino’s wants to "continue to grow and develop and innovate."
In terms of paid advertising, it has recently focused on promoting the voice-ordering application.
The brand continues to handle communications in-house, and almost all social media is managed internally with some support from the brand’s creative firm, CP+B, he said.
On social media, Domino’s tone and personality is fun and witty, Brandon said.
Last Halloween, we all accidentally wore the same thing. #SoEmbarrassing #HalloweenFail pic.twitter.com/1cfnD6qmhR
— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) October 16, 2014
Brandon added that while social platforms have helped Domino’s engage fans in fun ways, they have also evolved into a primary channel for customer care. The brand has educated its staff about customer care so it always has experts "combing through" social to make sure they handle problems immediately, he said.
In the near future, Brandon said Domino’s will leverage its senior executives for thought-leadership, particularly to talk about the brand’s self-critical campaign five years ago as a successful case study. The chain will also continue to focus on international growth, which has recently outpaced that of the US, he said.
