Domino’s Campaign Delivers

COVID-19 shook up staffing across industries. and restaurants have been particularly hard hit.

Many are dealing with staff shortages. For Domino’s Pizza, that means struggling to find delivery drivers.

Other companies have tackled these shortages by alerting customers during the ordering process, telling them to expect delays – and a subpar experience.

Domino’s didn’t do that. It turned to its marketing team.

The company created the Carryout Tips: Because You Earned It campaign encouraging people to pick up their own orders to combat employee losses. Through this campaign, any customer that picks up their own order can claim a $3 tip to use on their next online order.

Putting Customer Communications to Work

Not only is this marketing tactic a clever way to shift customer behavior and reduce delivery orders, it also communicates the larger issue to customers while building trust and engagement.

The campaign launched just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, when Domino’s typically sells about 2 million pizzas. With the expected surge in at-home viewers, the campaign garnered traction with media outlets covering takeout options for the big game.

It also signals to would-be Domino’s drivers that there’s an opportunity behind the wheel.

This isn’t the first time Domino’s has tackled COVID-19 and new restaurant realities with marketing. Earlier in the pandemic, it gave out $100,000 in gift cards to local restaurants as a way to push back against third-party delivery apps.

It’s also not the first time the pizza chain has incorporated poor experiences into its marketing efforts. It’s counterintuitive, but sometimes drawing attention to challenges can actually build a little trust and goodwill with customers.