Telepathic ordering? Learn how this pizza chain took advantage of one of today’s most popular TV series! [Thursday: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing]
Miles Everson’s Business Builder Daily speaks to the heart of what great marketers, business leaders, and other professionals need to succeed in advertising, communications, managing their investments, career strategy, and more.
A Note from Miles Everson:
Have you heard about the term, “guerrilla marketing”?
If you haven’t yet, allow us to give you a brief overview: Guerrilla marketing is a captivating and typically budget-friendly marketing tactic that amazes individuals with innovative promotional initiatives.
I personally love such stunts because they prove that you don’t have to always stick by the traditional or conventional rules in advertising a brand or a product.
Let’s discuss an example of this strategy. Curious to learn about today’s guerrilla marketing feature?
Read more below to discover how this unique marketing tactic revolutionized how people THINK about food delivery.
Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute
Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing
Domino’s Pizza is a multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960. As of February 2023, it is the largest pizza chain in the world, with over 18,900 stores in over 90 countries.
Domino’s is known for its fast delivery service, and its pizzas are typically made to order and be delivered within 30 minutes. The company offers a variety of flavors, including traditional favorites like pepperoni and cheese, as well as more unique options like the Chicken Bacon Ranch and Hawaiian.
To further showcase its expertise in food delivery service, Domino’s gave users a mind-boggling pizza delivery experience as part of its collaboration with Netflix.
What did Domino’s call it?
The Mind Ordering App!
Photo from Bloody Disgusting
In May 2022, Domino’s collaborated with Netflix to celebrate the fourth season of “Stranger Things,” the 1980s-themed horror-fantasy series about a group of young individuals in Hawkins, Indiana.
The series follows the story of a group of children as they investigate the disappearance of one of their friends and uncover a secret government laboratory, a terrifying supernatural force, and a young girl with extraordinary powers.
Following the concept of “Stranger Things” season 4, Domino’s introduced the Mind Ordering App that allowed viewers to role-play as super-powered test subjects by ordering pizzas using their minds. Alongside this imaginative engagement, users unknowingly found themselves participating in real-world testing for new tech that Domino’s could use in its delivery apps.
After the app’s launch on May 16, 2022, Kate Trumbull, Domino’s Senior Vice President of Brand and Product Innovation, said:
“Is mind ordering real? At Domino’s, it absolutely is! Domino’s customers and ‘Stranger Things’ fans can now channel their inner Eleven by using telekinetic powers to order pizza with their mind.
We’re geeked to launch this first-of-its-kind mind ordering app, just in time for the premiere of ‘Stranger Things’ new season. Now, hungry customers and ‘Stranger Things’ fans across the U.S. will get a taste of what it’s like to be Eleven, and they may find some hidden surprises along the way, such as the Noid or Demogorgon.”
To use the Domino’s Mind Ordering App, which still works today in the U.S., one must have a Pizza Profile with a pre-saved Easy Order. The app then analyzes users’ facial gestures and tracks their eyes to select a pizza for them. If the user doesn’t have a Domino’s Easy Order, they can still explore the Hawkins National Lab within the app for entertainment without making an order.
Domino’s promoted the mind-controlled ordering feature with a video featuring actors Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin and Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas from “Stranger Things.”
Was the Domino’s Mind Ordering App a success?
YES!
Currently, the Mind Ordering App has more than 330 thousand downloads from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The promotional video for the app gained over 8 million views, and resulted in 820 million earned impressions. The company’s website also had 1.7 million visits from the QR codes printed on the pizza boxes ordered through the Mind Ordering App.
What else?
Domino’s Mind Ordering App was named FWA (Favourite Website Award) of the Day by the Favourite Website Awards in 2022. The FWA of the Day award is given to cutting-edge and visionary projects from individuals, agencies, and brands ranked by the FWA jury.
The app also received a Silver Pencil Award from The One Show in 2023, a highly respected awards show in advertising, design, and digital marketing worldwide.
Congratulations, Domino’s!
What lessons can be drawn from this guerrilla marketing stunt?
Domino’s utilized the power of creative collaboration. The brand tapped into an existing fanbase by joining forces with a cultural phenomenon like “Stranger Things.” Such partnerships can enhance brand visibility and reach while providing consumers with a unique and exciting experience.
Additionally, Domino’s Mind Ordering App is an excellent example of interactive engagement. Brands can learn from Domino’s by creating campaigns encouraging active participation and role-play, both of which foster deeper connections with consumers.
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In an age where keeping up with technology is essential, Domino’s showcased itself as a tech-savvy brand by incorporating facial recognition and eye-tracking technology into its app. This shows brands should not shy away from leveraging cutting-edge technology since it captures consumers’ interest and showcases a commitment to innovation, thereby enhancing brand perception.
Besides, Domino’s strategic timing of the app’s launch, coinciding with the season 4 premiere of “Stranger Things,” illustrates the significance of tiimng in marketing. Brands should consider aligning their campaigns with popular events, trends, or cultural phenomena to maximize relevance and impact.
The key takeaway?
Embrace innovation and creative thinking! By thinking outside the box and pushing the boundaries of traditional marketing, you and your brand can also captivate your target audience, create a buzz, and leave a lasting impression.
We hope you find today’s topic both inspiring and enlightening as you navigate the exciting world of guerrilla marketing!
(This article is from The Business Builder Daily, a newsletter by The I Institute in collaboration with MBO Partners.)
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Thursdays: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing”
Jay Conrad Levinson (1984) said that Guerrilla Marketing “works because it’s simple to appreciate, easy to execute, and inexpensive.”
Guerrilla Marketing is unconventional.
Looking beyond the traditional ways of advertising, marketers, and advertisers need to spice things up in order for their brand to have campaigns that not only make an impact but also stick to their target market’s mind.
Guerrilla Marketing usually aims to have direct contact with consumers.
This type of direct contact should spark an emotional reaction that leads to consumers effectively remembering the brand.
It’s about making a big impression and making that impression last a long time (if not forever).
Guerrilla Marketing can be inexpensive.
The effect of this is being able to create a buzz around the brand, and the strategy used to market it. Almost everything is passed around through word-of-mouth.
Word-of-mouth is one of the greatest outcomes and it usually doesn’t cost anything.
This is every business’ or brand’s dream!
Every Thursday, we publish tips, examples, and other useful content on unconventional ways of marketing and promotion.
Learn more about how to grab your target market’s attention and make an amazing first and lasting impression without having to spend a lot of money.
Businesses don’t really need to spend much for a guerrilla campaign. You do not need a big budget to be successful. You just need creativity and a good imagination.
Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing!
Cheers,
Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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