A new look accompanied by a brand campaign, 'It Happens Only with Pizza' (IHOP) is what’s the latest happening at the QSR major,  Domino's India; this is part of the brand’s endeavour to be in sync with today’s youth – the Gen Z,  Domino’s target audience.

Sandeep Anand, EVP and CMO, Domino’s India says, “This is a natural evolution for any brand that aims to appeal to the youth. Every five years, there is a generational shift, new trends come into the market, the aspirations of the youth, their likes and dislikes evolve and we as a brand are very conscious of these changes.” Anand highlights that Domino’s understands the Gen Zs, their struggles and challenges, and what can help them move forward in life.  Anand states, “As a brand, Domino’s understands GenZs because we talk the same language, we understand their struggles and tensions and how getting a good meal actually elevates their mood and gets them back on track. We are positioning Domino’s as the go-to meal which Gen Zs love. Pizza is the go-to food which can deliver this promise. There are a plethora of situations where a pizza can be a catalyst to change the mood and bring life back on track. That is the proposition which Domino as a brand wants to play in consumer’s life.”

The food service market in India is estimated to be $51 billion strong, with pizza cornering just a $1 billion slice. While Domino’s is a leader in pizza category, through ‘It Happens Only with Pizza’, the company intends to target consumers' mindshare to gain and grow share of pizza occasions. The company estimates that out of 1000 meal occasions in a year, pizza is consumed only thrice and the campaign aims for Domino’s to gain share of occasions, particularly among its TG.

The new avatar extends to a 360-degree new communication, including in-stores, and packaging/delivery boxes to bring an integrated experience to the consumer. The aim to position Domino's as the ultimate choice for creating memorable experiences and fostering connections, all centred on the shared love for pizza, is evident through all touch points.

The new vibrant packaging shows the brand's intent to elevate unique moments and occasions as ‘a fam jam celebration’, ‘love at first slice’ or even the ‘matchday madness’ with the presence of pizza. The online ordering app has seen an overhaul, making customer experience and the ordering process seamless and easier.

The classic customer perception of Domino’s India has been of pizza delivery; this is also reflected in sales as media reports state that dine-in comprises 37% of Domino’s India’s business. Challenges such as increased competition – both from established QSR brands and local players – and inflationary pressures are also forcing players to change tactics. An elevated customer dine-in experience could be growth driver for dine-in revenues.

Anand highlights the two key criteria’s for dine-in: the food offering and experience. He says that while Domino’s doesn’t have any challenges on the first criteria - due to the quality of food and extensive menu, it was the ‘experience part which translated into actionable for the company. The new look will be seen in all the old Domino’s stores which are being refurbished and ‘reimagined’ in tandem with the new store launches to give a superior dining experience to consumers. The company has a strong and extensive network of 1,888 Domino’s stores across 397 cities in India and typically Domino’s opens over 200 stores every fiscal year in the country.

Talking about the media strategy Domino’s India has adopted a three-leg strategy. Anand states, “Today, any Gen-Z focused campaign relies heavily on Digital and we will be heavily over-indexed on Digital even vis-a-vis past campaigns versus industry trends. Even our new anthem first broke on Digital before Television. That’s the approach we have taken with this campaign and will also take in future campaigns which will be digital-first.”

In addition to Digital, Social and Influencers will play a big led in driving awareness and amplification of this campaign. The third leg of the campaign is Impact and in a first for the QSR industry in India, Domino’s recently brought alive a 3D anamorphic billboards where elements of the new packaging were brought to life with a visual spectacle featuring larger-than-life representations of key IHOP moments, mirroring the new packaging design to enhance brand recognition. The activation held in a Delhi mall received significant traction from consumers.  Anand reiterates, “Digital-first, Social & Influencer and impact properties are the three pillars of awareness for this campaign.”

The move to being over-indexed on Digital has primarily happened over the last five years when the digital spends were less than 10% of the ad-spends. Anand says, “Today, in certain cases digital spends can be as high as 50% also. This has happened for a couple of reasons. One, digital allows you for a sharper targeting of your TG. If you are targeting a particular cohort that is very easily done through digital. Two, viewing has also shifted. The cord cutters in India as a population is increasing year-on-year. That has an impact in terms of the brand strategy and also how you target people. The third is digital at this point in time is slightly more economical versus say television in some cases. These are the three reasons why digital as a percentage has been increasing in the last five years.”