The strategic objective of this campaign was to achieve a 30 percent increase in sales for Domino's in fiscal 2023 while fostering strong brand affinity and competitive advantage. It aimed to strike a balance between brand marketing and performance targets. The brand faced challenges such as budget constraints and heightened competition in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) sector, exacerbated by the post-COVID-19 landscape.
Objective
Key performance areas, including sales growth, return on advertising spend (ROAS), TV ROI, ad-generated revenue, brand conversion, budget allocation, market prioritization, effectiveness and performance modeling, and multi-touch attribution models, were measured to evaluate the campaign's success. These metrics allowed for a comprehensive assessment of the campaign's impact on sales, brand perception, and marketing efficiency.
Objectives were assessed considering variations and dynamics. Data analytics and modeling played a crucial role in accurately measuring these key performance areas and optimizing media strategies to achieve the campaign's ambitious goals.
Context
The Domino's advertising strategy was a kind of a perpetual campaign. It was based on always maintaining a continuous presence across offline (particularly TV) and online media channels.
This resulted in unoptimized expenditure, leaving the brand unaware of the campaign's efficacy.
This campaign has allowed the brand to leverage the wealth of insights and knowledge acquired, as well as systematically ingrain effectiveness into every facet of the planning process — encompassing purchasing strategies, audience segmentation, and market targeting."
Creative and Media Strategy
The intended target audience for this campaign was the customers of Domino's in India. This included individuals who had ordered from Domino's or had been customers before the pandemic. The campaign also targeted individuals who had not yet tried Domino's but were potential customers.
Demographically, the target audience consisted of a wide range of age groups, from young adults to families, as Domino's caters to various demographics. The primary commonality among them would be their location in India and their previous behavior, either as existing customers or as potential customers in the QSR sector.
The audience was characterized by their dining habits, with an emphasis on convenience and fast food and preference for digital engagement and ordering through apps.
The creative and media strategies aligned to effectively engage with the audience. The media strategy employed data-driven insights to target and measure campaign impact. The brand optimized channel choices, shifting resources from TV to digital, catering to changing consumer behavior. Further, the company continuously adapted the brand communications strategy based on real-time results, fine-tuning campaigns for maximum impact. Different markets received tailored approaches, reflecting local consumer behaviors and competitive landscapes, ensuring a cohesive yet adaptable campaign.
Execution relied heavily on enabling technology for data analytics, audience targeting, and real-time optimization. A substantial portion, approximately 40 percent, of the campaign budget was allocated to mobile/digital due to shifting consumer habits and the need for precise targeting. The overall campaign budget was confidential, but this allocation to digital allowed for more efficient spending, precise audience targeting, and real-time adjustments, contributing significantly to the campaign's success.
The campaign integrated channel and enabling technology seamlessly into the marketing strategy. It employed a sophisticated approach by leveraging data analytics, performance modeling, and multi-touch attribution models. These technologies provided granular insights into audience behavior, allowing for precise audience targeting and efficient spending.
The channel and enabling technology brought real-time optimization capabilities to the campaign, something traditional marketing channels couldn't match. It allowed for adjustments on the fly based on performance data.
The technology was well-matched to specific markets and demographics. For instance, it identified the best digital and social platforms for brand and performance campaigns based on metrics like app installations and usage, tailoring the strategy to the preferences of each market segment.
Technology was fully leveraged, enabling the campaign to achieve a 30 percent surge in sales, a 16 percent increase in ad-generated revenue, and a 25 percent improvement in TV ROI. This showcased the campaign's ability to harness data-driven insights and measurement, making it a standout example of leveraging technology for marketing success.
Before the effort began, the state of the client's business in the QSR category was facing several challenges. The post-COVID-19 landscape had brought about a shift in consumer behavior. There was a sudden influx of competing brands and offers, resulting in a challenging environment for the brand client, Domino's. The prevalence of orders and in-house dining had dwindled, and marketing budgets had shrunk in proportion to declining revenues.
Results included:
The impact of the campaign and enabling technology on future utilization in the client's business was significant. It transformed the way they approached media planning and spending, emphasizing data-driven insights and measurement. The campaign's success provided a blueprint for deploying advanced analytics solutions across other brands. The best practices honed during the campaign could be adapted for other brands or incorporated into new business pitches, ensuring continued success in the evolving landscape of the QSR industry. This campaign not only achieved short-term goals but also set a precedent for long-term success by optimizing media investment and delivering quantifiable impact.
The campaign was innovative in its use of data analytics and measurement solutions to optimize media spending. It recalibrated the client's approach by shifting from an "always-on" strategy to a more data-driven and efficient one.
Moreover, consumers received the campaign positively, as evidenced by the substantial increase in sales and brand conversion. By delivering relevant and engaging messages through the right channels, the campaign resonated with the target audience, enhancing brand perception and driving sales growth.
