Domino's to roll out new ad campaign, increases ad budget

New Delhi: The Indian subsidiary of the US-based Domino’s Pizza India is planning to launch a virtual media blitzkrieg backed by a huge advertising budget.

This comes after a year of relative calm on the part of the company during which Domino’s has been consolidating itself, according to Domino’s India managing director Arvind Nair.

Indications that the global pizza chain was planning a big campaign were revealed when, a month ago, the company shifted its advertising account from Equus to Contract Advertising and was rumoured to have increased its ad budget as well.

While the company does not want to reveal the exact size of the revised budget, reliable sources say Domino’s intends to spend about Rs 20 crore on advertising over the next one year against a measly Rs 1.5-crore spent on advertising last year.

Therefore, starting this week, a Rs 6-crore print / TV campaign, is all set to be break, announcing the launch of Domino’s new 2003 menu comprising Garlic Breadsticks and Mexican Red Wave pizza to provide an international flavour and Keema do Pyaaza and Paneer do Pyaaza to tickle local taste buds.

All 90 outlets of Domino’s in 24 cities across the country will offer the new items on the menu and, as per Nair, the new products should yield a jump of 10 to 12 per cent in Domino’s sales over the next six months. The new campaign also stresses Domino’s ‘convenience’ positioning with a new tagline FunChaleNonstop while the old Hungry Kya baseline is also being retained.

The pizza chain is also expected to launch three more campaigns during the year. Besides that, a large part of the ad budget will be spent on local store marketing initiatives as well.

Domino’s has laid out extensive marketing initiatives and expansion plans for the future. It is said to be adopting concepts like Door Hangers, which is a part of its direct marketing plans, with the objective of reaching out to a wider audience and to spur greater volumes. As part of this, Domino’s will circulate leaflets to houses located in the vicinity of any Domino’s Pizza outlet.

In order to enhance its brand visibility of the new innovative concept, the company will display the Door Hangers on point-of-sale and at merchandising levels at the retail-end to trigger consumer purchase. Expansion plans include increasing the number of outlets from 90 to 100 in 2003, with an investment of Rs 50 lakh in setting up each outlet.

Since its inception in India in 1996, Domino’s Pizza has relied exclusively on the home delivery concept. As part of its marketing innovations Domino’s initiated the single countrywide helpline concept, as part of which customers can order pizzas by calling the single countrywide number called Hunger Helpline.

Domino’s Pizza India is promoted by the Vam Organic group, which divested 26 per cent of its stake to an investment banking company, Chase Manhattan, a year ago.