• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, April 2, 2018

With physical and concept expansions broadening consumers’ options and heightening competition, pizza brands are duking it out like never before.

According to the latest Pizza Consumer Trend Report from Technomic, the limited-service pizza industry’s sales grew 3.7%, and its physical units grew 0.9%, in 2017.

“With new variations such as fast casual build-your-own concepts, retail options, and a proliferation of regional pizzas, operators and suppliers must find unique ways to stand out while remaining authentic to their brand and pizza recipes,” the research firm sums up. Offering more “authentic” menu options, better crusts and new toppings are one strategy. 

But the competition has also spawned a sort of arms race, wherein majors and even some smaller brands are rushing to offer ever more convenient ordering and delivery/pickup options — as well as an expanding array of ways to amass rewards points good toward free pizza and other items. More points drive more loyalty program sign-ups, and more use of the programs, which also give a brand more information to for one-to-one promotions targeting.

Case in point: Last September, Domino’s Pizza became the first national chain to begin offering points for phone and in-store orders, as well as online orders, for members of its Piece of the Pie rewards program.

Now, the brand has launched a mobile game that can be used to win points — and is also thematically tied into a new TV ad (below) promoting the points-for-in-store-orders expansion.

Like the TV spot, the game features a Rube Goldberg machine highlighting different ways to order from Domino’s.

Each section presents players with pizza-themed challenges, like guiding a pizza-cutter car along a track in a race against the clock. Players who beat all six levels of the game will receive 10 rewards bonus points toward free pizza when they place their next qualifying ($10 or more) order. 

The game is a free download on iTunes or Google Play.