Tracking deliveries of all kinds is on everyone's radar

USA Today, July 27, 2009 — Dawn Pabst hates the wait for a pizza delivery. So after she orders a pepperoni pizza from the Domino's website, she never waits.

She tracks.

The Air Force technician from Las Vegas tracks the second-by-second status of her pizza via colorful, thermometer-like gauges at Dominos.com. She's one of millions of customers who monitor everything from order accuracy to the moment their pizza is prepped, baked, boxed or sent for delivery.

An Unwelcome Delivery

BusinessWeek, April 30, 2009 — Domino's Pizza has become the latest company to learn how quickly a brand can be tainted in a Web 2.0 world--and how important it is to monitor social media. On Apr. 13 a prank video made by two Domino's employees in North Carolina hit YouTube. In it, one of the pair sticks cheese up his nose and "sneezes" into a sandwich he's making--using that cheese. After Domino's learned (from a blogger) about the video, it issued a statement and created a Twitter account to answer questions. And in a YouTube message, Domino's USA President Patrick Doyle conveyed his outrage, announcing the impending arrest of the workers (who said they never delivered the befouled food), a scrubdown of the outlet, and extra vigilance in hiring.

What Domino's Did Right -- and Wrong -- in Squelching Hubbub over YouTube Video†

Pizza Purveyor Faulted for Waiting to Respond but Did Well in the End

Advertising Age, April 20, 2009 — Just how much damage two hooligans can do with a video camera is still unknown. But when the dust finally settles on Domino's Boogergate, it seems likely the pizza chain will be given credit for an effective, if somewhat sluggish, response. And the resulting public-relations crisis can be a valuable learning experience for marketers of every stripe.

"This is obviously a horrible story and every marketer's nightmare," said Rob Weisberg, VP-multimedia marketing at Domino's. "It's amazing to me that somebody in this day and age would think, 'Hey, I can do that and get away with it.'"

Social pizza ordering, with a side of gravanity

Springwise Newsletter, February 7, 2008 — It's not uncommon for pizza chains to let their customers order online or even via text message and the mobile web, but a new tool from Domino's adds a social element to the process. Michigan-based Domino's revamped its online presence last month as part of its "You Got 30 Minutes" brand re-launch campaign, including adding the new BFD Builder for custom online orders. Short for Big Fantastic Deal, the BFD Builder lets consumers create the pizza of their dreams—specifying the type of crust, the amount of sauce and cheese, and unlimited toppings—for a flat rate of USD 10.99.

Will a Twist on an Old Vow Deliver for Domino's Pizza?†

Wall Street Journal, December 17, 2007 — ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It's been 14 years since Domino's last promised to deliver a pizza to someone's door within 30 minutes, but that pledge is still stuck in many customers' heads. Now, the chain is trying to hearken back to that hardy ad campaign — this time without getting sued.