Talking Technology with Christopher Thomas-Moore

By Barbie Romero, senior manager of committees and conferences, ANA

ANA

Ahead of his presentation at the 2019 ANA Digital and Social Media Conference, Presented by Meredith, Christopher Thomas-Moore, VP of global e-commerce and digital marketing at Domino's, sat down with Barbie Romero, ANA to discuss the Domino's journey through the world of marketing technology.

Q. Since Domino's product turnaround, how has technology played a role in enhancing the consumer journey?

The "New and Inspired" campaign was a pivotal milestone for our brand. It forced an internal conversation around continuous improvement and a shift toward a more customer-centric approach to managing the brand. This mentality became pervasive through all aspects of the organization, including our approach toward technology. The backbone of our e-commerce program is an iterative learning "engine" that is driven by a ton of A/B testing. We let are letting the voice and actions of our customer dictate much of our design and innovations.

Q. How did Domino's come up with the idea to reward loyalty points for all pizza (including competitors) to its consumers?

The idea came from the purest place of wanting to celebrate the love of pizza. We at Domino's LOVE pizza and we are happiest when we know other people have the same love for the category as we do. So we wanted to find a way to celebrate the love for pizza collectively. The team thought long and hard about how we could accomplish this, and the result was to reward pizza lovers in the same way as we have rewarded our faithful Domino's lovers, with points. And thus begun, Points for Pies.

Q. What advice do you have for marketers pitching their innovative ideas to senior leadership especially when it involves new technologies and risk?

To me, innovations are best when they address a customer need or tension and have financial merit. The combination of the two makes it really hard for someone to argue against your pitch. But having solid and well thought through analysis that informs your innovation from both angles is key. I find marketers sometimes lean in one or the other, versus a dual approach.

Q. What are some technology trends you see marketers embracing for 2020?

AI and voice technologies will continue to become more common parts of how we do business. Though adoption has yet reached full maturity, the trajectory is undebatable. Marketers should continue to think critically on how these technologies can and will impact their business and test into the best application of these technologies within their organizations. Early adoption here means more time to refine what works best for you.