Did Pizza Hut’s attempt to “knock down” Domino’s backfire?

At first glance, there’s a lot to like about Pizza Hut’s most recent campaign to launch their new loyalty program.

1. You could win FREE PIZZA FOR LIFE!
2. It broke a world record
3. It provided one seriously satisfying dominoes chain
4. It had a clever dig at the major competitor

With its corporate tongue stuck firmly in cheek, Pizza Hut took a brilliant swipe at its quickly encroaching competitor – Domino’s.

So, did it work?

The jury’s still out (campaign launched a month ago) but it’s not looking good. Looking at the social media response it seems customers used the campaign to complain about their negative experiences with Pizza Hut with some suggesting the video makes them feel like “ordering a Domino’s pizza”.

“Disruptive Marketing” or “Comparative Marketing” where brands name (and often shame) their competitors has been used by marketers for almost a century. It’s risky business and organisations that use this tact must be prepared for:

• A counter-attack – let’s just wait and see what Domino’s hits back with
• Customers to be turned off. It’s human nature to respond negatively to an unfair or mean-spirited attack
• Spending money to name a rival product and they gain from it

The battle of the pizza greats is far from over but who do you think won this round?

Allison