Domino?s Pizza is serving up a more human approach to digital customer service and brand persona with its multi-functional personal virtual ordering assistant, Dom.

In an effort to increase personalization, Domino?s created the voice ordering mobile application to differentiate the ordering experience from competitors and add a personal component to the brand image for consumers to recognize and enjoy. Dom the assistant has a slew of catchphrases for every customer, and accepts a multitude of order options.

?We?re introducing Dom to people for the first time, and the national commercial shows the convenience of our voice ordering and talking with Dom, but also has some fun with his responses,? said Chris Brandon, director of communications at Domino?s, Ann Arbor, MI. ?Not only will he be a great order-taker, but he?ll be fun to interact with.

?We?ll continue to use technology to give customers great ordering experience that?s convenient and unprecedented with other pizza and e-commerce companies.?

Increased features
Dom, sometimes referred to as the ?Siri? for the pizza industry, was launched as part of a new platform in June 2014. The national commercial currently running marks the first time he is officially being introduced to the public.

Dom is able to take orders for delivery or carryout, save Easy Orders and even suggest additional menu items to go with meals. He also can assist in finding coupons for deals.

When a customer orders on the app, the feature prevents the phone from going to sleep in order to ensure accuracy. Voice ordering is currently available in English only.

?Taking a fun approach to the responses shows that Domino?s has a pretty good sense of humor, which will of course help their image, and will keep you engaged and coming back to see what Dom will say on your next order,? said Mike Cochrane, sales director at Atimi, Vancouver, BC.

Dom is part of any Domino?s app, available on iOS and Android platforms.

?Digital ordering has grown to 45 percent of sales in the US, and mobile is the fastest growing method for us as far as ordering goes,? Domino's Mr. Brandon said. ?More and more people are using mobile, and we need to find ways to bring people to those channels.

?It?s more fun and enjoyable for customers as well. They can speak with Dom and have some fun. We hope that it?s a good experience for people.?

Extension of app
The personal voice ordering assistant is an extension of Domino?s mobile app, including features such as Domino?s Tracker, which follows the order from the minute it is placed as it journeys to a customer?s front door.

Creating a Pizza Profile to save recent orders and remember favorite items can help Dom make accurate suggestions. The Easy Order can also be connected with Ford Sync to enable quick, on-the-go ordering from the car.

?I can see people trying the voice feature as it will be especially advantageous when the customer is driving as it will enable them to order quickly and not distract them from the road,? Atimi's Mr. Cochrane said. ?It would also make things easier for the busy parent when their hands are full.?

The app contains location tracking so that Dom will know which nearest Domino?s to direct a customer?s order to.

The pizza brand is always looking for new ways to update the app, and plans to keep technology at the forefront of its marketing strategy.

?One of the things that has helped define Domino?s in the last few years is innovation,? Domino's Mr. Brandon said. ?Dom is a great example of technological innovation and how it?s going to help us offer convenience and interact with customers at a huge level.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York