#1 pizza brand: when people think of pizza, they think of us first, and only then of the category

In the spring of 2018, Dodo Pizza launched its first nationwide television advertising campaign. Following the campaign, approximately 20% of Russians named Dodo as the top brand in the pizza delivery category.

Large-scale campaigns on national TV channels helped us secure this leading position. At the end of 2018, we increased our contributions to the federal marketing fund from 1% to 3% — a decision supported by a majority of our partners.

Over the past period, thanks to our new campaigns, we have increased this figure to 37%, climbing to the top spot in the ranking of the most recognizable chains. It’s now official: Dodo Pizza is the number one pizza brand in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus.

The graph from the public survey report shows the percentage of respondents who named the brand first in response to the question "Which pizza delivery chains do you know?":

A strong brand is one where customers haven’t even gotten hungry yet, but their minds are already recalling a specific sign and taste. It’s not about the logo or a fancy commercial. It’s about the fact that, amid the chaos of choice, people automatically choose us — because it’s simpler, more reliable, and more reassuring.

In the pizza market, no one sits around comparing brands in spreadsheets. People are tired, hungry, and want to satisfy their craving with just a couple of clicks. A strong brand shortens the path:

• the customer isn’t looking for a place to eat; they remember a specific name;
• they don’t spend time reading reviews — they already have trust by default;
• they don’t experiment during important moments—birthdays, get-togethers with friends, or office orders—because they’re afraid of messing them up.

This eliminates hundreds of small doubts that kill conversion: «Will it be tasty?», «Will I get food poisoning?», «Will they deliver on time?». With a brand you trust, all these questions disappear even before the first click.

A weak brand has to prove its worth every single time: through price, promotions, or promises. A strong brand thrives on a head start in trust:

• you can sell a new product to a customer without lengthy explanations — they’ll try it because Dodo came up with it, so it must be good;
• it’s easier for partners to agree on leases, terms, and marketing — we’ve been around for a while, so we’re reliable.

The Dodo brand already functions as a label: «this is a safe bet», «you won’t be ripped off here», «if anything goes wrong, they’ll fix it». This reduces anxiety, and anxiety is the main enemy of a purchase.

Without a brand, price is your only tool. Today we offer a 30% discount, tomorrow a competitor offers 40%, and the day after tomorrow we’re both in the red with exhausted staff. A strong brand allows you to:

• maintain a healthy margin without constant sales;
• sell not just quantity and cheapness, but experience, reliability, and predictability.

People are willing to pay a little more if they’re confident they’ll get a predictable result. This is especially true in the food service industry, because food and comfort are always about safety.

For a brandless chain, all customers are one-time visitors. They come in today and are forgotten by tomorrow. With a strong brand:

• repeat orders increase — it’s easier to click a familiar button;
• the average check goes up — first they order a pizza, then add dessert and drinks because they know it’s reliable;
• mistakes are more easily forgiven — if one order arrives 10 minutes late, it’s not the end of the world, just a one-time glitch.

Loyalty is when a guest is willing to give you a second chance. With a nameless café, people usually don’t give a second chance. With a strong brand, we have the right to make human errors, because overall, we maintain high standards.

Opening a new café under the Dodo brand isn’t about whether the location will survive or not, but about how many months it will take us to hit our targets. The brand brings the following benefits:

• brand recognition — people in the new neighborhood have already seen you in ads, on social media, or in another city;
• standards — the team quickly learns to work according to the chain’s established practices, not just however they can;
• marketing — we don’t have to build our communication strategy from scratch; we use a proven system.

For investors and partners, this reduces risk: they’re not investing in a single corner shop, but in a large system that’s already operating in other locations.

It’s easy to copy a product: just look at the menu, copy the prices, and replicate the promotions. It’s easy to copy advertising: just take a photo and use the same fonts. But you can’t copy the Dodo brand, because it’s made up of:

• history and reputation;
• consistency in products and service;
• a recognizable tone, visual style, and behavior during crises.

As a result, there may be a dozen chains on the market with similar menus and prices, but people will have only one or two favorites in mind. A strong brand ensures that pizza is associated first with us, and only then with the category.