Communication theory: Dodo Pizza

1. Introduction
2. Communication Channels
3. Theoretical Framework
4. Analysis
5. Conclusion & Recommendations
6. List of literature and sources of images

The company defines itself through five core values: accessibility, responsiveness, trust, openness, and quality. These values shape every part of the brand’s communication, from visual identity to customer service and social media tone. Unlike many fast-food brands that place the product on a pedestal, Dodo Pizza focuses on everyday human experiences. The brand believes customers return not only because of the food itself, but because of the comfort, convenience, and emotional connection surrounding it. Their communication therefore highlights real-life moments, relationships, and emotions instead of idealized product advertising.

The slogan divides the brand communication into two dimensions: Functionality — Dodo guarantees quality ingredients, fast delivery, and a smooth customer experience. Emotion — the brand positions itself as supportive, warm, and attentive, almost like a reliable friend present in people’s daily lives.

The target audience is broad, but the communication strategy adapts to different life situations rather than strict demographic groups. Dodo focuses on moments: eating alone after work, sharing food with friends, or gathering with family. This human-centered positioning makes the brand feel approachable and relatable.

The brand actively communicates through social media platforms and online advertising banners on platforms such as Yandex and Google, as well as physical banners on buildings and bus stops. Their media communication is intentionally short, clear, and visually engaging, allowing users to instantly understand the message.

Dodo carefully selects partnerships that reflect the brand’s values and fit naturally into everyday culture. Rather than simply placing logos together, collaborations are integrated into storytelling worlds that audiences already recognize.

When Dodo Pizza approached Yandex with an incentive to collaborate, an interesting decision was made. By utilizing Yandex.maps service, a pizzeria icon was placed all around the cities of Russia. Clicking on it opens the game, which features an interactive city with 10 hidden items, all of which can be ordered from Dodo. Players must find all 10 items to win a prize.

As for more hands-on collaborations, futuristic campaigns inspired by cyberpunk aesthetics presented Dodo as part of the «pizza experience of the future». This reinforces their goal of creating a more demanding, proactive audience. The campaign did so well, in fact, people started reselling empty cyberpunk boxes.

For collaboration for the release of Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film, not only did Dodo Pizza come up with a special combo in a themed box and a stickerpack, but also changed the design of the product card in their app. Unlike all other cards, the Dune combo had a desert background with a parallax effect, which instantly caught the eye of the customers.

Customer interaction is one of Dodo Pizza’s strongest communication tools. The brand avoids excessive slang or artificial friendliness, adapting its tone depending on the customer’s mood and communication style. If a customer is formal, the brand responds formally; if the customer jokes, the brand may respond humorously. This flexible conversational style creates the impression of genuine dialogue rather than scripted customer service, supporting the company’s people-centered identity.

The Elaboration Likelihood Model, brought up by Richard E. Petty and John Cacioppo, is a dual-process theory explaining how messages are able to change attitudes through two routes: Central route — audiences carefully analyze detailed information and arguments. Peripheral route — audiences rely on emotional cues, visuals, colors, or atmosphere rather than deep analysis. This theory is useful for analyzing Dodo Pizza because the brand combines rational messages about convenience and quality with emotional storytelling and visual symbolism.

The Excellence Theory is a widely recognized framework in public relations developed by James E. Grunig. The core idea is that effective PR builds mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with stakeholders through two-way, symmetrical communication. It posits that ethical, strategic, and balanced communication is crucial for organizational success. This framework is particularly relevant to Dodo Pizza’s customer service style, personalized replies, and interactive social media communication.

Upon encountering a new market in the MENA region, they had to figure out how to cater to this new audience. Instead of using division by age or gender, Dodo Pizza focuses on the situation the customer is experiencing. They start by using the JTBD (Jobs to be done) framework and conduct research to anylize the core motive behind purchasing a product. They analyze: the context of the purchase, the customer’s motivation, the expected emotional outcome, and possible barriers to ordering.

After that they use the central route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model because communication is built around meaningful customer needs and real-life problem solving.

And, at the same time, Dodo utilizes peripheral persuasion cues through color psychology. Different communication categories are visually separated: Yellow represents individual experiences («For You») because it attracts attention quickly and symbolizes energy and optimism. Orange, the core brand color, represents family and warmth. Green is used for communication with friends because it feels neutral, modern, and socially comfortable.

Dodo Pizza intentionally avoids artificial advertising aesthetics, including editing photos in post, over polished fake models of food and fake poses for their models. Instead, the company creates realistic scenes featuring people of different ages, professions, and appearances. The focus is rarely on the food itself. Instead, the visuals emphasize the customer’s lifestyle through contextual details such as books, laptops, gym bags, or everyday environments. This strategy acts as a strong peripheral cue within the Elaboration Likelihood Model. Audiences emotionally connect with authentic situations because they recognize themselves in the imagery.

Dodo Pizza’s social media communication strongly reflects the Two-Way Symmetrical Model. The company adjusts its responses depending on the customer’s tone, emotional state, and communication style. This adaptability strengthens customer trust because users feel heard and respected individually. The company acknowledges the risk of being lied to by the customer, but they aim to keep an empathic approach to dealing with whatever issues they have.

The company should utilize the voting function on their social media to make their customers choose which meals or collaboratioins they should add to their menu next. For example, a korean fast food chain Chicko does this regularly, allowing the audience to pick their favorite fandomm after which they create a specialty menu and sell for a limited time. Such actions create engagement and feel more like a place for subculture gatherings than just a brand merging with other brand.