Photo courtesy of Domino’s
October 8, 2025
Does Domino’s Need a Deep Brand Refresh?
Pizza fans may be interested with the most recent news coming from chain pizzeria Domino’s: The company has announced a brand refresh seeking to “make every aspect of the brand as delicious as it’s pizza,” according to an Oct. 8 press release.
Noting that it’s the first brand refresh engaged by Domino’s in 13 years, the press release indicated that brighter colors, a new typeface and graphical representation, more vivid packaging materials, and jingle coming from five-time Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Shaboozey are part and parcel of the effort.
Planned touchpoints over the next few months include television and digital ad campaigns, changes to its website and app, all boxes and print materials, and even employee uniforms.
Kate Trumbull, Domino’s executive vice president – global chief marketing officer, spoke on the brand refresh’s impetus.
“Over the past decade, we became known as a technology company that happens to sell pizza,” Trumbull said.
“But with our Hungry for MORE strategy, we’re bringing the focus back to making and delivering the most delicious products and experience, which is what Domino’s customers really want. Rather than launching a more traditional tagline, we’re baking craveability right into our name and every aspect of our brand as a reminder of this relentless focus. You literally can’t say ‘Domino’s’ without saying ‘mmm,’” she added.
As CNN noted, the focus on the “mmm” phonetic (and the associated “Dommmino’s” expression running as a throughline) is intentional, given that the rebranding push will see release in 12 international markets — and that the “mmm” sound can readily be translated through various languages.
“Even a baby can say, ‘mmm,’” Trumbull told CNN.
The outlet cited senior retail and e-commerce analyst Zak Stambor as underscoring that, while undertaking a brand refresh can be risky for established brands, Domino’s appears to be on the right track — even if the campaign doesn’t move the needle too much.
“[Domino’s] new look feels modern while staying true to its core identity. While this refresh probably won’t drive a big sales bump, it keeps Domino’s one step ahead instead of one step behind,” Stambor suggested.
Domino’s Brand Refresh Follows Strong Q2 Results
What’s interesting about the pizza maker’s push to redefine its public image is that Domino’s has been on a hot streak of late, showing strength in its Q2 2025 sales figures. Global retail sales growth trended up by 5.6%, U.S. same-store sales improved by 3.4%, and global net store count grew by 178, with 30 of these being stateside.
So, if sales are exhibiting strength and everything is on-track, what’s the motive behind a comprehensive action plan aimed at revamping the brand identity?
Trumbull tackled this question head on, highlighting the pizza chain’s recent high notes in terms of sales performance and explaining the timing of the brand refresh.
“Most companies rebrand themselves when they’re struggling, but after years of category-defying growth, this refresh is about continuing to push to be the best version of ourselves. It’s vibrant, it’s bold, and it’s fun. It’s pizza!” she said.
Discussion Questions
Is now the right time for Domino’s to engage in a significant brand refresh? Why or why not?
What elements of the brand refresh, in your opinion, are the most appealing? Conversely, which elements are the least interesting?
Will this brand refresh drive a notable increase in sales?
Poll
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Georganne Bender
Principal, KIZER & BENDER Speaking
Perry Kramer
Managing Partner, Retail Consulting Partners
Scott Benedict
Founder & CEO, Benedict Enterprises LLC
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It’s no secret that the QSR and restaurant market has been struggling, especially in terms of volumes. However, Domino’s has bucked these trends and has posted a string of solid performance numbers. This means the rebrand is being made from a position of strength rather than as a desperate attempt to drive relevance. As for the refresh, I think it is important to keep a brand sharp and to ensure presentation looks modern. The design of a pizza box may not drive sales directly, but it contributes to the tone of the brand and customers’ feelings about it.
I believe now is exactly the right time for Domino’s to embark on a brand refresh. The company is coming from a position of strength—solid same-store sales growth, expanding global footprint, and a resilient digital business—rather than reacting to decline. That makes this a proactive move to stay culturally relevant and visually contemporary, not a defensive one. After more than a decade with the same look and feel, Domino’s is wise to reinvigorate its brand while consumers still see it as strong and familiar.
The most appealing aspect of the refresh is how it leans into “craveability” at every level—from the subtle “mmm” in the logo to the bolder colors, modernized typefaces, and updated digital and in-store touchpoints. It’s a cohesive expression that reinforces appetite appeal while maintaining brand recognition. The one element I find less compelling is the jingle; audio branding can easily come across as gimmicky if not executed carefully, and Domino’s already enjoys a strong identity without it.
In terms of sales impact, this refresh is unlikely to drive a sudden surge in orders—but that’s not the point. This is a long-term brand health play designed to sustain momentum, deepen emotional connection, and keep Domino’s top-of-mind in an increasingly crowded quick-service market. It’s about evolution, not reinvention—and Domino’s is playing it smart by refreshing its image while it’s still winning.
Proclamation like this are always wrong. If Domino’s has a problem it is claiming relates to “brand” then the problem starts with their product, how it is delivered, the value customers find in it, and the ways they communicate about it. A proclamation about brand leads to window dressing unrelated to this things which matter greatly. While appearances matter, whether customers find the product valuable in ways leading to enough demand matters far more. Apparently, at this time Dominos has a problem with whether customers find enough value that is meaningful in their lives.
Now may or may not be the best time for a “significant brand refresh”, but not to worry: it doesn’t sound like this is one. ( I hardly call new colours and typefaces “significant”) Domino’s is synonomous with inexpensive and (IMHO overly) cheesy pizza – in several meanings of the word – and as long as there’s a market for that they’ll do OK. Longer term one wonders if one day there might not be a market for that, but that’s a distant issue.
Domino’s wins for several reasons. The technology created convenience and inspired customer confidence by allowing customers to track their orders. The price is part of their value proposition. And, they have a good product. They also recognize the need to remain attractive to existing customers while attracting new ones, which is part of the reason for rebranding.
Now is the right time for a Brand Refresh which i hope has a strong reminder of their value and ability to deliver long before Uber eats was an even an idea. They have done a good job expanding and flexing there meme items while not sacrificing speed, value and taste. A brand refresh is an opportunity to re-engage the former customers, as well as provide a fresh reach out to younger customers with a strong value proposition including the dedicated delivery model.
Domino’s technology became their competitive moat with Pizza Tracker, and its digital infrastructure differentiated them in a commodity category, powering their global leadership. With strong sales numbers (5.6% global growth, 3.4% U.S. comps), this brand refresh isn’t fixing a problem; it’s more like preemptive brand maintenance.
Domino’s is recalibrating its Gen Z strategy: recognizing that the ‘tech company’ positioning that won Millennials doesn’t resonate the same way with younger consumers who increasingly distrust ‘tech’ and crave ‘authenticity.’ The ‘mmm’ focus and ‘craveability’ language are linguistic camouflage. The product isn’t changing, operational DNA remains intact. Domino’s is just updating the cultural wrapping paper. Smart brands refresh from strength, not desperation.
I feel like Dominos refreshes its brand all the time, offering something fun for customers. It’s always coming up with something new.
I do like that this brand refresh is true to Dominos core identity. It’s the opposite of what Cracker Barrel did; it’s a tweak, not an explosion.
Graphically, it looks great & fits a mid-21st Century aesthetic. Is it going to make me abandon my local pizza joint? Not on your life – they earned it thru local ingredients and recipes tailored to this north-side-of-Minneapolis/St. Paul market, and insanely fast delivery. For which I’m sure I’m paying a bit of a premium but saving $5 to get a mediocre pizza instead of something amazing is no bargain. (Parkway Pizza, btw: parkwaypizzamn.com)
It is the perfect time, if there ever is one, for Domino’s to drive a brand refresh. Their results are positive against a tough QSR marketplace while new competitors like Wawa, Sheetz, Costco, and Sam’s continue to threaten. The refresh should enable them to stay ahead of the pack, continue to drive value to consumers and stockholders, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they pick up a slight sales increase as a result, all leading up to the biggest pizza days of the year driven by NCAA and NFL football.
I’d say that it’s highly preferable to be able to choose to evolve in a moment of strength rather than have to refresh and catch up in a moment of weakness. Smart. But I’ll just say out loud that I find it a little odd that they say they’ve become known as “a technology company that happens to sell pizza.” It’s one thing to have digital tools that are differentiators, but the primary brand promise is still all about “mmmmmmmm” and “craveability”. I hope the ‘tech company’ mentality stays in a healthy perspective.