Papa John’s launches mobile Web ordering system

By Gabrielle Kalika

August 1, 2008

Another topping

Papa John’s launched a mobile Web ordering system that enables pizza lovers to set up an account and place orders directly from their mobile devices.

The mobile Web site is available on any Web-enabled phone. The site is accessible at http://mobile.papajohns.com, or users can follow the online link to the mobile site from the Papa John’s Web site at http://www.papajohns.com. 

In addition to placing orders, the mobile site also features the entire Papa John’s menu, special offers, account registration and a restaurant locator.

Pizza enthusiasts can use their pre-existing account log-in information from Papajohns.com, as well as create new ones directly from their handsets.

The site also allows customers to sign up for special offers that can be sent to either their email inbox or mobile phone.

Web slice

In past campaigns, Papa John’s, Louisville, KY, had partnered with Coupons Inc. and Yahoo as the first advertiser to use their mobile platform. Powered by Yahoo, the platform was made available for free for the next year to help speed industry adoption.

In mid-May the pizza delivery franchise also launched a text campaign to give British mobile consumers an opportunity to win a year’s supply of pizza by asking consumers to text PAPA to the short code 86100 to enter for a chance to win.

The “Text the Papa” campaign was created by advertising agency Crossing O’Sullivan and powered by mobile marketing service provider Sponge.

For eight years straight, consumers have rated Papa John's No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Papa John's also ranks first among pizza companies in the 2008 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index and was named 2007 Pizza Today Chain of the Year.

However, rival Pizza Hut Inc. claims that it is the first pizza chain to offer both text messaging and mobile Web ordering options on a nationwide basis.

For Pizza Hut’s campaign consumers would text an order to 749488 (749HUT) and then receive a confirming text from. Those with a Web-enabled mobile phone had the option of ordering directly from the Pizza Hut mobile site.

The Pizza Hut campaign started shortly after Papa John’s texting promotion, “TEXTra Points 4 Pizza”, for the Super Bowl.

Football fans signed up via SMS or online for the chance to receive 25 percent to 75 percent discounts on pizza at participating Papa John’s restaurants.

To enter via mobile device, all consumers needed to do was text “Points” to 47272 (4PAPA).

Papa John’s may rightfully claim to be the first in the industry to introduce system-wide online and text ordering, initiating its first online ordering service in 2001, as well as a widget, called myPapa, and now mobile Web ordering.