Domino’s is teaming up with Major League Baseball’s Web site to offer 20,000 baseball enthusiasts a code for a free pizza in a bid to drive continued growth of online and mobile sales, and is supplementing the campaign with a hashtag and encouragement to check the MLB.com At Bat mobile application for real-time game updates.

Domino’s is gearing up to treat fans of the popular American pastime by offering the chance to win a free two-topping medium pizza to all registered users of MLB.com. The food brand is giving away 20,000 free codes after two no-hitter games this season, and is encouraging fans to follow the #DomiNoNo hashtag as well as the At Bat mobile app to receive game alerts.

“Mobile is a very important platform for us,” said Tim McIntyre, vice president of corporate communications for Domino’s, Ann Arbor, MI. “Today, 50 percent of our sales come from digital platforms and 50 percent of that is coming from mobile devices.

“Mobile and social together are important components for our relationship with Major League Baseball, as they allow fans of both brands (Domino’s and MLB) to get information on the promotion while they’re on the go.”

Tapping live events
Domino’s is engaging in a top strategy for food and beverage marketers: leveraging a live event, or in this case, a season of baseball games to reach a wide audience and offer consumers savory foods to snack on while watching with family and friends. The pizza brand has offered this promotion in previous years, and saw its entire allotment of free pizzas given away in less than ten minutes combined during last year’s no-hitters, thanks to a frenzy on social media and mobile.

It is distributing 20,000 free pizzas after each no-hitter occurs during the 2015 Major League Baseball season. The first MLB.com users who log into the designated site, MLB.com/dominos, beginning at 3 pm on a business day after a no-hitter game will be eligible to receive the code.

Baseball fans will be delighted to receive a free pizza after a no-hitter

The code is redeemable for consumers ordering through Domino’s digital sales, and will enable the user to receive a two-topping medium Handmade Pan Pizza.

The brand is also leveraging consumers’ enthusiasm during the games by asking them to follow the #DomiNoNo hashtag and the @MLB handle on Twitter for real-time game alerts. Mobile users can gain game insights and live look-ins via the At Bat app or on MLB.com.

Consumers can also feel free to visit Domino’s before or during baseball games, as the brand has locations within 4.5 miles of each MLB stadium.

Mobile strategy
The marketer has been ramping up mobile strategy even more since announcing that digital channels account for 50 percent of its ordering sales.

Domino’s is also rolling out a historic innovation by making ordering available on wearables, giving customers the ability to place pizza orders from their Android Wear and Pebble smartwatches, suggesting that smartwatch ordering will be a tactic to watch in 2015 (see story).

Becoming a sports-friendly brand is a smart move for Domino’s, as plenty of baseball enthusiasts will likely flock to their phones for a chance to receive one of the codes for a free pizza.

“We’re confident fans love the promotion, considering that last, following the first two no-hitters, the combined 40,000 free pizzas were claimed in less than 10 minutes, total!” Mr. McIntyre said. “This relationship is a great way to reach our customers through a sport they love, while adding another layer of fun and excitement.”

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