Pizza Hut is launching an application for the Xbox that will, for the first time, allow players in the US to order food using their controller.
According to recent reports, the app will be available for download on Microsoft’s Xbox Live dashboard, and will allow gamers to build their own order by swiping through toppings, crust style, side dishes and beverages using either the controller or motion and voice-recognition software via the Kinect camera accessory. But is this launch simply a clever marketing tool? Or does it mark the future of ecommerce?
Pizza Hut has a history of digital innovation; according to the company, a Pizza Hut pizza was the first item ordered via the Internet, in 1994. And this latest announcement is yet another marketing strategy designed to maintain brand awareness by creating a buzz. Back in 2008, Pizza Hut changed its name to Pasta Hut in an April Fools’ Day publicity stunt – another campaign which generated substantial global coverage.
But looking beyond the instant publicity created by the app launch, marketers and digital strategists in the hospitality and retail arenas will be keeping a close eye on the popularity and practicality of the product. After all, in an age when ecommerce is booming, it is only a matter of time before games consoles become another portal to the world of online shopping.
By understanding its target demographic, Pizza Hut has left its competitors behind by reaching out to its core audience in their own homes. But with the online gaming community consistently growing beyond the traditional ‘teenage boy’ population - and brands such as Netflix already offering their services through games consoles – a g-tail revolution is surely on the horizon.
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