Domino’s Pizza is teaming up with Ford to offer mobile ordering via the automaker’s SYNC AppLink starting mid-year.

Mobile ordering is quickly growing and Domino’s has been one of the leaders in pushing it forward, and now it is extending that leadership to the burgeoning connected car market. This is one of many examples of how carmakers and restaurants are teaming up to meet consumers’ needs.

“You’re in the car and you say, ‘Oh, I’m hungry,'” said Julius Marchwicki, global product manager for Sync AppLink at Ford Motor Company, Deerborn, MI. “You can use the application in the vehicle to order from your favorites in your [Domino’s] profile.

“It’s meant to be a quicker way to order from your vehicle and not use [the phone keypad] while you’re driving,” he said.

Connecting consumers
Both Domino’s and Ford continuously look for ways to better serve and connect with consumers, and increasingly they are doing it via mobile.

Ford takes this a step further and seeks to connect with consumers while they are inside their cars.

According to Ford, there will be 50 billion connected devices and 8 billion people by 2020 (see story).

Ford’s Sync AppLink hooks up with a consumer’s in-car Sync system to let consumers navigate mobile applications such as Domino’s via their voice.

Before placing pizza orders, consumers will have to set their profile, including their favorite toppings, crusts and other selections on Domino’s mobile app, as well as the Ford Sync system.

They will use voice commands to prompt Sync AppLink to check their Domino’s “favorites” and use them to create their order.

Consumers will continue using voice commands to pay for their orders and designate the Domino’s locations for pick up.

Domino’s Pizza has more than 10,500 stores in more than 70 international markets.

While many of the major pizza chains such as Pizza Hut and Papa John’s have experimented with mobile, Domino’s Pizza has held its place as a leader, offering mobile promotions and incentives aimed at boosting customer loyalty and providing better service.

Domino’s app on Ford’s Sync AppLink system

Driving mobile sales
Last October, Domino’s reported that 35 percent of its $2 billion in global digital sales came from mobile and its mobile application had been downloaded more than 6 million times (see story).

At the same time, Ford is all about the connected car these days (see story).

The motor company manufactures or distributes automobiles in six continents.

Ford is not the only automobile company linking its vehicles with other companies’ services.

General Motors and Priceline are working together so that Priceline’s travel app will be available on most 2015 Chevy, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models via the Chevrolet AppShop. That way, consumers can plan and book trips while in their cars (see story).

Ford’s Sync system, which was introduced in 2007, functions on voice commands and can be used to upload a smartphone’s address book and an mp3 players’ song list to its database.

Sync AppLink was released in 2010 and enables participating brands’ and companies’ apps to link to Sync.

Drivers can control selected apps, such as Domino’s, on connected smartphones and tablets using the Sync voice button on the vehicle’s steering wheel or the audio system buttons on equipped Fords.

“The technology itself is not the magic,” Mr. Marchwicki said. “It’s the two companies’ relationship with the consumers.”

Final Take
Kari Jensen is staff writer on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York