Pizza Hut is a very known brand across the globe and was awarded as the ‘Most Trusted Food Service Brand’ by Brand Equity for 11 consecutive years. It is one of the favourite picks by a majority of Indian customers due to its homely vibe, affordable pricing, and variety of options for both the young and family sector.

This has been possible even after 65 years due to the successful marketing strategies it has used to reach the audience. Campaigns launched by Pizza hut are perfect examples of how offline marketing can be used to reach the heart of the people.

What is Pizza Hut?

Pizza Hut is an international American food chain and one of the best restaurants to serve pizza and pasta on this earth. It was founded In 1958, by two brothers Wichita Kansas, along with brother John Bender started Pizza Hut after borrowing $ 600 from their Mother. The name Pizza Hut was named by them as the sign could contain only 8 letters in it. It is a subsidiary of the world’s largest subsidiary chain Yum! Brand Inc. As the brothers knew the farmers well who grew the pizza ingredients, the quality of the pizza was top-notch. 

In 1978, it was taken by PepsiCo. Pizza Hut was one of the first international food chains entering India, with its first branch in Bangalore. Hence, after that, there has been no looking back. Today it has more than 16,796 branches all across the world and is the 6th largest restaurant in the world. Its headquarters is situated at 7100 Corporate Drive in Plano of Texas in the United States.

Why does Pizza Hut does marketing?

With the growing competition in the food sector industry, marketing has become more important than ever. Pizza Hut’s closest competitor Domino is leaving no stone unturned to grab the attention of the audience with its influential offline and online marketing strategies. This has made it very crucial for Pizza Hut to do marketing to remain relevant in today’s market and stay in the mind of people. 

It uses a mix of online and offline tools like TV commercials, Radio, Billboards, Social media, SEO, Email marketing, and Google ads and adopts the latest technology to reach its potential target audience. Also, its different formats of restaurants keep it different from the rest of its competitors. Pizza Hut never shies away from experimenting with innovative marketing strategies because one does not know what may work and make you the talk of the town.

Top Marketing Campaigns by Pizza Hut 

Pizza Hut is a brand that people cannot easily erase from their minds. It uses a value-based marketing strategy to convey its message. Here are a few case studies on the marketing campaign of Pizza Hut.

Newztalgia

Pizza Hut marketing campaign during the lockdown period was to bring back the old memories of both the youth and the older generation. Pizza Hut collaborated with Craig Robinson and partnered with Pac-Man. In the ad you can see him as Pac-Man showing a “ kid at heart and ultimate Pizza lover, as he enjoys the $10 tastemaker delicious pizza while playing PAC-MAN tabletop game – just like the old days dining in at Pizza Hut.

Additionally, the Pac-Man, limited edition pizza boxes contained QR codes, which when scanned with a smartphone will allow the customer to play an augmented reality version of the game. You will also be entitled to enter sweepstakes to win a custom PAC-MAN game cabinet by sharing your game score on Twitter using hashtags #PizzaHutARcade #Sweepstakes. Various tools like TVC, radio and print media were used to grab the attention back.

Pizza Hut Javenge 99 Mein Khavenge

In this Pizza Hut marketing campaign it offers the tastiest pan pizzas at just Rs.99. A popular internet YouTube star, Bhuvan Bam, had been approached to amplify the campaign for the TVC commercial.

From the moment his scooty hits the truck and the driver says “ Please jaa”, he starts thinking of “Pizza”. Soon hypnotised by the thought of Pizza in his mind, he cannot control himself and groves his way to Pizza Hut being carried away by a crow. The campaign was shown in a wide range of languages across TV and digital platforms. The main aim of the campaign was the price point and to keep the brand on top of the mind of people It also emphasised on dine-in experience.

Shut up and take my money back

This Pizza Hut marketing campaign was launched with the main motive of staying younger and being the everyday pizza choice for everyone. The main target audience was Gen Z, college-going students, and job seekers. They partnered with the actor Anuradha Menon. It launched a massive 360-degree campaign across a wide range of 12 delectable Flavour Fun pizzas.

In the Ad, you can see Anuradha Menon talking about the new Flavour Fun pizzas available in five sauces at just Rs 79  and doing the super fun ‘Shut Up and Take My Money’ dance hook step in a petrol pump setting. It used both online and offline marketing campaigns from digital and social media space to mobile apps, OTT video to audio platforms, PR and influencer outreach, OOH and on-ground activation in youth-centric locations to in-store branding, radio, and print.

Dil Khol ke delivery

With the launch of this Pizza Hut marketing campaign the  brand wants to focus on its “ Delivery Touchpoint” whether it is in-store, via mobile app, or any social media platform. Pizza Hut wants to make its delivery “ Dil Khol ke” in real sense with a promise to provide the best quality pizza at affordable rates, a hassle-free delivery system, and further adds on the benefit of Limited time offers and coupons for discounts.

The brand collaborates with Anuradha Menon, the actor, and comedian for the first time. It makes use of television commercials, social media platforms, print, and billboards to advertise the new campaign with the prime shifting the brand position from an affordable casual dining place to a stronger delivery bond, especially after the pandemic.

Too good to be true but true

Launched to provide unbeatable value to the customers. Pizza Hut promised to deliver, £5 favourites menu, including medium-sized pizzas and sides for just £5 – a deal which was unbelievable for any pizza lover making it Too good to be true but true.

Parker J Patterson was roped in for the short film where he conveys several lies like “ professional footballers are underpaid” to telling the truth about the £5 Favourites Menu. The film was shown across various channels Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter. Also shown on television commercials and radio platforms. 

Ultimate Pan Satisfaction

Ahead of the cricket and festive season, Pizza Hut launched ten new ranges of pan pizza that provide the ultimate pan satisfaction to customers. This campaign aimed for a 30% growth in sales. The campaign was promoted on all digital and social media platforms. An event was also organised for the celebration across 55 countries and introduced a wide range of pizzas also providing various offers to the customers as part of celebrating the 40th pan anniversary.

The Pizza Hut marketing campaign very well delivers the message to the audience about the ultimate oh-so-satisfying pizza experience that the brand promises to deliver with involvement in product innovation, safety, and hygiene measures, and strong delivery services. 

Pizza bada Bill Chota

Pizza Hut launched the campaign on 15th August 2013. With the rise in price and inflation, Pizza Hut tried to reduce the effect of it by providing quality pizza with an increase in size by 23% without any additional cost to the consumer thus making the dining experience with family and friends satisfying and worth every penny.

The campaign uses the TVC as the main channel where two friends are shown. They ordered medium-sized pizza but were surprised when a larger pizza was served. Just when they were fretting over the bill, the ad ends with a voiceover, which says ‘Pizza Bada Bill Chota”.

Conclusion

The campaigns launched by Pizza Hut never fail to reach the emotional touchpoint of customers. It is one of the important reasons it continues to win the heart of billions of people through its campaign strategies of providing an affordable, variety of pizza, with a strong delivery system and lucrative discounts for families and young people. This makes Pizza Hut an irresistible dining place for many families and friends and a hard-to-forget place even today.