Article
Can CMO return Pizza Hut to 'center of pop culture?'
Former KFC Global Director of Marketing George Felix, who took the marketing reins of sister brand, Pizza Hut, in January, reveals how he'll breathe new life into the 61-year-old brand.
April 22, 2020 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group
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| Pizza Hut CMO George Felix, seen here during a 2018 appearance at the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit in Louisville, where he provided the keynote address. (File photo) |
Many older consumers, who used to "hang out" at Pizza Hut, may remember it as the place to celebrate a team's big win or where they went on their first date. And as the chain became more delivery-centric, others gravitated toward "The Hut" for at-home pizzas that could not only handle a crowd but offered a sense of fun. Remember the Big Dipper?
That aura is what Pizza Hut CMO George Felix is hoping to bring back to the brand. Felix, who assumed the role in January, acknowledged that the brand has lost some ground from some of its past days. It's also true, however, that the pizza restaurant landscape has changed a lot since Pizza Hut opened in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas.
Felix — whose name you might recognize as the previous global director of marketing at Yum Brands sister concept, Kentucky Fried Chicken — built a name for himself and KFC by reconnecting that brand in some obvious and humorous ways with its founder, Colonel Harland Sanders.
Felix, again, is charged with breathing new life into an old brand with a considerable heritage that holds a warm place in many consumers' hearts.
The first piece of evidence of how he intends to pull that off came Tuesday when Pizza Hut debuted its newest ad campaign starring U.S. team members during its first Hut Huddles across America.
Hut Huddles have been a daily pre-shift meeting in preparation for the day's business, but Tuesday's premier national meeting allowed the brand's GMs to personally thank their direct teams, including 10,000 new hires in the last month, of an expected 30,000 additional jobs the brand plans to fill.
Pizza Marketplace recently chatted with Felix about his goals for the brand as well as how he was approaching the job in the midst of COVID-19's full-court press on American restaurants.
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Q: Even before the pandemic took hold in the U.S. in March after you first began this new position in January this year, what were you thinking then that you really wanted to play up as the big strengths of Pizza Hut, through its marketing strategy?
A: We believe Pizza Hut is the pizza for pizza lovers. No other brand has the iconic, branded pizzas that we have like Big Dipper, The Big New Yorker, The Edge and so many more. Plus, we can't forget about our classic, signature pizzas like Original Pan, Stuffed Crust, and Meat Lovers.
When Pizza Hut was at its best, it was all about superior pizzas and a brand that was at the center of pop culture, and I believe we can be that brand again.
Of course, COVID-19 has disrupted everyone. But, thankfully, our brand is well-positioned to meet customers where they are as their mindset changes with this pandemic.
Right now, we're focusing on providing our customers with the safest and most reliable pizza experience at a great value and we've doubled down on our already industry-leading safety procedures in order to help ensure our team members and guests feel safe and cared for during this time.
Q: All forms of customer communication have certainly risen as among the most important tools restaurant brands now have in their sheds. So then, what pathways is Pizza Hut using most to connect with and retain customers now and into the immediate future?
A: In this current climate, communication is more important than ever. From a marketing perspective, we're taking a 360-degree approach (by) leveraging PR, social and paid media to reach customers, while making sure our messages deliver on safety, dependability and value.
We're also delivering on that value through great offers like our $9.99 large three-topping pizza, which is our best delivery deal. Ultimately, we want you to know that you can get your favorite pizza safely, from our Hut to yours.
Q: How do you and your marketing team plan to employ the delivery and carryout business channels to build on the connections you make through your communications?
A: We are building connections in our commitment to making every customer experience safe. Pizza Hut has a longstanding history of reliable and safe delivery methods, and we have a continued focus on making food available safely and with low-contact.
Whether it's contactless delivery, carryout or our new contactless curbside pickup option, we're committed to serving you the pizza you love safely, however you prefer to get it.
Q: Finally, just curious to know, how the brand is communicating and using marketing with its drivers — who truly are frontline during the pandemic — to keep them engaged, relatively worry-free and firmly connected to the brand and its customers?
A:We've launched a real-time blog on our website that is regularly updated to keep everyone informed of the latest initiatives, resources and general business updates. We are also sharing key information to provide owners, operators (and others) with all the necessary information and guidance to best keep themselves and their families healthy during these unprecedented times.
Additionally, in response to increased delivery demand, and as part of our effort to hire for more than 30,000 open positions nationwide, we're hiring more drivers as more customers opt to eat at home.
Internally, we're also expediting the hiring and onboarding process to accommodate people who are looking for jobs now … to get delivery drivers on the road faster, and ultimately to get customers their pizza quicker. The new process aims to have delivery drivers trained and on the road safely in five hours, which is nearly three times quicker than the previous training procedure.
See more restaurant industry COVID-19-related coverage here
About S.A. Whitehead
Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.
