Marketing

MOD Pizza's 1st national campaign targets inclusivity

MOD Pizza launched its first national ad campaign, but rather than focus solely on the food, the company focused on inclusivity. Like pizza, individuality reigns at MOD. Chief Marketing Officer Mark Shambura explains how MOD operates a little differently than the traditional pizzeria.

Provided

November 5, 2021

MOD Pizza just launched its first national ad campaign, but rather than focus on the food, the company focused on inclusivity with "All Pizzas Welcome" (even pineapple).

The idea behind the campaign — and MOD Pizza in general — is that individuality reigns, just like it does on pizza. Pizza Marketplace spoke to MOD's Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Shambura, to learn how the All Pizzas Welcome campaign is breaking ground in the advertising world.

Q: MOD operates a little differently than the traditional pizzeria. Why is inclusion such a big part of operations?

A: MOD's purpose is to contribute to a world that works for and includes everyone. We do this through providing opportunity and creating community.

At the heart of our philosophy are two core beliefs. The first is that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to purse their hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, the playing field for many is far from level for many. The second belief is that business can and should play a role in creating a more just world. At MOD, that means doing our part to create a more tolerant and equitable society.

Q: It's ok to have tattoos and blue hair at MOD because individuality is not just OK — it's part of MOD's culture. Why is individuality so important to MOD?

A: Everyone is at their best when they can be and show their authentic self. Accepting, including and providing a place of belonging to everyone — regardless of appearance, or where they've been on their own life journey — is the culture we've been focused on creating at MOD from the beginning. We have an old saying that we use at MOD — "The only thing we put in a box is our pizza!"

As we've been on this journey, we've learned that when people feel safe, when they feel like they're in a place where they belong, they are free to be their best. And when they are their best at work, they deliver a great customer experience, which keeps our customers coming back and drives the success of our business. So, inclusivity really powers our success at MOD.

Q: How do you think inclusivity has affected MOD's hiring?

A: We know that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not, so we've focused on creating hiring practices that seek out opportunities to hire those facing traditional barriers. By not opening doors to all populations, companies are passing up so much untapped talent! We hire for potential, rather than a person's past, or perceived barriers. It's incredibly inspiring to see how simply providing an opportunity can change someone's life. We also see daily how our inclusive hiring strengthens our culture of acceptance and belonging.

I'll share just a bit about some of the talent pools that we've tapped into:

• Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) — 80% (Source: National Core Indicators) of this incredible population over 18 years of age do not have a paying job in their community. We work with a number of organizations, like Best Buddies, to help us hire this talent and we currently employee approximately 300 individuals with IDD — all who are incredibly dedicated and some of the most tenured members of our Squad.
• Opportunity Youth — Defined as youth ages 18-24 who are not in school and not working, this population is very much at risk of becoming disenfranchised. Currently there are more than 5M opportunity youth in the US.
• Formerly Incarcerated — The statistics are pretty staggering around mass incarceration and the fact that 95% of these justice-involved individuals will return to society. Without a job, it's impossible to find stability. We hope our work in this area will encourage other employers to follow suit. We believe that it's not your past that defines you, but what you do next that matters most.

Q: Explain MOD's servant leadership culture. What's at the heart of this idea?

A: At MOD, our connections to one another go beyond a typical team and we lead by serving others. We started as a small family business and although we've grown, we still operate with the same heart. We talk a lot about the sense of family and belonging at MOD and ask our leaders to treat their team like they would treat their own family — that they care about them enough to hold them accountable to be their best.

Q: You've worked MOD's inclusivity into an advertising campaign. Why is it important to let the customers know how important inclusivity is to the culture?

A: Acceptance and inclusivity are at the core of our business - it's as important as the craveable pizzas and salads we serve which are fully customizable for one price. And while our culture of belonging starts with our Squads, our intention is that our customers feel the same sense when they walk into our restaurants. MOD is a place for everyone — all pizzas welcome. Inclusivity with our food, inclusivity with our people.

Q: How does this ad campaign compare MOD's culture to the fact that pizza is a very personal, customizable option?

A: The campaign will appear across connected TV, streaming platforms, social networks and OOH, running now through Nov. 18. The All Pizzas Welcome campaign is all about celebrating individuality. Delicious individual pizzas and salads created and customized just for you by our diverse and unique MOD Squad who are celebrated for their own individuality.

Q: What sets MOD's marketing apart from its competition?

A: As much as possible, we weave the message of our purpose through our marketing initiatives. I'll share a couple of examples:

First, we use our product and food platform to tell our story. We've created special editions of our popular No Name Cake which not only bring something new to our customers, but also help to support and shine a light on our purpose. In the past couple of years, we've offered a Best Buddies cake which supported the Best Buddies Jobs Program — nationwide employment program for those with IDD. Our Pride Cake benefitted Out & Equal, focused on supporting workplace equality for the LGBTQ community, and our most recent three Squad Cakes launched during the pandemic help support taking care of our people by contributing to our crisis fund — the MOD Bridge Fund.

Another core campaign at MOD is Spreading MODness. It takes place every November to celebrate our birthday and is focused on raising awareness and funds for food insecurity. The campaign includes marketing on our social and digital channels, volunteer opportunities for our Squad, along with in-store assets including a special pizza box, a new Squad T-shirts, and a cool sticker for our customers. This year, our customers will be able to engage by purchasing a discounted bundle meal (pizza + a drink) — for each bundle sold MOD will donate ten meals to Feeding America. Our goal this year to provide at least 2.5 million meals in our local communities.