|
|
|
|
Pizza Hut is a restaurant chain and international franchise based in Addison, Texas,[1] USA (a northern suburb of Dallas) offering different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread. Pizza Hut is the world's largest pizza restaurant chain and is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., who has approximately 34,000 restaurants, delivery-carry out units, and kiosks in 100 countries.
Advertising Pizza Hut's main advertising slogan </wiki/Advertising_slogan> is "Gather 'round the good stuff". Pizza Hut does not have an official international mascot, but at one time, there were commercials in the United States called 'The Pizza Head Show </wiki/The_Pizza_Head_Show>.' These commercials ran from 1993-1997 and were based loosely on the Mr. Bill </wiki/Mr._Bill> shorts from Saturday Night Live </wiki/Saturday_Night_Live> in the 1970s. The ads featured a slice of pizza with a face made out of toppings called 'Pizza Head'. In Australia during the Mid to late 1990s, the advertising mascot was a delivery boy named Dougie, with boyish good looks who, upon delivering pizza to his father, would hear the catchphrase "Here's a tip, be good to your mother". At one time in the 70's Pizza Hut used the signature red roof with a jolly man named "Pizza Hut Pete". Pete was on the bags, cups, balloons and hand puppets for the kids. In 1994, Donald Trump </wiki/Donald_Trump> and ex-wife Ivana Trump </wiki/Ivana_Trump> starred in a commercial. The ending of the commercial showed Ivana Trump asking for the last slice, to which Donald replied, "Actually dear, you're only entitled to half", a play on the couple's recent divorce. In 1995, Ringo Starr </wiki/Ringo_Starr> starred in a Pizza Hut commercial which also featured The Monkees </wiki/The_Monkees>. Rush Limbaugh </wiki/Rush_Limbaugh> also starred in a Pizza Hut commercial the same year, where he boasts that "nobody is more right than me," yet he states that for the first time he will do something wrong, which was to participate in Pizza Hut's then "eating pizza crust first" campaign regarding their stuffed crust pizzas. In 1997, former Soviet Union </wiki/Soviet_Union> Premier </wiki/Premier> Mikhail Gorbachev </wiki/Mikhail_Gorbachev> starred in a Pizza Hut commercial to raise money for the Perestroyka Archives. In recent years, Pizza Hut has had various celebrity spokespeople, including Jessica Simpson </wiki/Jessica_Simpson>, the Muppets </wiki/The_Muppets>, and Damon Hill </wiki/Damon_Hill> and Murray Walker </wiki/Murray_Walker>. Recent commercials have Queen Latifah </wiki/Queen_Latifah> providing the voiceover. Also in 1997, Pizza Hut, reunited "greatest of all time boxer" Muhammad Ali </wiki/Muhammad_Ali> with trainer Angelo Dundee </wiki/Angelo_Dundee> in a sentimental made for Super Bowl </wiki/Super_Bowl> commercial. Talk show host, Jonathan Ross </wiki/Jonathan_Ross>, co-starred in an ad with American model, Caprice Bourret </wiki/Caprice_Bourret>. They were used to advertise the stuffed crust pizza, with Jonathan Ross saying "Stuffed Cwust", to which is a play on Jonathan's pronunciation of 'R's. Another UK ad shows British Formula One </wiki/Formula_One> driver Damon Hill </wiki/Damon_Hill> visit a Pizza Hut restaurant and order a pizza, with famous F1 commentator Murray Walker </wiki/Murray_Walker> visiting with him, and narrating as though it was a Formula One race. As Hill is about to finish his meal, Walker, in a play on Hill's 1994 & 1995 seasons where he was runner up in the Formula One World Championship </wiki/Formula_One_World_Championship>, shouts "And Hill finishes second, again!" at which Hill grabs Walker by his shirt and shakes him angrily, Walker proclaiming, in his usual tones, "He's lost it! He's out of control!" The 1990 NES </wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System> game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game </wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles_(arcade_game)>, came with a coupon for a free pizza. The game was filled with Pizza Hut advertising and pizza that would refill the character's life. Pizza Hut sponsored the first space pizza delivery in 2001, and paid for their logo to appear on a Russian Proton rocket in 2000.[17] In Australia, 2006 saw the introduction of a mascot in Pizza Hut's advertising - "Pizza Mutt", a small dog who delivers pizzas. The mascot was dumped after just two ads. Early 2007 saw Pizza Hut move into several more interactive ways of marketing to the consumer. Utilizing mobile phone SMS technology and their MyHut ordering site <http://www.myhut.com>, they aired several television commercials (commencing just before the Super Bowl </wiki/Super_Bowl>) containing hidden words that viewers could type into their phones to receive coupons. Other innovative efforts included their "MySpace Ted" <http://www.myspace.com/pizzahut> campaign, which took advantage of the popularity of social networking, and the burgeoning user-submission marketing movement via their Vice President of Pizza contest <http://www.pizzahut.com/vpofpizza/>. Pizza Hut sponsored the 1989 film Back to the Future II </wiki/Back_to_the_Future_II>, and offered a free pair of futuristic sunglasses, known as "Solar Shades", with the purchase of Pizza Hut pizza. Pizza Hut also engaged in product placement </wiki/Product_placement> within the film itself, having a futuristic version of their logo with their trademarked red roof printed on the side of a mylar </wiki/Mylar> dehydrated pizza wrapper in the McFly family dinner scene, and appear on a storefront in Hill Valley </wiki/Hill_Valley_(Back_to_the_Future)> in the year 2015.[18] Pizza Hut is also advertised in anime such as Code Geass </wiki/Code_Geass> and Darker Than Black </wiki/Darker_Than_Black>, though in the translated versions of Code Geass the logo was removed leaving only the red roof logo. "Name change" </wiki/Image:LogoPastaHut.png> </wiki/Image:LogoPastaHut.png>Pasta Hut logo (2008-present) </wiki/Image:Pasta_Hut.JPG> </wiki/Image:Pasta_Hut.JPG> </wiki/Image:Pasta_Hut.JPG>A store in Nottingham </wiki/Nottingham>, UK </wiki/UK> rebranded to Pasta Hut On April 1 </wiki/April_1>, 2008 </wiki/2008>, Pizza Hut sent emails </wiki/Email> to customers advertising that they now offer pasta items on their menu. The email (and similar advertising on the company's website) stated "Pasta so good we've changed our name to 'Pasta Hut'." The name change was a publicity stunt held in conjunction with April Fools' Day </wiki/April_Fools%27_Day>, extending through the month of April, with the company's Dallas headquarters changing its exterior logo to Pasta Hut.[19] This name change was also used to promote the new Tuscani Pasta line and new Pizza Hut dine-in menu. The First Pasta Hut Ad has the Original Pizza Hut restaurant being imploded and recreated, but when they construct the new building, the sign saying "Pasta Hut" is placed on the building. Pasta Hut is now part of the Pizza Hut menu. In 2003, the "Wing Street </wiki/Wing_Street>," stores began to co-habitate buildings owned by Pizza Hut, and started serving their trademark Buffalo Wings, along with the traditional pizza, and pasta items that Pizza Hut is known for, by 2007, the co-owned stores began selling hot sandwiches. Currently, there are over 1,000 locations within both the United States, and Canada, where both a Pizza Hut, and a Wing Street are located within the same building. On October 6, 2008 Pizza Hut UK revealed that it would temporarily re-brand 30 of its stores 'Pasta Hut' as part of an £18 million move to attract new customers and to move more upmarket.[20] Sponsorship In the early 1990s, as part of PepsiCo's sponsorship of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer </wiki/The_NewsHour_with_Jim_Lehrer> (and its former moniker, "The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour"), Pizza Hut was included in the acknowledgment alongside Taco Bell </wiki/Taco_Bell> and KFC </wiki/KFC>, which PepsiCo owned at the time. In 2000, Pizza Hut was a part-time sponsor of Galaxy Motorsports </wiki/Galaxy_Motorsports>' #75 Ford </wiki/Ford> in the then NASCAR Winston Cup Series </wiki/NASCAR_Winston_Cup_Series>, driven by Wally Dallenbach Jr. </wiki/Wally_Dallenbach_Jr.> Pizza Hut was the shirt sponsor of English football </wiki/Football_(soccer)> club Fulham F.C. </wiki/Fulham_F.C.> for the 2001-02 season </wiki/FA_Premier_League_2001-02>. Terry Labonte </wiki/Terry_Labonte> drove selected events with Pizza Hut as the primary sponsor of his #44 car in 2005. Pizza Hut purchased the naming rights </wiki/Naming_rights> to Major League Soccer </wiki/Major_League_Soccer> club FC Dallas </wiki/FC_Dallas>' stadium, Pizza Hut Park </wiki/Pizza_Hut_Park>, prior to its opening in 2005. In 2005, Pizza Hut sponsored The Simpsons </wiki/The_Simpsons> on Channel 4 </wiki/Channel_4> (UK). The adverts often contained the catchphrase "Who's called the Hut?" At the same time, due to a deal that started years earlier, Domino's Pizza </wiki/Domino%27s_Pizza> sponsored The Simpsons on a different British TV station, Sky One </wiki/Sky1>. In March 2007, Pizza Hut partnered with Verizon Wireless </wiki/Verizon_Wireless> to offer a free LG </wiki/LG_Group> mobile phone </wiki/Mobile_phone> with the purchase of a Cheesy Bites Pizza. In multiple Japanese anime, such as Code Geass </wiki/Code_Geass>, Darker than BLACK </wiki/Darker_than_BLACK>, and the Rebuild of Evangelion </wiki/Evangelion:_1.0_You_Are_(Not)_Alone> movie tetrology, Pizza Hut boxes, billboards, and various other advertisements can be seen in several episodes (these advertisements, however, are digitally erased from the international releases of the shows). Recent Pizza Hut television ads use the track "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" by pop rock group Smash Mouth Book It! Pizza Hut has been a longtime sponsor of the "Book It!" program (started in 1984[21]), which encourages reading in American </wiki/United_States> schools. Those who read books according to the goal set by the classroom teacher are rewarded with Pizza Hut coupons good for a free Personal Pan Pizza or discounted menu items. In the late 1980s, Pizza Hut threw free pizza parties for classes if all students met their reading goals. The program has been criticized by some psychologists on the grounds that it may lead to overjustification </wiki/Overjustification> and reduce children's intrinsic interest in reading.[22] The program's 25th anniversary is in 2009. Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Pasta Hut: Pizza Hut Changes Name Pizza Hut has officially changed <http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/DN-pizzahut_26bus.State.Edition1.394a389.html> its name to Pasta Hut. Despite the timing, this is not an April Fool's joke. To reflect the seriousness of the makeover, they'll be changing the logo on their Dallas, Texas company headquarters to reflect their new food focus, starting today. You can expect to see the new Tuscani Pastas <http://www.pizzahut.com/tuscanipasta/> on the menu the next time you step into a Pasta Hut. Currently, there are two just choices: Meaty Marinara and Creamy Chicken Alfredo. Priced at $11.99, the 3-pound trays of pasta are meant to feed four people and will be baked just like the pizzas. The first inklings of the big change came when Trademork <http://www.trademork.com/pasta-hut/> uncovered a trademark claim <http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=77368339> by Pizza Hut, Inc. for the mark "Pasta Hut" in January 2008. But why the change from pizza to pasta? Partly, it's a result of higher cheese and flour prices, which have made pizzas a lower margin product. The other is that pizza sales have stagnated with 2006 sales falling to $5.2 billion from $5.3 billion the year before. Here's an ad spot for Pasta Hut: Pizza Hut or Pasta Hut? Friday April 18, 2008 Pizza Hut's debut of Tuscani Pastas to its menu has left consumers with brand confusion. The nation's largest pizza chain has launched a major ad campaign that says the pasta's so good the company's changing its name. What Do You Think: The Pasta Hut Campaign <javascript:zpu(519,'http://advertising.wpadmin.about.com/?comments_popup=256834',400,550)> Pasta Hut Campaign: See One of the Ads <http://youtube.com/watch?v=q_bvRs0C3rE> Pizza Wars: Pizza Hut Sues Papa John's <http://advertising.about.com/od/foodrelatedadnews/a/papajohns.htm> Coming Soon: Pasta Hut Banner (Photo) <http://www.transworldnews.com/GalleryView.aspx?id=3589&h=0&w=0&app=5> Email Campaign: Pizza Hut is Now Pasta Hut <http://z.about.com/d/advertising/1/0/4/D/pastahut.jpg> Commercials hit the air showing the Pizza Hut logo changing into the Pasta Hut logo with the tag line, "Pasta so good we changed our name to Pasta Hut!" An Email campaign also hit inboxes with the subject line: "Pizza Hut is now Pasta Hut!" Pizza Hut claims the rebranding was just an April Fool's Day joke to grab the attention of its consumers for its new menu items. But the Dallas Morning News reports the company's changing the logo on its Dallas North Tollway headquarters to the Pasta Hut logo for about a month. Ads continue to air showing the Pasta Hut logo fading into the Pizza Hut logo at the end of the commercials. Some consumers have laughed off the chain's attempt at an April Fool's joke. Others have posted messages in forums bashing the name change campaign while others believe Pizza Hut really has changed its name permanently. Now it's your turn to chime in on the Pasta Hut commercials. What do you think <javascript:zpu(519,'http://advertising.wpadmin.about.com/?comments_popup=256834',400,550)> of the idea behind this campaign? -- Pizza Hut or Pasta Hut? Friday April 18, 2008 Pizza Hut's debut of Tuscani Pastas to its menu has left consumers with brand confusion. The nation's largest pizza chain has launched a major ad campaign that says the pasta's so good the company's changing its name. What Do You Think: The Pasta Hut Campaign <javascript:zpu(519,'http://advertising.wpadmin.about.com/?comments_popup=256834',400,550)> Pasta Hut Campaign: See One of the Ads <http://youtube.com/watch?v=q_bvRs0C3rE> Pizza Wars: Pizza Hut Sues Papa John's <http://advertising.about.com/od/foodrelatedadnews/a/papajohns.htm> Coming Soon: Pasta Hut Banner (Photo) <http://www.transworldnews.com/GalleryView.aspx?id=3589&h=0&w=0&app=5> Email Campaign: Pizza Hut is Now Pasta Hut <http://z.about.com/d/advertising/1/0/4/D/pastahut.jpg> Commercials hit the air showing the Pizza Hut logo changing into the Pasta Hut logo with the tag line, "Pasta so good we changed our name to Pasta Hut!" An Email campaign also hit inboxes with the subject line: "Pizza Hut is now Pasta Hut!" Pizza Hut claims the rebranding was just an April Fool's Day joke to grab the attention of its consumers for its new menu items. But the Dallas Morning News reports the company's changing the logo on its Dallas North Tollway headquarters to the Pasta Hut logo for about a month. Ads continue to air showing the Pasta Hut logo fading into the Pizza Hut logo at the end of the commercials. Some consumers have laughed off the chain's attempt at an April Fool's joke. Others have posted messages in forums bashing the name change campaign while others believe Pizza Hut really has changed its name permanently. Now it's your turn to chime in on the Pasta Hut commercials. What do you think <javascript:zpu(519,'http://advertising.wpadmin.about.com/?comments_popup=256834',400,550)> of the idea behind this campaign? Name Change for Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is now called Pasta Hut. Pizza Hut is changing its name in a bid to overhaul the company's image and menu, it announced today. After 35 years of trading in the UK under the name Pizza Hut, the company will now become Pasta Hut, with Kristen Schaal named as executive director of menu transition at the re-named firm. The rebranding is part of an extensive £100m six-year refurbishment programme that will revamp the chain's restaurant interiors, introduce a new menu and extend its number of outlets. This year alone it has spent more than £17m updating some of its 700-strong UK chain and said a further £24m will be invested in refurbishment and new store openings in 2009 and 2010. In a bid to fall in with Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines it has introduced a new pasta menu and made some of its existing recipes more healthy, In 2004 the company launched a programme to reduce salt in its food and said it is working to meet the FSA's salt targets for 2010. All traces of hydrogenated vegetable oils have been removed from the menu, and there is also an ongoing saturated fat removal programme. The children's menu will now include "hidden vegetables" created by Jessica Seinfeld and a complimentary side salad created by Missy Lapin. Alasdair Murdoch, Pizza Hut chief executive officer, said: "We have made significant changes to the business over the past few years and we wanted to create a moment in time for people to sit back and take notice. "With 120 refurbished stores, the introduction of a great new pasta range to the menu and big nutritional changes, I am confident that people will like what they see when they come into our restaurants." Pizza Hut has also focused on its online business, an effort launched in March 2007 by Ken Reeb and Roy Crooks. In June 2008 employee Robert Downey Jr. took its one millionth online order, gaining him employee of the month status, and online sales now contribute towards 18 per cent of its entire delivery sales. Pizza Hut launched in the UK in 1973 and has over 700 restaurants in the UK. Pizza Hut name change praised as a clever marketing move (07 October 2008 07:00) Pizza Hut’s announcement that it is going to “change its name” to Pasta Hut has been praised by marketing experts as a good way of generating interest in the brand. The Yum Brands owned company issued a statement on Monday <http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2008/10/06/323873/pizza-hut-changes-name-after-50-years-to-pasta-hut.html> suggesting it was going change its name for the first time in its 50-year history, to highlight a number of nutritional changes to its menu <javascript:zodInfuser.FillDescriptions('menu_id0');> and the launch of a new range of pastas. Pizza Hut, which has already spent £17m this year updating its restaurants, said it will spend a further £100m over the next six years, extend the number of outlets and launch the new, expanded menu. The story was picked up by most of the national newspapers and industry websites, including Caterersearch, but closer inspection of the facts showed it was more of a marketing exercise. Pizza Hut Changes Name to Pasta Trough Pizza Hut is rebranding itself as Pasta Trough in a radical overhaul of its corporate image and menu offerings. Logos have been replaced at corporate headquarters in Dallas and new signs are being installed at the chain's outlets worldwide. Asked why Pizza Hut had opted for the name change, CEO Arterio Sclerosis replied, "Well it was either that or install extra-wide double doors in all our restaurants. It was more cost-effective just to change the signs," shrugged Sclerosis, while removing bits of string cheese from his custom-made Italian suit. Pizza Hut head of Public Relations, Margherita Mozzarella explained that their customers were more health conscious than ever and the company was responding to customer demand. "Our customers have given us feedback that they were overwhelmed by our vast selection of pizzas on the menu. They got sick and tired of being asked stupid questions like, Do you want thick or thin crust? Do you want extra cheese? Do you want Cheesy Bites on the crust? They come to us to pig out, not to waste time reading <http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i41711> menus." Ms Mozzarella explained how the new Pasta Trough restaurant concept will work in reality. "Basically we will have a large trough running down the middle of each restaurant. The troughs will be filled continuously with pasta through large industrial sized sewage pipes direct from the kitchen to ensure it will be 'piping hot'. We'll switch from creamy pasta to tomato sauce pasta every fifteen minutes to accommodate different tastes." "Then every five minutes, the assistant manager will do a hog call, Sooiee! Woooooooooo! Sooiee! and the patrons can make a mad dash for the trough," explained an excited Ms Mozzarella. "It's fun and our health <http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i41711> consultants say it is a healthier option than just sitting there throughout a high-carb meal." "Now if you're like me, you must be wondering how the customers will get their cheese on their pasta." Ms Mozzarella continued, after a short pause to brush off what looked like dried parmesan from the shoulder pads of her 1980s retro-style jacket. "Well, Pasta Trough has taken care of that as well. Suspended over every table, we've installed 55 gallon barrels of grated Italian-style cheese. We call it Italian-style; actually it comes from China. But don't worry. We've installed melamine magnets in all the barrels. Then with a push of a button, the barrels will overturn and presto, all the melamine-free cheese you want will be dumped directly onto your plate of pasta." Ms Mozzarella continued brushing dried cheese off her jacket lapel. Assistant Manager, Alfredo Tagliatelli, who works for Pasta Trough in London, England, is cautious about the changes. "I was sent to training <http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i41711> in Dallas to learn the hog call. I got my Certificate of Attendance alright, but I'm a little wary of yelling out 'Sue Me!' every five minutes to our customers. My District Manager in Atlanta says not to worry about it though so I'll give it a try." The new Pasta Trough in Razorback, Arkansas has been piloting the new menu for the past month and is doing a booming business. Head chef Wedgie Nadal has nothing but praise for the new Pasta Trough menu. "Our customers love it. I can serve this slop up with one hand tied behind my back," sneered a smug Nadal, with one hand behind his back. Copy cat replicas of the new Pasta Trough are already starting to spring up across America as competitors rush to rebrand themselves as well. In Hollywood, Planet Hollywood is trying out Trough Hollywood. In a gala rebranding opening, Trough Hollywood brought in British comedian/actor Russell Rebrand to headline the event. Whilst some thought Russell Rebrand's comedy was fresh, most rated it as stale. Rebrand joked about Sarah Palin rebranding herself as Sarah Trough and hosting an all-you-can-eat pig-out campaign event just to get the farmers' vote. "I don't know about you, but the thought of Sarah Palin as an all-you-can-eat buffet <http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i41711> just left a bad taste in my mouth <http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i41711>, as it did for my wife Michelle," commented one customer who wished to remain anonymous. In London, fast-growing and family-friendly <http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i41711> restaurant chain Giraffe, is also considering a 'trough' theme called The Watering Hole. According to Giraffe CEO and founder, Philip Poacher, they will retain their safari motif as well as their family focus. "What we plan to do is make an African watering hole in the centre of each restaurant," explained Poacher. "Then we'll have a dead giraffe, not a real one of course, lying down with its long neck extended by the side of the pool. Like a fresh kill. We'll splay open the giraffe's long neck, and presto, we've got our trough ready to fill with fun foods for the kiddies." Investors are watching the new rebranding schemes closely to see if they will pay high dividends. Pasta Trough shares have been sluggish in trading since today's announcement of the name change. Not everyone is convinced the rebranding attempt will work. Skeptic Elis Pyrrho sees it all as a short-lived fad. "I've gone to the Dallas landfill and salvaged all the old Pizza Hut signs I could find. And I've bought up their old dotcom domain name as well." "When this stupid Pasta Trough phase comes to an end, Pizza Hut will have me to deal with," purred Pyrrho with a cheesy grin, as he ate his home-delivered ExtravaganZZa Feast pizza with loads of pepperoni, ham, savory Italian sausage, beef, fresh onions, fresh green peppers, fresh mushrooms and black olives <http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i41711> with extra cheese from Dominos. Name change nonsense at Pizza Hut Pizza Hut's recent name-change makes me wonder what sort of mind-warping toppings they are putting on the pizzas at HQ. The UK company are trialling a name-change from Pizza Hut to Pasta Hut, with the same shape logo. <http://wheresthesausage.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c5f1b53ef010535637e6d970b-pi> <http://wheresthesausage.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c5f1b53ef010535637e6d970b-pi> Seems up there as one of the daftest bits of marketing in 2008. Is it a some sort of post-modern spoof? Will they come back in a few weeks and say, "Ha! Just kidding. This was just a way to remind you how great our pizzas are?" 1. If you are going to change, change The change is too small. They have the same logo, and the same "Hut" idea. Just a change of what's in the hut. Its enough of a change to make the regular customers wonder what's going on, and maybe even piss them off. But not enough of a change to force brand re-appraisal amongst non-users 2. Image-wrapper branding This looks like a classic example of "image wrapper" branding. Changing the outside of the brand, with no change to the product/service. The only time a logo or name-change really works is when it is a "symbol of change": a way of announcing that the service/product is now truly different and better than before. 3. Waste of resource What a totally daft way to spend marketing money and creative resource in today's tough times, creating a website and marketing campaign around this! <http://wheresthesausage.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c5f1b53ef010535637fac970b-pi> <http://wheresthesausage.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c5f1b53ef010535637fac970b-pi> 4. Pizza is a growth market The bizarre thing is that in credit-crunched Britain, pizza sales are soaring. Domino's Pizza just announced <http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/oct/01/highstreetretailers.retail1> sales up 18%. OK, this is take-home pizza, but surely Pizza Hut is an affordable way for hard-up families to still have a night out? 5. Where's the brand pride? Why not be proud of pizza? It reeks of being embarrassed about your core product, which sends a terrible signal to your loyal customers, and your employees. What a contrast with McDonald's, who started their turn-around with a confident re-affirmation of being a burger company. There is a vote on the website when Pizza Hut ask people if this is i) a good idea, ii) a totally stupid idea. No prize for guessing the result Breaking News 10:28 BUSINESS: Name change for Pizza Hutview list <break.asp?tbrk=brk&par=brk&catid=5834&subcatid=642> 06/10/08 Pizza Hut is changing its name in a bid to overhaul the company's image and menu, it announced in today. After 35 years of trading in the UK under the name Pizza Hut, the company will now become Pasta Hut. The rebranding is part of an extensive £100m (€129.7m) six-year refurbishment programme that will revamp the chain's restaurant interiors, introduce a new menu and extend its number of outlets. This year alone it has spent more than £17m (€22m) updating some of its 700-strong UK chain and said a further £24m (€31.1m) will be invested in refurbishment and new store openings in 2009 and 2010. In a bid to fall in with Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines, it has introduced a new pasta menu and made some of its existing recipes more healthy, In 2004, the company launched a programme to reduce salt in its food and said it is working to meet the FSA's salt targets for 2010. All traces of hydrogenated vegetable oils have been removed from the menu, and there is also an ongoing saturated fat removal programme. The children's menu will now include "hidden vegetables" and a complimentary side salad. Alasdair Murdoch, Pizza Hut chief executive officer, said: "We have made significant changes to the business over the past few years and we wanted to create a moment in time for people to sit back and take notice. "With 120 refurbished stores, the introduction of a great new pasta range to the menu and big nutritional changes, I am confident that people will like what they see when they come into our restaurants." Pizza Hut has also focused on its online business, which it launched in March 2007. In June 2008, it took its one millionth online order and online sales now contribute towards 18% of its entire delivery sales. Pizza Hut launched in the UK in 1973 and has over 700 restaurants in the UK. lot of newspapers have been following the story today that "Pizza Hut" is re-branding itself as "Pasta Hut" in order to attract the more healthy conscience customer of today. Understandably this has got many people talking on how a major brand of 50 years (30 or so in the UK) could suddenly change its name! The Pasta Hut <http://www.pastahut.co.uk/Home> website allows visitors to vote on the name change and whether they prefer the old or new name. So far the voting has put Pizza Hut as a clear favourite. <http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q6TUI4K3BWk/SOp4EjbrZUI/AAAAAAAAAE8/8fQLRdvK4oA/s1600-h/Pasta+Vote.gif> <http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q6TUI4K3BWk/SOp4EjbrZUI/AAAAAAAAAE8/8fQLRdvK4oA/s1600-h/Pasta+Vote.gif> Pasta Hut vs Pizza Hut Vote Results
<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q6TUI4K3BWk/SOp47t3cVYI/AAAAAAAAAFM/sTyLL_2q3Eg/s1600-h/pizza_hut.jpg> <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q6TUI4K3BWk/SOp47t3cVYI/AAAAAAAAAFM/sTyLL_2q3Eg/s1600-h/pizza_hut.jpg> The idea of altering an established brand does sound like a rather extreme way of rebuilding a customer base and with a tight economic climate the cost behind replacing all branding would require a massive budget that could potentially have been put to a more effective use. Either way it appears to have been quite successful in the PR department. I'm just waiting for the news next week of "Baguette King". rashid gadehiPizza Hut is split into a number of restaurant concepts. Quickly disappearing from the scene are original family-style "Red Roof" dine-in-only locations, which do not have delivery service. Restaurant-based delivery (RBD) locations offer a hybrid of carry-out, delivery, and dine-in options. Most new stores, however, are "DEL/CO" locations, offering only delivery and carry-out service. Additionally, Pizza Hut also has a number of unique concepts that are different from the store type. Pizza Hut "Bistro" locations are Red Roofs and RBDs which offer an expanded menu and slighly more upscale options. The new Wingstreet concept is an addition to many RBD and DEL/CO locations which offers customers an expanded selection of chicken wing choices, more than the 'hot' or 'mild' available at all locations. Finally, "Pizza Hut Express" locations are fast food restaurants licensed by Pizza Hut and operated independently. They offer a completely different menu with many products not found at traditional Pizza Huts, and are often found on college campuses, food courts, theme parks, and in stores such as Target. HistoryThe chain was founded in 1958 by Dan and Frank Carney.[2] The Original Pizza Hut building was later relocated to the Wichita State University campus.[3] Additional restaurants were opened, with the first franchise unit opening in 1959 in Topeka, Kansas. At the same time Pizza Hut was growing in and around Kansas, Shakey's Pizza was developing a stronghold along the West Coast. The competition provided Pizza Hut the impetus to evaluate its mission and direction. Dan and Frank Carney saw Shakey's expanding into their territory and realized that they needed to determine if Pizza Hut should be in the entertainment business or if it should be a neighborhood pizza restaurant. They decided to stick with the neighborhood business and realized that they needed to have a good standard image. The Carney brothers began to systematize operations and building designs to counter the competition from Shakey's. The franchise network continued to grow through friends and business associates, and by 1964 a unique standardized building appearance and layout was established for franchised and company-owned stores, creating a universal look that customers easily recognized. By 1972, with 314 stores nationwide, Pizza Hut went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock ticker symbol PIZ. In 1977, Pizza Hut was acquired by Pepsico, who later also bought KFC and Taco Bell. In 1997, the three restaurant chains were spun off into Tricon, and in 2002 joined with Long John Silver's and A&W Restaurants to become YUM! Brands. Pizza Hut has opened Pizza Hut Express which specialize in small 6" pizzas. The oldest continuously operating Pizza Hut in the world is in Manhattan, Kansas, in a shopping and tavern district known as Aggieville. Products
Pizza Hut sells pizzas in four different sizes: personal (an individual serving), small, medium and large, though most stores have done away from with the small size. A variety of toppings are available, plus "specialty" styles, including Meat Lovers, Pepperoni Lovers, Cheese Lovers, Veggie Lovers, Double Cheeseburger, Supreme, Super Supreme and the newly introduced Pizza Mia. The pan pizza has a thicker crust than most other commercially available pizzas. Pizza Hut also sells Stuffed Crust pizza, with the outermost edge wrapped around a coil of mozzarella cheese; Hand-Tossed, more like traditional pizzeria crusts; Thin 'N Crispy, a thin, crispy dough which was Pizza Hut's original style; Dippin' Strips pizza, a pizza cut into small strips that can be dipped into a number of sauces; and The Edge pizza, where the toppings nearly reach to the edge of the pizza. There is a crust that is not as thick as its pan pizza, and not as thin as its thin crust, used on the Full House XL pizza, discontinued in 2007.[4] Pizza Hut experiments with new products frequently, with less successful ones being discontinued. These include the initially popular two-foot by one-foot square cut pizza Bigfoot, the 16" Big New Yorker, made with a sweet sauce few enjoyed, the Chicago Dish Pizza and Sicilian pizza, the latter also offered in 2006 as Lasagna Pizza. Other products Pizza Hut has offered are the "P'zone", Pizza Hut's version of the calzone; the Cheesy Bites pizza, similar to the Stuffed Crust pizza except the crust has been divided into bite-sized pieces that can be pulled apart; and the Insider pizza, where a layer of cheese is in between two layers of dough. Another limited time offer was a Double Deep pizza with double the toppings and 50% more cheese, with the crust wrapped over the top to hold in all the toppings. 
In addition to pizza, also sold is garlic cheese bread (not in all locations), plus a number of side dishes including bread sticks, cheese sticks, cinnamon sticks, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, chicken wings (Buffalo Burning Hot, Buffalo Medium, Buffalo Mild, Honey BBQ, Spicy BBQ, Garlic Parmesan, Cajun, Spicy Asian)[5] boneless wings, chicken munchers, jalapeño poppers, Quepapas potato bites filled with cheese and jalapeño flavor.[6], a basket of taters or tater tots and fried apple pies.[7] Depending on the individual restaurant size, Pizza Huts also may offer pasta dinners such as spaghetti and Cavatini - a mixture of Cavatelli (shells), Rotini (spirals), and Rotelle (wheels). A new, upscale concept was unveiled in 2005, called "Pizza Hut Italian Bistro". Unveiled at fifty locations nationwide, the Bistro is similar to a traditional Pizza Hut, except that new pasta dishes are offered, such as penne pasta, chicken pomodoro, toasted sandwiches and other foods.[8] Instead of black, white, and red, Bistro locations feature a burgundy and tan motif.[9] Pizza Hut Bistros still serve the chain's traditional pizzas and sides as well. A new version of Pizza Hut pizza, named Pizza Mia, was introduced in 2007. The product is aimed at the cost sensitive consumer segment and typically is priced at $5.00, but the customer must order 3 or more to get this price (for each pizza.) In comparison, a Pizza Hut medium sized, hand-tossed pepperoni pizza is internationally priced at $10.24 (Houston, Texas 12/15/2007). The Pizza Mia comes in only one size (medium) with extra toppings costing $1.25. One slice of Pizza Hut pepperoni Pizza Mia weighs 83 grams. One slice of Pizza Hut pepperoni hand-tossed pizza weighs 96 grams.[10] Pizza Hut on May 9, 2008, created and sold in Seattle, Denver and Dallas, “The Natural”, a new all-natural multi grain crust sweetened with honey, a red sauce of organic tomatoes and topped all-natural cheese (or with all-natural chicken sausage and roasted red peppers). A medium Natural pizza with one topping sold for $9.99[11]. Controversy & CriticismUnsafe Company PolicyPizza delivery, grouped with taxi-driving by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is ranked as the fifth most dangerous occupation category in the United States[12]. Among the several hazards common to both made-to-order food delivery professionals and taxi drivers, the most frequent danger by far is armed robbery and the possibility of serious injury or death implicit in such encounters. On March 28, 2008 James William Spiers, a delivery driver for a Pizza Hut restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa became the victim of an attempted robbery during a late-night delivery. Held up at gunpoint and fearing for his life, Spears produced his own firearm and shot his assailant several times, although not fatally. Police charged Spears' attacker and another individual in connection with the crime and Spears, thankful to be alive, was cleared of any wrongdoing[13]. Following the incident Spears was immediately placed on suspension by his employer, and three weeks later was fired from his job at Pizza Hut[14]. A statement from the company revealed that its decision regarding the matter was not case-specific to Spears' ordeal. Vonnie Walbert, VP of human resources at Pizza Hut explained “We have a policy against carrying weapons. We prohibit employees from carrying guns because we believe that that is the safest for everybody." Pizza Hut is not alone in this practice. Other large chains maintain similar policies concerning the carry of concealed weapons by delivery persons. Health ConcernsPizza Hut in the UK have been criticized for the high salt content of some of their meals which were found to contain more than twice the daily recommended amount of salt for an adult. As well as high salt content, there is a significant amount of fat.[15] It has also been brought to light that Pizza Hut uses a Silicon based chemical, Polymethylsiloxane, as an additive in their cheese.[16] . This chemical has not received final FDA approval as a safe food additive. Advertising
Pizza Hut's main advertising slogan is "Gather 'round the good stuff". Pizza Hut does not have an official international mascot, but at one time, there were commercials in the United States called 'The Pizza Head Show.' These commercials ran from 1993-1997 and were based loosely on the Mr. Bill shorts from Saturday Night Live in the 1970s. The ads featured a slice of pizza with a face made out of toppings called 'Pizza Head'. In Australia during the Mid to late 1990s, the advertising mascot was a delivery boy named Dougie, with boyish good looks who, upon delivering pizza to his father, would hear the catchphrase "Here's a tip, be good to your mother". At one time in the 70's Pizza Hut used the signature red roof with a jolly man named "Pizza Hut Pete". Pete was on the bags, cups, balloons and hand puppets for the kids. In 1994, Donald Trump and ex-wife Ivana Trump starred in a commercial. The ending of the commercial showed Ivana Trump asking for the last slice, to which Donald replied, "Actually dear, you're only entitled to half", a play on the couple's recent divorce. In 1995, Ringo Starr starred in a Pizza Hut commercial which also featured The Monkees. Rush Limbaugh also starred in a Pizza Hut commercial the same year, where he boasts that "nobody is more right than me," yet he states that for the first time he will do something wrong, which was to participate in Pizza Hut's then "eating pizza crust first" campaign regarding their stuffed crust pizzas. In 1997, former Soviet Union Premier Mikhail Gorbachev starred in a Pizza Hut commercial to raise money for the Perestroyka Archives. In recent years, Pizza Hut has had various celebrity spokespeople, including Jessica Simpson, the Muppets, and Damon Hill and Murray Walker. Recent commercials have Queen Latifah providing the voiceover. Also in 1997, Pizza Hut, reunited "greatest of all time boxer" Muhammad Ali with trainer Angelo Dundee in a sentimental made for Super Bowl commercial. Talk show host, Jonathan Ross, co-starred in an ad with American model, Caprice Bourret. They were used to advertise the stuffed crust pizza, with Jonathan Ross saying "Stuffed Cwust", to which is a play on Jonathan's pronunciation of 'R's. Another UK ad shows British Formula One driver Damon Hill visit a Pizza Hut restaurant and order a pizza, with famous F1 commentator Murray Walker visiting with him, and narrating as though it was a Formula One race. As Hill is about to finish his meal, Walker, in a play on Hill's 1994 & 1995 seasons where he was runner up in the Formula One World Championship, shouts "And Hill finishes second, again!" at which Hill grabs Walker by his shirt and shakes him angrily, Walker proclaiming, in his usual tones, "He's lost it! He's out of control!" The 1990 NES game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game, came with a coupon for a free pizza. The game was filled with Pizza Hut advertising and pizza that would refill the character's life. Pizza Hut sponsored the first space pizza delivery in 2001, and paid for their logo to appear on a Russian Proton rocket in 2000.[17] In Australia, 2006 saw the introduction of a mascot in Pizza Hut's advertising - "Pizza Mutt", a small dog who delivers pizzas. The mascot was dumped after just two ads. Early 2007 saw Pizza Hut move into several more interactive ways of marketing to the consumer. Utilizing mobile phone SMS technology and their MyHut ordering site, they aired several television commercials (commencing just before the Super Bowl) containing hidden words that viewers could type into their phones to receive coupons. Other innovative efforts included their "MySpace Ted" campaign, which took advantage of the popularity of social networking, and the burgeoning user-submission marketing movement via their Vice President of Pizza contest. Pizza Hut sponsored the 1989 film Back to the Future II, and offered a free pair of futuristic sunglasses, known as "Solar Shades", with the purchase of Pizza Hut pizza. Pizza Hut also engaged in product placement within the film itself, having a futuristic version of their logo with their trademarked red roof printed on the side of a mylar dehydrated pizza wrapper in the McFly family dinner scene, and appear on a storefront in Hill Valley in the year 2015.[18] Pizza Hut is also advertised in anime such as Code Geass and Darker Than Black, though in the translated versions of Code Geass the logo was removed leaving only the red roof logo. "Name change"
On April 1, 2008, Pizza Hut sent emails to customers advertising that they now offer pasta items on their menu. The email (and similar advertising on the company's website) stated "Pasta so good we've changed our name to 'Pasta Hut'." The name change was a publicity stunt held in conjunction with April Fools' Day, extending through the month of April, with the company's Dallas headquarters changing its exterior logo to Pasta Hut.[19] This name change was also used to promote the new Tuscani Pasta line and new Pizza Hut dine-in menu. The First Pasta Hut Ad has the Original Pizza Hut restaurant being imploded and recreated, but when they construct the new building, the sign saying "Pasta Hut" is placed on the building. Pasta Hut is now part of the Pizza Hut menu. In 2003, the "Wing Street," stores began to co-habitate buildings owned by Pizza Hut, and started serving their trademark Buffalo Wings, along with the traditional pizza, and pasta items that Pizza Hut is known for, by 2007, the co-owned stores began selling hot sandwiches. Currently, there are over 1,000 locations within both the United States, and Canada, where both a Pizza Hut, and a Wing Street are located within the same building. On October 6, 2008 Pizza Hut UK revealed that it would temporarily re-brand 30 of its stores 'Pasta Hut' as part of an £18 million move to attract new customers and to move more upmarket.[20] Sponsorship
Book It!Pizza Hut has been a longtime sponsor of the "Book It!" program (started in 1984[21]), which encourages reading in American schools. Those who read books according to the goal set by the classroom teacher are rewarded with Pizza Hut coupons good for a free Personal Pan Pizza or discounted menu items. In the late 1980s, Pizza Hut threw free pizza parties for classes if all students met their reading goals. The program has been criticized by some psychologists on the grounds that it may lead to overjustification and reduce children's intrinsic interest in reading.[22] The program's 25th anniversary is in 2009. International operationsGlobal locations
Countries and territories currently with Pizza Hut locations: International variations
Pizza Hut restaurants are located throughout the wor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.svg.html){kind=small}
