MOD Pizza’s first national advertising campaign, entitled “All Pizzas Welcome” does not focus on the price or even the quality of their product. Instead, the ad highlights MOD Pizza’s people-focused culture of inclusivity and diversity both in front of and behind the pizza counter.
“I didn't want to lead with an LTO or some price-driven initiative, which you could argue would be the best ROI that you can spend in marketing,” Mark Shambura, chief marketing officer of MOD Pizza told Nation’s Restaurant News. “[…] It's not just a whole bunch of delicious looking pizzas: there's a there's a story for both our pizzas and importantly is inclusive of our people as well.”
While this might sound like a progressive, fresh take on a traditional pizza chain ad campaign, Shambura said the tone reflects the company’s culture from the beginning and what continues to draw new customers to their brand.
“[That aspect of our brand] turns people from liking us to loving us,” Shambura said. “The number one reason why people come to us is because we have delicious pizza. But then deeper when you scratch beneath the surface, particularly with Gen Z, their expectation that companies are making a positive social impact in the world is table stakes.”
Shambura said that it’s not just about advertising that you’re putting out good into the world, it’s about actions: MOD Pizza recently launched a series of limited-edition cakes called Squad Cakes that goes to a bridge fund to help out their employees, known as the “MOD squad.”
These initiatives time perfectly with the restaurant industry’s labor crisis and helps to differentiate the brand as a solid career choice for job seekers, Shambura said.
“This is endemic to who we are from the beginning,” he said.
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