Something crosses my mind every time I get a pizza from Papa John’s.
I’m just fascinated by the fact that with every single pizza, they include a pepperoncini pepper in the box.
I know, I know…the marginal cost of this is probably a penny per pizza- but it goes a long way for me as a marketer.
It reminds me why they are different, why they are better. It brings their brand promise to life. It says to me, “You ordered pizza, we delivered more.”
So, it makes me wonder- what little things can you do for clients and customers to add value and remind them why you are different, why you are better. Because it’s the little things like that which make a brand unique and excite people.
It makes me think, what’s my pepperoncini?
What’s yours?
A very good point and I agree…too bad their pizza is disgusting. Does that mean pepperoncini’s remind me of gross pizza?
ahh yes, the pepperoncini. you’ve been obsessed with this since college.
I have to say that it is the garlic sauce that sticks in my mind as the original aspect and motivation to order their pizza – I actually eat it! The pepperoncini usually just rolls around in the box once the pizza is gone.
good insight. There are far too few companies that go the extra mile. It is certainly a great goal to strive for.
Great post. What’s cool here is the gesture is inexpensive and easy to incorporate into the operation. But still powerful.
I wonder if Happy Meals would have been even more popular had they decided to include a pepperoncini instead of a toy?
I agree with Ann that the value added for me is with the garlic dipping sauce that Papa John’s puts in the box with my pizza.
Maybe they include both to add value to different types of customers. Are there different types of people who appreciate the garlic sauce vs. the pepperoncini?
I definitely appreciate Papa Jon’s effort to make ordering pizza a more memorable and personal experience by adding a pepperoncini- even though I throw it to the side every time without fail. I wonder if customers would flip out if there was suddenly a big red chipotle pepper in the middle instead….
I think it is gimmicky, but I see your point. They should stop including those pepperoncinis and use the saved money to improve the overall product. To me, n0 marketing ploy or gimmick can overshadow a truly awesome product…. or a truly bad one.
Vince: interesting point- but gimmicks generate buzz. Nobody’s blogging about really great tasting, but otherwise non-exciting pizza. But in a related note, writing this post made me hungry for Pontillo’s on Alexander last night
Meg: Great point- its about creating a brand experience!
Ann and Alicia: I’ll save my dipping sauces for you two, as I usually throw it out! But yes, its another way that this brand is different and unique.
Mike Gov: My favorite part of the Happy Meal was the packaging. and how the french fries were usually just tossed into the box in disorderly fashion, leaving the much anticipated “Bonus Fries!” in the bottom of the box at the end of the meal.
And I’ve been getting a lot of negative feedback about the actual product this brand offers. I guess it’s a cluttered marketplace with lots of options. I’m a marketing guy not a food critic so to me PJ’s unique approach is worth talking about.
Thanks everyone for your thoughts!
-MC
I’m not really a pepperoncini lover, but I am a fan of the Garlic Butter that is also included…yummy! That’s value add – to me, it even makes up for the lower quality pizza.
wow…nine responses? this is definitely a new RAF world record. you, michael chatfield, are MY pepperoncini.
Personally…I think the interns are the true pepperoncini here…its a huge metaphor for… The interns are that small extra step that make a company memorable, otherwise who would break the printer??
guilty
A nice touch, for sure. It’s so easy to provide a little something extra, something distinctive that helps you stand out. Yet so many companies fail to do so. Amazing how many miss this opportunity to differentiate and be memorable.
In Louisiana, and a few other places in the world, that little something extra is called a “lagniappe.” Means “something that is added” (by way of Spanish and Louisiana French).
Always loved that word. Your post called it to mind immediately.