a quality pizza could be delivered with great customer service, which was something he saw

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1 Source: Founded in 1984 by John Schnatter, Papa John s Pizza was born based upon the idea that a quality pizza could be delivered with great customer service, which was something he saw missing from the national pizza chains (Papa John's Pizza, 2014). The world s third largest pizza chain, Papa John s is headquartered in Louisville, KY and has been rated #1 in customer satisfaction among all pizza chains 11 of the past 13 years in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (Papa John's Pizza, 2014). Today, Papa John s either owns or franchises over 4,000 pizza restaurants around the World (Papa John's Pizza, 2014). A unique selling proposition (USP) is designed to express a company s competitive advantage clearly. It should address two key factors: the product category and how it dominates the competition (Iacobucci, 2013, p. 62). There may not be many slogans that better capture this than, Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. Papa John s. This establishes the product category of

2 pizza and the unique way in which Papa John s differentiates itself from its competitors, which is quality (better ingredients). The company currently uses an endorsement campaign as the Official Pizza of the National Football League and in 2013 was its most recognized sponsor, more recognized than Budweiser, Verizon, and Visa (Papa John's Pizza, 2013, p. 5). This includes a television ad campaign with Denver Broncos starting quarterback (and owner of 21 Papa John s restaurants), Peyton Manning (Associated Press, 2012). Peyton is recognized as the face of the NFL by over 62% of its fans (Papa John's Pizza, 2013, p. 5). The power of this endorsement cannot be overstated. Peyton Manning s contribution to the marketing success of Papa John s has led to a marketing capital increase from $900 million in 2010 to over $2.2 billion in This happened while a competitor (Pizza Hut) levied the endorsement of another well-known NFL quarterback (Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers), while outspending Papa John s three-to-one in the 2013 ad effort (Kelso, 2014). The Denver Broncos, in a recent Harris poll, have supplanted the Dallas Cowboys as America s Team (Legwold, 2014), no doubt due to the national popularity of its team leader. The association transfer that is a result of Peyton s popularity and also due to his personal stake in the company as a franchise owner, has most certainly impacted the company s sales. Papa John s target market is broad. The NFL s live sports market is broad. It includes people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and both genders. Pizza is a popular product enjoyed at gatherings of people when watching football, so the appeal to the NFL market makes sense. The market Papa John s is after is sport enthusiasts and heads of household. These are people who have a higher average income though they aren t considered affluent. They are a little older than

3 college kids and young people with disposable income and tend to be loyal customers to particular brands. Because of their age and income they are also likely to be a more stable market in tougher economic times. This matches the market strategy to differentiate itself by offering a premium pizza with great customer service. The competition tends to compete on price (Viveiros, 2014). Since 2010, Papa John s has also been an official sponsor of the Super Bowl (Kelso, 2014). Last year, Super Bowl XVIII, played between the Seattle Seahawks and Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, was America s most watched televised event of all-time, with million viewers tuning in to watch the contest and its creative commercials (Brown, 2014). Peyton Manning, the NFL sponsorship, and its catchy slogan of better ingredients and better pizza have helped to make Papa John s the third largest pizza chain in the world. The unique selling proposition is clearly stated in the slogan and clearly displayed in its advertising. Fresh ingredients and great customer service targeted to a market willing to pay a premium price for a quality product endorsed by a sports legend deeply admired by a majority of fans playing for a franchise who holds the title of, America s Team, of its most popular sport is a recipe for success. This, according to this student, is effective advertising. References Associated Press. (2012, October 26). Peyton Manning to Own Pizza Shops. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from ESPN.go.com:

4 Iacobucci, D. (2013). MM3. (M. Roche, Ed.) Mason, OH, USA: South-Western. Retrieved October 17, 2014 Brown, M. (2014, February 3). Super Bowl Most-Watched U.S. TV Event Of All-Time With Million Viewers. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from forbes.com: Kelso, A. (2014, February 27). Papa John's Hopes to 'Breakaway' from Value-Focused Competition. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from pizzamarketplace.com: Legwold, J. (2014, October 14). Cowboys Fall from Top Spot to 4th. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from espn.go.com: Papa John's Pizza. (2013). Papa John's Pizza Annual Report. Louisville: Papa John's Pizza. Retrieved from Papa John's Pizza. (2014). About Papa John's: Our Trophy Room. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from PapaJohns.com: Papa John's Pizza. (2014). About Papa John's: Papa John Schnatter's Story. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from PapaJohns.com:

5 Papa John's Pizza. (2014). FAQ. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from PapaJohns.com: Papa John's Pizza. (2014). Investor Relations. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from PapaJohns.com: Viveiros, B. N. (2014, March 3). Sports and Loyalty Marketing Help Papa John s Bring in the Dough. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from chiefmarketer.com: