On Aug. 15, Papa Johns declared its intention to review its national marketing agencies, as per information provided to Marketing Dive. The renowned pizza brand aims to streamline its media and creative agency collaborations, placing an emphasis on an analytics-driven marketing strategy.
CMO Mark Shambura commented on the evolving dynamics of Papa Johns in the post-pandemic era. He underscored the brand’s transformation and stressed the imperative for its marketing strategies to adapt to the changing consumer patterns and the company’s growth trajectory.
Shambura, with a rich experience from his tenure as CMO at the rapidly expanding Mod Pizza, will spearhead the review. His responsibilities encompass various sectors, including media and field activation, advertising, digital customer experience, product novelty, and menu planning.
Pile and Company will facilitate the review process that kicks off this month. It aims to include a curated list of agencies for evaluation. This endeavor aligns with Papa Johns’ objective to reevaluate existing collaborations and gain fresh insights for charting its course for the upcoming three to five years.
Highlighting the brand’s criteria for future partners, Shambura emphasized the significance of innovative strategies, multicultural insights, and a representative outlook mirroring the diverse communities they cater to. Notably, Papa Johns’ focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is in sharp contrast to some brands scaling back on DEI initiatives, despite a recent Kantar report suggesting such decisions might lead to potential losses of around $5.4 trillion.
Papa Johns’ strategic move to reevaluate its marketing partnerships showcases the brand’s foresight in adapting to a post-pandemic world. By emphasizing a multicultural perspective and DEI, the pizza chain positions itself as a forward-thinking brand, cognizant of contemporary societal demands. The commitment to inclusion not only holds monetary value, as highlighted by the Kantar report but also resonates with the ethos of an evolving, diverse consumer base.
