Celebrating its 47th year in business, Donatos Pizza is asserting its “The Difference is Delicious” message within the marketplace. Through this new positioning, the regional pizza chain is hanging its hat on what makes the company different from its competitors.
“We’re never going to be the least expensive pizza chain, but that’s OK, because our customers come to us expecting great tasting pizza, and that’s what we deliver to them,” says Jane Grote Abell, president and COO of Donatos. “The difference, between us and our competitors is delicious, and our processes and associates make that difference,” Abell says.
To further reinforce this message, Donatos will feature its own associates as brand messengers. Nearly 80 associates participated in TV commercial casting events in Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, Ohio. A total of 15 were chosen as finalists to participate in the new creative campaign which officially rolls out today.
Donatos worked with its ad agency, Engauge, and Chicago director Martin Rodahl on the TV spots, in which the associates share how they work hard to serve delicious pizza to customers every day. Throughout his career Rodahl has also done work for several other popular brands including Doritos, Bally Total Fitness, and the Big 10 Network.
“The simple truth is there are hundreds of things that Donatos does differently to craft their pizzas to perfection,”says Adam Albrecht, creative director at Engauge. “And nobody knows those details better than the associates who make the pizzas every day. When we first spoke with Martin Rodahl, he shared our excitement of using real associates to tell this unique story. As a result, he traveled to numerous stores to meet with all of the associates before we shot the commercials, which helped make for a really authentic, new campaign.”
Because of their strong commitment to serving the best tasting pizza, as showcased in the TV spots, all Donatos locations focus on all the detailed processes and procedures necessary to making delicious and consistent products. For example, each crust is dusted with cornmeal to create a tender, but crispy taste. They also use premium, never frozen mozzarella cheese, and age their natural provolone cheese for 21 days to reach the precise and desired taste. Special family-recipe sausage, originally developed by Founder Jim Grote’s father, is seasoned to perfection and is another unique detail.
“We are committed to serving great tasting pizza. It’s as simple as that,” says Joe Flanigan, senior vice president of marketing and menu development at Donatos. “We take tireless measures to create delicious and consistent products for our customers, and we work hard to assure they taste the same great flavor combination in every bite, every time. Knowing this, who would be better to share this message than the real people of Donatos?”
