Pizza Hut Australia will look to become the new place for pasta with a $4m campaign to promote two new pasta menu options.
The Tuscani Pasta option follows the British and USA arms of the company which also introduced pasta to the menu last year. .
Pizza Hut chief executive, Albert Baladi, said Pizza Hut Australia would launch a number of big initiatives, starting with the pasta menu launching on January 27.
As part of the launch two Sydney outlets have been rebranded ‘Pasta Hut’ as test cases for the possible dual branding of all outlets in the future.
“The launch of Tuscani Pasta, along with testing the Pasta Hut brand, is the first step in Pizza Hut reinventing itself. The company is investing in significant changes in every area of the business in an effort to double the business within five years.”
Since being market leader in 2000/2001 Pizza Hut has fallen to a 25% market share of the branded pizza category, which is worth in excess of $700m a year, second behind Dominos Pizza.
Baladi said part of the strategy is a greater presence in the digital space with $2m invested in online ordering and mobile ordering options and a new website to go live later this year.
During the second part of the year Pizza Hut stores across the country will be refreshed, while a new lunch menu still in testing stage will also launch comprising of wraps and subs with pizza flavours.
A teaser campaign for the pasta launched today as well as a website dedicated to Pasta Hut, which gives consumers information and the opportunity to vote on whether they think Pasta Hut could become part of the Pizza Hut branding.
A second ad which shows diners eating the new pasta dishes, without knowing its Pizza Hut Pasta, uses hidden cameras to capture their thoughts and opinions of the food. The ad will launch next week and both ads were created by M&C Saatchi Sydney.
