What is it about pizza chains that they seem so far ahead of other restaurant companies when it comes to using social media? Domino’s and Pizza Hut have been active for a while and now Papa John’s, the third-largest pizza company globally, is launching a social-media campaign at its Facebook site.
Called “Papa’s Specialty Pizza Challenge,” the campaign asks its fans to suggest a new pizza recipe. Incentives abound. The winner gets free pizza for life, a cut on sales proceeds of the winning recipe plus $1,000 to help market the new pizza during the month the finalists compete to see which taste the public likes best.
Here’s how it works. Contestants go to Facebook.com/PapaJohns, create a new pizza with their special toppings and write a short description of what makes their recipe so tasty.The company says it will judge the pies on appeal, taste, creativity of the name and the quality of the back story on how the contestant dreamed up the pie.
Papa John’s will choose 10 semifinalists, whose recipes will be cooked and taste-tested by judges at the company. Three finalists will be chosen and their creations will be put on the chain’s menu. The top selling pizza of the three wins. To help cement their win, the three finalists will be given $1,000 to promote their creations during August in any way they choose. And the ultimate winner gets 1% of sales, up to $10,000 for the 12 month period that his or her pizza is offered following the contest.
MediaPost Marketing Daily has more details here:
