Pizza Hut launches ‘free-meal’ campaign

BANGKOK: Pizza Hut yesterday launched a new marketing campaign, promising telephone customers free home-delivery meals if their orders fail to arrive on time.

The “Hot & On Promised Time or Free Guarantee” campaign starts today, but is limited to customers living in Bangkok and surrounding areas. Promised delivery times depend on the distance to be covered.

“The new service improves our delivery-service potential. And by doing so, we expect our sales to rise by 20 per cent,” said Panithan Sethabutra, managing director of Yum Restaurants International (Thailand) Co, which operates the Pizza Hut chain.

He said the company would spend Bt60 million on advertising for the new campaign, including 80 light boxes along major Bangkok roads, TV spots and celebrity endorsements.

Also included in the budget is the modification of equipment at its 83 restaurants, altering delivery-staff uniforms and increasing the number of delivery staff from 400 to 900, and improving delivery bags to better seal in the heat.

Charoen Limkangwanmongkol, marketing director of Yum Brand Inc – Pizza Hut’s parent company – said competition in the sector was expected to increase next year as a number of foreign companies were attempting to enter the market while another firm was seeking to re-enter.

For that reason, Pizza Hut needs to improve, he said, adding that the company has introduced a new product – the Amazing Four Plus Pizza.

Pizza Hut, which has some 10,700 outlets globally, has a 67-per-cent share of the pizza-delivery market in Thailand.

In an ACNielsen survey, 79 per cent of fast-food restaurant users this year voted Pizza Hut the best place for pizza.

--The Nation 2003-12-04

I still won't order it. They should consider making a decent pizza. Right now, I wouldn't mind if it were late. Sort of,...relieved.

I know that they do this "deal" in the US, but really, can you get ANYWHERE on time with BKK traffic? This is going to be a very foolish idea indeed.

Update:

Thailand's The Pizza Company makes 30-minute delivery promise

BANGKOK, Thailand—Following the recent introduction of 30-minute delivery guarantee by Pizza Hut, The Pizza Company is promising the same.

According to The Nation, The Pizza Company, which lays claim to a 65-percent share of the Bangkok pizza market, has promised its home-delivery customers a coupon for a free large pizza--dine-in, carryout or delivered—if it doesn't hit the 30-minute maximum. The deal is good nationwide.

Nearly three decades ago, Domino’s Pizza popularized the 30-minute guarantee in the U.S. It later removed the promise (it still offers it in some international markets) after one of its drivers was involved in a fatal collision with another car. A jury deemed the driver was hurrying to meet the 30-minute deadline, and that his haste caused the accident.

Currently there are 127 Pizza Company outlets in Thailand, 70 of which are in Bangkok. The chain recently added outlets in Kuwait and wants to enter Bahrain.

An official from The Pizza Company said the firm will spend Bt200 million (U.S. $5 million) on marketing in 2004 (30 percent more than in 2003, and invest Bt700 million (U.S. $17.6 million) to build an additional 30 outlets over the next two years.