Marco's Pizza

Group 5
Leah Archer
Media Strategy
Megan Little
User Experience
Mack Whittenburg
Account Services
Camila Vaca
Social Media
Leslie Grover
PR
Reyden Weis
Creative Strategy
2

3
Problem/Assignment
We have been tasked with
helping consumers to get to
know and understand Marco’s
as a brand.
We want to highlight what
makes Marco’s diﬀerent
compared to competitors and
how we can use that to our
advantage.

4
Where Marco’s Stands
● Marco’s focuses on spreading their
love for pizza and be the pizza for pizza
lovers.
● They provide the best quality,
ingredients, and customer experience
by sharing their authentic Italian history
and journey.
● Their obsession towards pizza makes
them relatable with their customers by
sharing that unique love, creating a
strong consumer relationship bond.
● Marco’s Italian authenticity makes them
stand out from their competitors by
having a brand story and heritage.
● This national brand keeps expanding
and everyone who has tried it has fallen
in love with their pizza and brand story.

5
Situational Analysis
● Marco’s has a dedicated
and loyal customer base.
It’s true that pizza lovers
love Marco’s Pizza.
● Marco’s makes delicious
pizza with the freshest
ingredients using recipes
that callback to its Italian
heritage. Its quality
comes from its
authenticity.
● Marco’s still struggles
with a lack of brand
awareness and indistinct
overall messaging.
● Marco’s has low social
media engagement on all
platforms. Comments
are littered with
unresolved negative
reviews and posts are
not creating any buzz
around the brand.
● As the pandemic
continues, consumers
are split between
wanting to eat as healthy
as possible, yet desiring
comforting, indulgent
foods.
● Pizza quality is the most
important driver of pizza
restaurant
decision-making.
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Threats
● Services such as Favor
and DoorDash have
made virtually all food
delivery food.
● The improved quality of
frozen, at-home pizzas
has made them a
popular and
easily-accessible option.

6
Competition
Focus moving
more and more
towards fast
delivery and big
deals.
Frozen pizza,
impulse decision
in stores.
Getting better in
quality so now a
viable option for
pizza cravings.
Delivery services
expanding to
oﬀer a wide
scope of diﬀerent
products.
Quick and easy
way to obtain
food. Has
advantage when
people are
looking for a
quick meal.
Direct: Big 4 Product Competition
Indirect: Delivery Indirect: Fast Food

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Activate a social-ﬁrst campaign that
generates awareness among pizza
lovers.
Marco’s is in a position to authentically
connect to customers on the things that
matter to them through their already
established love for pizza.
Acquire new customers from the
37MM pizza lover market and position
Marco’s as a top-of-mind brand.
Marco’s only needs to get customers to
try their pizza once to prove what
quality, authentic pizza really tastes like.
Metrics
Brand Activation: #PizzaLove
New Customer Acquisition

8
Focus
Authentic Love
The goal is to reach pizza lovers by
connecting the message of authentic love to
Marco’s Pizza. What does this mean?
Authentic love, the truest form of love, is felt
deeply and is shared through rich experiences.
We want people to love Marco’s pizza as
much as Marco’s loves making pizza for
people. With love being a universal truth, we
can touch on both sides. We would show the
love that goes into making a fresh Marco’s
pizza, and the love experienced when eating
it. The love you feel for your favorite meal and
the deep connection you make from sharing it
with others is one and the same. We want to
highlight those connections made while
enjoying a delicious Marco’s pizza so that
people will fall in love with the Marco’s brand
for something deeper than just its pizza.

dads
9
Target: Dads
Dads LOVE pizza:
Men drive pizza consumption, and nearly ¾ of dads say they
prefer pizza to other foods during the pandemic
They also LOVE their family:
- 57% say being a dad is extremely important to their overall
identity
- 70% feel closer to their kids since the start of the pandemic
- 92% say it matters a lot to them that their spouse sees them
as a good parent
Today, fathers’ involvement in their children’s lives goes far
beyond after-work hours as fatherhood
contributes largely to the overall identity of the modern man.
They are genuinely wanting to spend more time with their
families and be there for those “little” moments in their little
ones’ lives. Involved dads view parenthood as their most
important job and support brands that accurately portray what
it means to be a modern day father.
Marco’s has the opportunity to support and be a part of those
moments where dads get to hangout with their kids and make
memories that they’ll both look back on for years. So, it’s
crucial to position their pizza in a way that allows fathers to
further connect and spend time with their little ones.

healthy
10
Target: Healthier Eaters
Out of 2,000 U.S adults, pizza was chosen as their favorite
cheat day food
● Almost ½ feel less guilty about eating pizza if it includes
vegetables or veggie-based crust: great opportunity for
Marco’s Pizza Bowls
Marco’s Pizza ranked #7 in the healthiest pizza restaurants
● With their Grilled Chicken Fresco
● 30g of protein and 2g of fiber
American consumers are always looking for ways to get
healthier, especially as we emerge from a global pandemic.
Although consumers want to eat healthier, they are not
willing to sacrifice on taste. They love food that is comforting
and genuinely tastes good.
Marco’s can provide that “comfort meal” on a Friday evening
after a long week at work that consumers love. But they can
also provide a healthier twist on pizza to keep consumers on
track with their health and fitness goals. Pizza doesn’t have
to be a cheat day meal, but it can be. At Marco’s, pizza is
made for consumers, however they choose to enjoy it.

Creative brief
Creative Brief
BACKGROUND: Marco’s is one of the fastest-growing pizza chains
in the U.S. To continue growing the brand, Marco’s needs to
uniquely position the brand among its most threatening
competitors, gaining a bigger slice of the pizza lover market share.
FOCUS: Authentic
Love. We will show
all the different
ways pizza lovers
can authentically
love and connect
with Marco’s Pizza.
Whether it be
through enjoying it
with their loved
ones or
appreciating the
delicious taste and
fresh ingredients,
the bond with
Marco’s Pizza runs
deeper than other
pizza brands.
OPPORTUNITIES:
Consumers are
split between
wanting to eat as
healthy as
possible, yet
desiring
comforting,
indulgent foods,
but they have
made it clear that
pizza quality is very
important.
SUPPORT: Marco’s
is dedicated to doing
things the Italian way
and only serving
customers the
freshest ingredients.
Once people try that
first slice, they’re
hooked.
RISKS: Pizza is no
longer the only
“delivery food”
thanks to services
like Favor and
DoorDash. In
addition, the quality
of frozen pizzas at
convenient stores
continues to
improve.
ASSIGNMENT:
Activate a social-first
campaign that
generates awareness
in the 37MM pizza
lovers market,
positioning Marco’s
as a top-of-mind
pizza brand.
TARGET: Involved dads who want to spend more time with their kids, and
those who live a healthy lifestyle but still enjoy the cheesy-goodness of
pizza. Connect their love for their kids/healthy-living to the love Marco’s has
for making high-quality, authentic pizza with options for everyone.
11

summary
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Summary
As a team, we were tasked with helping
consumers get to know Marco’s as a
brand.
During our research and analysis of
Marco’s, we were able to nail down a
segmented target of dads and healthier
eaters we think would be beneﬁcial to
Marco’s.
By utilizing our focus of Authentic Love,
and the creative brief we have built
around Marco’s, we believe that if
Marco’s chose to implement our plan
they would achieve the results they
have been looking for.

Make table of
contents
Table of Contents
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Meet the Team
Problem/Assignment
Phase 1 Recap
Target
Customer Journey
Creative Brief
Insight
TikTok
Youtube
Spotify
Budget
Local Initiative
Reddit
NextDoor
Facebook
Executive Summary

Group 5
Leah Archer
Media Strategy
Megan Little
User Experience
Mack Whittenburg
Account Services
Camila Vaca
Social Media
Leslie Grover
PR
Reyden Weis
Creative Strategy
1

2
Problem/Assignment
We have been tasked with
helping consumers to get to
know and understand
Marco’s as a brand. Through
our creative and media
strategies, we believe we
will be able to hit our target
market and drive the overall
consumption of Marco’s
higher than ever before.

Phase 1 Recap
3
Competition
● Big 4: Focus moving more and more towards
fast delivery and big deals.
● Product: Frozen pizza, impulse decision in
stores. Getting better in quality so now a viable
option for pizza cravings.
● Delivery: Delivery services expanding to oﬀer
a wide scope of diﬀerent products.
● Fast Food: Quick and easy way to obtain
food. Has advantage when people are looking
for a quick meal.
S: Marco’s has a dedicated and loyal customer
base. It’s true that pizza lovers love Marco’s
Pizza.
W: Marco’s still struggles with a lack of brand
awareness and indistinct overall messaging.
O: As the pandemic continues, consumers are
split between wanting to eat as healthy as
possible, yet desiring comforting, indulgent
foods.
T: Services such as Favor and DoorDash have
made virtually all food delivery food.

dads
Target: Parents
- Parents LOVE Pizza
- Marcos is a perfect option for parents looking for a quick
and easy yet high quality and great tasting dinner
- They also LOVE their family
- Parents know their children better than anyone, and what
kid doesn’t love pizza?
- When looking for a way to satisfy their children’s hunger,
parents know to look towards Marco’s for that signature
ﬂavor their kids love
Americans love their pizza, and of course that
includes families throughout the nation. The average
American family will eat over 40 boxes of pizza in one
year, and kids aged 3-11 prefer pizza over any other
food group. It is safe to say that pizza is always a
viable option for a meal in the American household.
Along with children loving pizza, this applies to
parents as well. Women are two times more likely to
order vegetarian toppings on their pizza, and 1 in 4
men consume pizza on a daily basis. With Marco’s
amazing selection of toppings, along with several non
pizza options, it is safe to say that parents are the
obvious target to hit, as American families are the
ones who will always drive pizza consumption.
4

Need to make consumer journey
Customer Journey
5
1. Parents realize a need
for quick dinner, and do
not want to cook
2. Begins to research
quick and easy takeout
3. Pizza pops up as an
option
4. Begins researching
the diﬀerence in the
Pizza chains
5. Sees Marcos, and
likes their options such
as Pizza bowls and
ﬂavored crust
6. Notices the low
prices of Marcos
7. Decides to order,
large pepperoni and
garden pizza bowl
8. Pizza is delivered
quickly, family loves the
dinner
9. Begins receiving
coupons from Marco’s
10. Becomes a repeat
buyer

Creative
Brief
SMIT
Reasons to believe
Key Insight
Sharing a Marco’s pizza is
another way to say
“I love you.”
At the heart of the Marco’s brand is founder Pasquale
Giammarco’s love for making delicious pizza. With the
freshest ingredients, Italian history, and loyal fanbase,
Marco’s serves pizza that pizza lovers authentically love
and want to share with those close to them. If you love
someone, what better way to let them know than to treat
them to the best tasting pizza on the block?
Parenting can be hard but
sharing a Marco’s pizza is an
easy way to show you care.
6

Pizza Solve
There aren’t any deﬁnite
guide books on raising
kids. Sometimes, there
are questions and
issues that have no right
answer. Even the
perfect parent doesn’t
always have the perfect
answer. With those
types of situations,
Marco’s pizza is the
solution.
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TOP 3
TikTok, Youtube, Spotify

TikTok
TikTok is the most popular social media platform
for individuals of all ages. It represents a great way
to reach not only parents but their children, the future
Marco’s pizza lovers. With the highest engagement
rate per post and 90% of users using the app daily,
Marco’s brand will be able to develop strong
recognition and loyalty with pizza lovers. The
hashtag challenge is the perfect opportunity to
encourage users to create content about their pizza
love, and over 50% of all creators have participated
in at least one hashtag challenge.
8

Youtube
Youtube is the second biggest search engine in the world.
Video advertising has proven to hold a unique level of
communication effort. 72% of parents use Youtube. Parents
are actively using Youtube as a source of parental advice, 3
out of every 4 parents claiming to be open to ads by brands
and companies on YouTube when seeking guidance on
parenting. Parents also use Youtube as a way to stay
informed about their children and societal trends. Pre
roll-ads have become a top funnel to drive website traffic.
Viewers have the potential to retain 95% of the message
from a video ad, compared to only 10% when they read it in
text. This is a huge opportunity to target parents and their
kids directly using authentic love and lead them to visit
Marco’s website and increase awareness.
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For YouTube, Marco’s will place
30 second paid ads similar to the
scenario depicted on the right.
These different scenarios will
illustrate humorous moments in
which pizza can help solve
parenting problems. We will have
two versions of the ad for each
parent. Based on their Youtube
viewing history and other data,
we will help tailor ads to moms
or dads.

Spotify
Spotify is the world’s biggest music streaming platform with over 345
million monthly active users. Spotify has also made a strong strategic
push into podcasting in an eﬀort to be seen as an audio content
company instead of just a music streaming company. Their podcast
popularity is increasing tremendously each year. 55% of the U.S
population listens to Spotify podcasts. 59% of the users between ages
25 and 54 will be listening to podcasts on a monthly basis. Spotify is
also a unique platform that enables brands to showcase their own
personality, allowing the customer to have a more personal
connection with the brand since they can be listening to audio while
they are going through their daily routine. This is a great opportunity to
target parents when they are driving back from work or during lunch
breaks, thus the perfect time for a pizza ad. This will not only increase
awareness, but develop a stronger connection with the audience.
A father walks into the living room where his child turns from watching television.
Kid: Dad where do babies come from
Dad sounds ﬂustered and turns to his wife
Dad (hushed): help….
Mom: nope
Dad: So…. uhhhh…
Dad has an audible a-ha moment
Dad: Who wants pizza?
His kid immediately gets excited and forgets her question
VO: Marco’s pizza, the easiest way to solve parenting’s
hardest problems.
The Dreaded Question
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Budget
Budget
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TikTok recevies a majority of the budget as promoted
hashtag challenges cost at least $130,000; however,
they are worth every investment. Marco’s has the
chance to deliver over a billion impressions with the
hashtag challenge. Similarly, with the budget devoted
to YouTube, the second most used search engine,
Marco’s can deliver over 1 million impressions given
the budget allocation. Lastly, in order to create a
successful Spotify campaign, only $25,000 is really
needed, hence the 12.5% allocated to the audio app.

Other
Recommendations
Local, Reddit,
NextDoor, Facebook

Local Initiative
At Marco’s locations, ﬂyers/coupons
will be attached to pizza boxes
touting the title “Parenting Tip” to add
to their cohesive parenting
guidebook. All of these tips however
are deals on their next Marco’s Pizza
order to promote #PizzaSolve.
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Reddit
The great thing about Reddit is the ability to
engage with users in a space that feels natural
and trustworthy. 82% of users would be
receptive to brands participating on the site, so
Marco’s has the opportunity to start
conversations in subreddits that mean the
most to the pizza loving parent. Also, Dads
LOVE the anonymity factor Reddit provides,
so they can ask the hard questions with no
judgement.
13

NextDoor
NextDoor is a media channel that has
the potential to produce great results,
as 88% of users shop locally, and
among those local shoppers 67% will
share recommendations with
neighbors. NextDoor has the potential
to be a viable WOM source of
advertising.
14

Facebook
Facebook is the most popular platform among parents.
74% of Facebook users are parents, of which 75% log
on daily and 42% go on multiple times a day. About 94%
of parents have their children as friends and post
frequently with their kids, these posts get 47% more
interactions from friends as opposed to other posts.
Parents are very involved in community groups,
such as: “Parenting in a Tech World” or “Nanny
Network”. This is a big opportunity to advertise Marco’s
authentic love using paid social ads within diﬀerent
groups to reach parents directly and develop
conversation.
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Using their own Facebook
page, Marco’s will promote
the hashtag #pizzasolve. If
consumers post about
needing parenting advice and
Marco’s comments using the
hashtag #pizzasolve,
consumers can come into a
restaurant and show that
post to redeem a free pizza.
A post from the consumer
would look similar to the post
on the right.

summary
Summary
Marco’s is a brand that is loved by all
consumers, and we plan to be able to
spread that love to an even wider range
of consumers. Marco’s is focused on
supplying a top quality product to
consumers, and bringing people
together. Our media and creative
strategies presented through TikTok,
Youtube, and Spotify will reach the wider
customer base that Marco’s is looking
for. Incorporating our overarching theme
of Authentic Love, along with the Pizza
Solve spots, we are conﬁdent that we
will be able to reach consumers and
allow them to truly understand and
appreciate the product that Marco’s
brings to the table.
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