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Charles L Martin has spent a lifetime experiencing hard won sales and marketing battles in the fashion (7th Avenue), film (Hollywood), food & beverage (Worldwide), and social marketing (SoCal) industries. He enjoyed working as an assistant to Liz Ortenberg (Claiborne), Tommy Hilfiger, and producer Scott Rudin, among others. He has worked for Esprit, D.F. Sanders & Co., more than 25 other A-List actors and producers, Rhino Chaser's Beer, EarthLink, United Tranz Actions, OpenTable and now LivingSocial, which is the coolest gig around.

The concept of Anticipation Marketing is his specialty. He loves marketers and sales hacks. He loves (or dislikes) your company. His rants on hotheadblog.com may inspire you. They may ignite you. Either way, it's all good. Follow Charles on Twitter @vendorcloud

Charles is a 4-time marathoner with a 3:58 PR. He also enjoys loads of time with his awesome family as well as advocating in modernist architecture, fine wine, craft beer, master Japanese gardens, xeriscape, politics, and music. email him at vendorcloud@gmail.com .

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Winning gets down to trying harder

By Charles Martin | May 23, 2008

I was noticing the difference between three pizza purveyors last night.

All families I know have their favorite. Some of us go to the local “Lenny” or “Vinny” and get a great pie. But, if we are just considering the 3 national brands of Dominos, Pizza Hut and Papa Johns and we take out the personal considerations regarding taste you see a major difference in my mind.

Last week we got a Dominos pizza. The store is 3/4 of a mile from our house. The pie comes in about 14 minutes. Hot. But tasteless. The drivers are surly. The store in town is all of a 12 x 12 box. It’s clean I guess but reminds me more of an outfit at Dodger stadium. Their box is one big ad for the BRKLYN pizza. Two color ink – blue and red.

Last night I drove (won’t deliver to our little burg) to Papa Johns. The store was bigger, the people way more animated and the store a little less clean. I noticed on the wall that Pizza Store Magazine had given Papa Johns National the “Best Pizza Chain” award for 2007.

The pizza was lively, cared for more by the people as I waited, and tastes better (although I wasnt supposed to say that). My kid ate double the helpings and he eats 3 things in the whole food chain including air.

I noticed this morning that the box is way better in terms of graphics. The whole focus is on what John Schmatter calls “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza… Papa Johns”. After reading it, I too wanted to go to Central California and see the tomatoes being packed to go to a store. {and I kid you not, I also instantly envisioned a big can of tomato sauce at my Dominos} I must also note the pizza costs more. The coupons available online are less than Dominos or Pizza Hut. I pulled away from the store thinking that one of the pitches Papa must give to new store franchisees is the bonus of higher pricing and more margin.

Anyway, it goes to show that even though there are leaders in the field and some there for 30 years (Pizza Hut when Papa came on the scene in the 90s) there is always room for improvement if you’ll try harder.

Avis had it right.

Topics: Big biz, Greats in business | No Comments »

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