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Create a pizza that's requested by kids—and approved by moms.

 

BACKGROUND

We recruited eight Creative Consumers® associates kids (CC Kids), ages 10-14. To immerse everyone in a kid’s world, we sent groups of clients with a parent and a CC Kid to Disney World for the afternoon. The CC Kids were in charge of all decisions for the groups—the rides, restaurants and food choices.

 

OBJECTIVE

Pizza Hut knew kids have tremendous influence when it comes to choosing what to eat—especially when a family chooses a pizza. To aid their efforts to bring a fresh new idea to the category, Ideas To Go organized a round of ideation and qualitative evaluation for pizza ideas that would be desirable to kids, and approved by moms.

RESULT

Cheesy Bites Pizza debuted with a Super Bowl commercial featuring Jessica Simpson, and was one of the best-selling products for Pizza Hut at that time. It is still re-launched on a regular basis. In an April 2012 press release, Pizza Hut CMO Kurt Kane said:

“Nothing captures the attention of our customers quite like the fan favorite Cheesy Bites Pizza. With Cheesy Bites, you’re getting our mouthwatering pizza surrounded by cheese-filled miracles that can take pizza right from good to great.”

 

+ DETAILS

The team brought that experience and learning with them to ideation with eight new CC Kids and eight additional Creative Consumers® associate parents of kids aged 8-15, the next day. Clients both observed the session and interacted with the consumers in a variety of exercises. Four additional Creative Consumers® associates moms observed from the back room, generating and building on ideas.

This resulted in:

  • 1940 insights, wishes, new product and packaging possibilities
  • 11 Target Areas, 3 used in session
  • 129 High Interest Ideas
  • 60 Initial Concept Outlines created by the Pizza Hut team
  • 20 Prioritized Concept Outlines
  • 12 Original Concepts + prototypes taken through 4 Target Consumer Reaction Groups
  • 1 Best-selling New Pizza Product