NicksPizza:
n=15 is a pretty small sampling, but whatever. I am curious . . .
I would love 1,000 responses, but based on the results so far, that’s not likely. 15 seems like a reasonable goal right now, and would at least give me a rough idea. If you can help get 25, you would be my new favorite person. The survey results will be combined with what I am learning from local operators through direct interviews.
NicksPizza:
What is the ultimate purpose of the research?
Its for a class project related to how technology is impacting traditional marketing approaches in the pizza business. The survey is limited to traditional marketing, and especially coupons, but the overall project is more broad. Understanding the current practices and cost structure of traditional advertising will help me understand why things might change, and how operators of independent stores, and small chains, might be impacted as large chains leverage new technology to reach customers.
NicksPizza:
What led you to focus so heavily on couponing
I hate long surveys, and my free surveymonkey account only allows for 10 questions. I had to focus my survey on one aspect, so I chose coupons. I would love to learn more about what other advertising techniques you have found to work. Also, coupons seems relevant to my technology angle, given what the large chains have done recently.
NicksPizza:
Is there any corporate or other business interest
All I can say is that I have never worked in the pizza business, have no known connection to any entities that work in the industry, and that this information is being used for a class project. I can’t predict the future though. At some point, I hope to leverage my education, and who knows what opportunities might be available, especially in this economy. Maybe my research will reveal a way to help smaller pizza operators more effectively compete with the large chains. That would be a good thing, as my favorite pizza stores are independent shops.
Anyway, I have been contacting pizzeria operators individually, but I was worried that my findings would be skewed to what happens near where I live in southern California. My guess is that what operators spend on advertising in southern California might be different than what operators spend in the midwest, and elsewhere. This website seemed like a good opportunity to expand my limited view, and I have been using some of the info provided for my secondary research. I just recently found the forums.
I expected some suspicion. Considering that I am a student with no background in the industry, trying to learn what actually happens at the store level in places like Grantville, Georgia, what would you do? Most of what I have found through secondary research (newspapers, magazines, research reports) is skewed towards the top 3 chains, and rarely touches on what goes on with smaller operations. I think you would agree that limiting my research to what the large chains are doing would be a poor representation of how advertising works in the pizza business.
If anybody has read all of this, I hope you understand my intentions a bit more, and feel more comfortable with helping. I understand if you still are not.
