Marketing should communicate your brand, but most have no clue what a brand is. So a superficial brand is what you get that is marinara/marketing-level deep, such as with Stoner’s Pizza joint (SPJ).
Do you like the idea of owning a pizza joint or do you love the craft of producing a pizza? From the name of the franchise and what I just had, Jason, the franchisee of the SE Denver location, likes the idea of owning a pizza joint (expected from a franchisee).
a Florida-based pizza chain
Founded in 2013 and began franchising in 2018 and currently, Denver is one of the only locations outside of the state of Florida.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Stoner’s Pizza Joint, a quick-service pizza franchise, announced today that it will be expanding its footprint to Denver, Colorado.
– PRNewswire
The pizza I just had matched the 1-2 stars of other reviews, but I am not going to totally crap on a business owner because Yelp and the internet sucks. It is full of people’s feelings and it isn’t always constructive.
I want to be constructive in regards to branding/product marketing which has been my field for the last two decades where I have built many leading brands. So when I say the brand here is lame, I can back it up as to why and what they can do because on a surface level, what does a stoner have to do with differentiating their product from the other businesses in a positive way? It doesn’t, and they are getting off on relating themselves to the pot industry from their name to the “legalized marinara.” Pssss, marinara is legal and Coloradans aren’t amused (as much as you are) because it’s been a decade since it’s been legalized.
A SHALLOW brand identity
Stoner’s Pizza Joint’s entire brand identity is based on the novelty of potheads/culture, and they are not aware that marinara is perfectly legal and available everywhere (also, skateboarding is not a crime).
“Get Baked! Break the mold and #Legalizemarinara with Stoner’s Pizza Joint.”
– Stoner’s Pizza Joint
Now, if they said their marinara is so dank, it should be illegal, it might have some weight. Well, they would also need to come up with a marinara that doesn’t taste like Papa John’s which I’m not a fan of. I mean, if they had invested in a proprietary marinara utilizing San Marzano’s, or several unique sauces that are wild and crazy ones from Asian influenced sweet and sour (catsup comes from China) to an Indian tikka-like sauce (yea, it has a tomato base), they would be backing up their brand with sauces that you would imagine only stoners/potheads could come up with. You know, stoner thoughts…. “like what if this was like a sweet and sour chicken pizza bro.”
the extent of the marketing
Cutesy blurbs that have nothing to do with differentiating the product, the people, or the service.
- “Legalize Marinara”
- “Own a joint”
- “We Roll”
- “I got baked at Stoner’s Pizza Joint”
- “Munchies” (their appetizers)
Except SPJ did nothing unique with their product, and they adopted the lazy stoner on the couch approach. The type that is high AF and delusionally thinking, “What an amazing job I’m doing.” In reality, it’s barely a notch about a frozen pizza with its tiny diced bits of ingredients, which is also a measly copy of Papa John’s (except we don’t need a copycat).
They didn’t do that, and they should be asking themselves, “Why all the cutesy marketing taglines highlighting a product element (the sauce/marinara) that is not a major product differentiator?” The short answer is because the owner dude is like, “I’m new here in Colorado, so pot bro, pots so cool bro, so we think we’re cool, and our friends think so too cuz pot… it’s so edgy.” Yea, no, man.
the generic Stoner’s pizza joint menu
The entire theme ends at the menu, where it is back to your local pizzeria in any Church-going suburb to any major city in the United States.
- Nice to Meat You
- The Veggie Pizza
- BBQ Chicken
- No Brainer Deluxe
- Buffalo Chicken
- Hawaiian Pizza
- The Philli
Just go up the street (1.4 miles/3 mins) and try Piccolo’s Pizza which has been in business the last 50 years?? Their product cannot be likened or compared, and whether or not you are high, drunk, spun (well meth users don’t get the munchies), or sober, Piccolos will continue to dominate with a product like no other (NOTE: after 50+ years, the Canino family finally decided to retire and their last day was on April 30th, 2023. A week prior, the parking lot was filled with SUV’s and minivans).
A brand manages people’s expectations, and if they said their pizza is on par with a frozen one, and “If you are high AF, you might think it was great. If not, you’re probably sober.” If that was said, they would have also gotten the current brand right.
For more information on Stoner’s Pizza Joint
