Pies, Pizzas, and Huts – Why Do I Care?

The New York Times spent 1,024 words yesterday writing about Pizza Hut "slicing" its prices, and what that means to the general population, I suppose.

A medium will go for eight bucks, a large for ten, and what the Times calls "a new behemoth Big Italy pie," a.k.a. "Specialty Pizza," is $2 more on top of the big-one price.

1,024 words, ladies and gentlemen, in one of the world's most reputable newspapers, online and offline. I wonder what kind of deal the journalist scored for that — a free "behemoth"? In any case, it's got to count at least a little, since although Pizza Hut spent $199.2 million on running ads in major media last year (according to the pizza-slice article), a free slot in the New York Times isn't small potatoes either.

According to the journalist, Pizza Hut is aiming to expand its impact in social media, aiming for more members in its already million-plus Facebook fanbase, and launching new initiatives on Foursquare, a social networking service for mobile devices. Cell phones and such, that is. "Device" is such a hype word.

The chief marketing officer at Pizza Hut isn't worried that other chains will go below their new and improved prices, since what the competitors serve won't be "Pizza Hut pizzas." Papa John's, by the way, has already gone below.

What this really comes down to is: Why do I even bother to cram over a thousand words into my brain, about something I care quite little for, just because it appears to be an important issue to the New York Times? I don't have an answer for that, and I think a lot of others will sit in their chair, or lie on their couch with the same question in their minds after reading that fine little piece of free commerc...I mean journalism.

I make my own pizzas at home.

Article Author: Sommerfeldt

A security professional of ten years, Sommerfeldt likes to write about his experiences in that industry, as well as about what has kept him company many a long night on the job, as they say - Audiobooks.
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