Pizza Today - July 2015 - 18

MAN ON THE STREET / BY SCOTT WIENER

got
swag?

Merchandising matters,
so choose wisely

I

realized last week while folding a load
of laundry that at least 80 percent of my
t-shirt collection is pizza-related. Some
have catchy phrases or images and others are
from pizzerias I've visited over the years. But
it doesn't end there; my tiny apartment is a
warehouse for every kind of pizza swag you
can imagine. It's quite a change in décor from
the rock band posters and t-shirts of my high
school and college years, but the idea is the
same. I love showing my support for things I
enjoy, and your pizzeria is one of them. Help
me flaunt my fandom by taking advantage of
merchandising opportunities that will bolster
your bottom line.
You can get your pizzeria's name printed
on just about anything, but I tend to prefer
the simplest options. Magnets and stickers
are great because they're inexpensive and
take up almost zero real estate in your
shop. Customers will keep them on their
refrigerator or inside their locker at school,
providing a constant reminder of whom they
can call for pizza and wings this weekend.
The marketing potential is enormous,
especially when compared with paper menus
that get lost in piles of junk mail. The longer
an item survives before hitting the trashcan,
the more eyeballs will see it and the greater
your return on investment.
I'll never pay for a pizzeria magnet, but
have no problem dropping $20 for a cool
t-shirt. Cost is usually around $5 to $7 per
piece (depending on shirt quality and print
quantity) so there's definitely room for profit.
Rizzo's Fine Pizza in Astoria, New York,
sells t-shirts for $5. For the customer, such
1 8 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / J U LY 2 0 1 5

a low price makes the purchase a no
brainer. For your pizzeria, a net loss
of zero dollars is a pretty great price
for a mobile billboard that will expose
thousands of people to your brand.
My first pizza t-shirt remains one
of my favorites because I earned it.
Carmen's Pizzeria in Neptune, New
Jersey, is famous for their XXL pizza
challenge. Long before "Man vs. Food,"
Carmen's offered a free t-shirt to any
customer able to finish a XXL pizza
in under an hour. The best part is the
pizza is extremely thin, so even my
grandmother could take it down. I
remember sitting at a table with at least
five of my friends, each of us devouring
our own XXL pie. The promotion
increases the pizzeria's average
check while creating a frenzy of free
advertising. The best part is the t-shirt

design changes every year, so there's
incentive for repeat attempts.
Your pizzeria's unique identity
could be ripe for possibilities beyond
the standard apparel, just be sure
you know your audience. Branded
sunglasses might not sell in a Seattle
pizza shop but they're a good bet at a
touristy beachfront location in southern
California. If you feature craft beer, a
branded bottle opener could be the
perfect take-away. Don't waste time,
space and money on branded bobble
heads and board games just because
they're available. Think about what
you're known for and you're likely to
find some matching merch. ■
Scott Wiener owns and operates Scott's
Pizza Tours in New York City.
BY RICK DAUGHERTY
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today - July 2015

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