Pie Tops Sneakers Are More Sizzle Than Steak
On this week’s Cocktail Investing, we touch on issues that are plaguing fast food restaurants, better known as quick service restaurants. While some might focus on improving the food or getting in tune with consumers that are shifting their preferences more in line with our Food with Integrity investing theme, some QSRs like Pizza Hut, a division of Yum Brands, is rolling out gimmicks like the new Pie Top shoes. Yeah, you can place an order through the Pie Tops, but that sure sounds like a novelty item especially when the shoes go out of style in today’s crowded athletic shoe market from Nike, Under Armour and Adidas.
Pizza Hut is stepping up its game with high-top sneakers that allow their wearers to order pizza with a push of a button and rolling out a major discount offer for people who cannot get the special shoes.
The high-tops, which of course are being called Pie Tops, are the latest marketing stunt from a major pizza chain hungry for a bigger piece of America’s pizza-ordering pie.
While the Pie Tops are not for everyone, they will appear in a major marketing push. Basketball star-turned-analyst Grant Hill appears in a new TV spot set to air beginning March 3 and throughout the upcoming NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. The shoe concept will also be featured in NCAA March Madness integrations through the company’s deal with Turner.
