Papa John's is going healthy
The pizza chain emphasizes quality above all else and is looking for ways to effectively communicate its incentives with customers.
In an earnings call on Wednesday, the company revealed its revamping its digital presence and advertising campaigns to connect with customers.
"We recently began to showcase our ongoing efforts through a mix of ads and press releases," said John H. Schnatter, CEO of Papa John's, during the call. "This is more than a campaign. It's another way we communicate to our customers that we share their passion for superior quality."
The company also revealed that it plans to launch an "enhanced" version of its website next month.
With new menu items and the chain's push towards healthier substitutes, furthering and improving digital initiatives is necessary to generate buzz.
"Our digital platforms are such an important piece of our customer service commitment and driving digital mix will clearly remain a priority," Schnatter said during the call.
The pizza chain unveiled a new menu last month, dubbed "Papa's Lighter Choices," consisting of five nutritional plates.
Some of them include Mediterranean Veggie, Chicken & Veggie and Grilled Chicken & Canadian Bacon.
"We're always tinkering with new menu items and recipes, and this is a great option for people who prefer pizza on the lighter side," said Bob Kraut, chief marketing officer at Papa John's, in a press release. "You won't find any processed, low-calorie ingredients because our Papa's Lighter Choices menu items are made from the same better ingredients our customers expect from us."
In June, the chain announced its plan to spend $100 million a year working to eliminate 14 artificial ingredients from its menu.
Replacing artificial ingredients with natural ingredients is so costly for the company because of the higher price of the replacement.
Other fast food chains like Panera, Subway, Taco Bell, and McDonald's have also been removing artificial ingredients and other additives from their menus.
Papa John's healthier push didn't start this year; the chain introduced its healthy Greek Pizza to the menu last year, which has been received really well by customers.
The company isn't planning to stop reinventing its menu any time soon.
"We have even more recipes in-store for 2015 and we're looking forward to sharing them," Schnatter said during the call.