New name, no gain?

I completely agree with Ruth Mortimer in her article, “Pizza Hut’s reheating of stale rebranding ideas fools nobody” (MW 18 June).

Surely if the name change were not just a PR stunt, the rejection of the exact same plan in the US should have deterred the British branches from repeating it. Yet despite the extra publicity, I think that consumers would be far more tempted to eat in their local Pizza Hut by the prospect of recycled packaging and no artificial ingredients than simply by a new sign saying “Pasta Hut” or “The Hut”. It is these changes that Pizza Hut should really be promoting.

Although I think that the idea of making Pizza Hut’s food healthier is a good one, and potentially very popular in the face of an obesity epidemic, these changes would have remained the same under the name “Pizza Hut”. My local restaurant executed a similar venture, did not change its name and still attracted more customers.

Ruth Mortimer is right: if Pizza Hut wants to be a successful, modern family restaurant, they simply have to concentrate on the aspects which create that impression, such as actually providing healthier food as opposed to just a healthier name.

Philippa Slaney
PR consultant
MCC International