Sandra Morton

Dating back fifteen years, my craving for pizza developed at a Rastafarian restaurant called, “Zim Burgers.” My favorite pizza slice was either cheese or vegetable, sold at $3.00 per slice and wrapped in aluminum foil. Such mouth-watering delights!

News spread like wildfire in small communities and when the public heard that Domino’s (pizza place) was opening on a popular street in the capital, the sound was like a breath of fresh air. Now I would have a whole pizza for myself.

At the grand opening, a mammoth crowd thronged Domino’s doorway, creating the need for police and security to keep order. I recalled the maddening rush and how night came upon us like a big, black pig. Across the road I heard Zim Burger’s voice echo above the din “Hollah! Hollah! Pizza! Pizza! Zim Burgers Pizza! but he gained no attention. His van, silhouetted against the moonlight. Plans of product repositioning must have plagued his thoughts for while I sat in Domino’s munching hungrily on my pizza; I saw him slowly close the door of his van and turned away.

Three weeks later, I met with “Zim Burgers” who no longer sold pizza slices but whole pizzas in small, carton boxes with the logo written across the top, “hollah! hollah! Zim Burger’s pizza! His van was bedecked with a collection of new tastes, conch, fish, salt fish, and chunks pizzas. He encouraged persons to savor them with a catchy promotional refrain, “Eat healthy! Stay off de pepperoni, chicken, bacon, and beef! Rasta man says give your stomach a relief!

Gradually, sales boomed as customers demonstrated a health – conscious disposition. It made good sense to holler “Zim Burger’s Pizza!” He targeted his market niche by simply repositioning his product, a decision that yielded great profits and a wider clientele to enable him to combat Domino’s competition. Target marketing must be clearly defined and customers must feel satisfied with product offerings. Finding the strengths and weaknesses in a competitors’ marketing strategy can enable one’s target marketing strategy to be real effective.

What do you think about the little guy surviving? Got any stories to share?

Graphic Credit:
animationfactory.com