Article

Remember the '70s? Mr. Gatti's does and wants you to, too

There's gold in those olden days for brands such as Mr. Gatti's that are finding nostalgia might be the best path into the future.

August 15, 2016 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

If ever there were a time to really rake in from nostalgia marketing, this might be it. Just about everybody is a little stunned these days between the perils of terrorism, the surprise-a-day antics of the U.S. presidential campaign, and growing unease about everything from the global environment and economy to threats of disease and war.

Looking back at just about any decade of the 20th century, it's hard not to wax poetic about simpler times, as leaders of the 48-year-old Mr. Gatti's pizza chain are well aware. That's why they are "refreshing" the brand anew by going back to its branding of old.

Recently, the chain opened a new location in Richardson, Texas, that features many of the elements that made Mr. Gatti's one of the most popular "pizza-and-more places" of the 1970s and '80s.

For instance, the interior boasts the "wood-y" look of earlier days and the menu includes old favorites such as lasagna and baked ziti. However these items are augmented by trendier new offerings such as build-your-own pizza and pasta selections, as well as the vegan and meat alternatives that are growing in popularity today.

According to international market research firm Euromonitor International, nostalgia marketing — sometimes called "flashback branding" — is an especially effective tool when times are particularly tumultuous.

The firm said its research shows that by tapping into logos, images and jingles from bygone days, a longtime brand can light a fire in that little place in people's hearts that warms to the way we were. The firm also finds that even if the way we were wasn't all that swell, we remember it as being much better than it was.

Take for instance, a 50-something-ish food editor at http://www.qsrweb.com/ and http://www.pizzamarketplace.com/ recalls that in her more spry high school days of the late '70s, Mr. Gatti's was the place for kids to hang out, flirt, eat far too much and just generally be obnoxious.

In other words, she has very fond memories of Mr. Gatti's. And, as it happens, the leaders of the company had people like her top of mind when they gave the chain a brand refresh, as we learned in a recent Q-and-A session with Mr. Gatti's president, Michael Poates:

Q: Your new name and logo, which once more includes "Mr." before "Gatti's," harken back to the 1970s. What prompted the new model?

A: While many people in the business are reinventing themselves or their respective “branding,” we felt like we would connect back to the brand at a time and place where we knew the brand had optimal market share and name recognition. … We are using the latency of many years of customer memories and reintroducing them to the brand. We are defining our future by reconnecting with our past.

Q: How does this manifest itself in the look of the restaurants today?

A: We connected to the heritage of the brand. Guests will recognize elements such as wood and trees in the décor, a modest game room and classic Mr. Gatti’s items on the menu.

Q: Are you achieving this reinvention through a top-to-bottom makeover or through more of a tweaking of the brand? And how will you measure the effectiveness of these changes?
A:We are considering low-saturation designated market areas and trade areas to grow to critical mass. These types of markets represent a great opportunity for Mr. Gatti's guest latency to invigorate and ignite the brand. Many customers have great memories of Mr. Gatti's, so we have optimized this refresh to represent what we’ve been doing for the last 48 years.

Like many in the industry, we will measure through the traditional indices of sales, transactions and profitability. In the end, we want to tip our hat to the things that brought Mr. Gatti's to the dance originally. We believe that offering low, fair prices along with high quality food and a great guest experience will be very popular with both our new and seasoned Mr. Gatti's fan base.

Q: What's the response been like so far?
A:The response has been even greater than we had hoped. We are constantly hearing from customers who have great memories of Mr. Gatti's when they were kids and are excited about being able to introduce their kids to one of their favorite childhood experiences.

About S.A. Whitehead

Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.