Singapore – Multinational pizza restaurant chain Pizza Hut has recently appointed Michelle Wong as its newest marketing director for South Asia to drive growth and elevate brand visibility across all channels.
In her new role, Wong’s main responsibility will be to provide strategic direction to franchise marketing teams, with a focus on building sustainable plans that drive sales and enhance brand presence across all channels over time.
In an exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Wong delved into the factors that attracted her to Pizza Hut, the significance of her past experiences in shaping her new role, and her strategic vision for bolstering the brand’s presence and market dominance across South Asia.
Leveraging past experiences for future success
Prior to joining Pizza Hut, Wong served as McDonald’s director of market activation, working with marketing teams in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and LATAM markets to create robust martech, CRM, customer segmentation, and loyalty strategies.
In her nine-year tenure at McDonald’s, she had the privilege of contributing to a global and beloved brand, giving her valuable experiences that she believes will be instrumental in her new role at Pizza Hut.
Amongst these invaluable assets is her ‘outside-in’ perspective, which allows her to leapfrog traditional learning curves in crafting exceptional brand experiences and nurturing enduring fan connections. Additionally, she had also learned to embrace a mindset of experimentation, characterised by rapid learning and acceptance of failure, especially in adopting new technologies and harnessing the power of data.
Strategies for market dominance and navigating the future of F&B marketing
As the newly appointed marketing director, Wong’s main aim is to invigorate Pizza Hut’s presence and market dominance in South Asia through a multi-faceted approach.
Wong emphasised her commitment to continuously refining their delivery, dine-in, and takeaway experiences to exceed customer expectations. Additionally, she will also prioritise active engagement with their audience, amplifying Pizza Hut South Asia’s presence in conversations and listening intently to their feedback.
Furthermore, Wong plans to introduce more exciting innovations to their menu, offering fresh interpretations of beloved classics to delight Pizza Hut’s loyal fans and attract new patrons alike.
When asked what she thinks lies ahead for F&B marketing, Wong believes that the future is poised for hyper-personalisation, where real-time data and self-learning algorithms enable highly customised experiences on an individual level.
For her, Pizza Hut is primed to navigate this landscape by embracing exploration and experimentation. By continuously testing and uncovering the key drivers of meaningful customer experiences throughout their journey, they can stay ahead of the curve and ensure that their offerings resonate deeply with their audience.
Embracing the iconic legacy of Pizza Hut
Speaking on what drew her to join Pizza Hut, Wong explained that it was the opportunity to spearhead the next transformative chapter of such an iconic brand.
She understands that Pizza Hut is a brand that generation X and older audiences remember fondly for bringing people together, for hot pizza delivery delivered to the door, for the iconic Pizza Hut jingle, and of course, for the great taste of pan and stuffed crust.
Wong acknowledges the brand’s nostalgic appeal and aims to channel it in a fresh and innovative direction.
“I was drawn to the opportunity of taking this iconic brand into its next transformative journey—modernisation and engaging younger fans. Pizza Hut evokes fond childhood memories for me, and I’m thrilled to be given this opportunity at Pizza Hut South Asia to work with a stellar cast,” she concluded.
