Just read a fascinating article that answered a question I brought up during a cocktail party not a month ago: whatever happened to Little Caesars? While the article brings up a number of noteworthy points, its main thrust is that in marketing, less is more.

Little Caesars sat second behind only Pizza Hut in ’94. Their “Pizza!, Pizza!” slogan is still a memorable one and the chain was take-out only. As the years passed by, the chain rolled out sit-down Italian-style family restaurants, moved into the delivery market, introduced the “Pizza by the Foot” campaign, and watered down it’s brand and main sales proposition (two pizzas for the price of one). The chain went from a one-stop-shop for good tasting, if cheap, pizza, to an experiment in gimmickry. In 15 years their sales dropped 42%.

Read the article. It’s a nice case study in how less is more. And a good reminder that in an ever competitive and jumbled marketplace, a focused, consistent message can never go wrong.