Not Delivery, Just DiGiorno

What’s the sitch with the market for DiGiorno frozen pizza?

“It’s not delivery! It’s DiGiorno!” We’ve all heard it; a solid advertising campaign by a successful purveyor of frozen Italian foodstuffs. 

Now, DiGiorno frozen pizza is undeniably tasty. In a recent nationwide poll of young Americans (ages 14-28) there was almost unilateral agreement on the question of, “Does DiGiorno frozen pizza taste good?” But, on the question of, “Does DiGiorno frozen pizza taste as good as delivery pizza?” there was widespread disagreement. Only about 8% of respondents said “Yes,” to that question, while 71% responded “No,’” 15% responded “Need more information,” and 6% responded “All of the above.” These are troubling stats, and suggest a hint of disappointment in their slogan: “Oh, it’s not delivery… just DiGiorno.” 

One can make the argument that, while DiGiorno may not be quite as good as delivery, it is still much better than other frozen pizzas. But, when I’m buying a frozen pizza, I’m looking for an easy, cheesy meal at a reasonable cost. I’m not looking for fine dining. A 12” DiGiorno pizza will generally run you from $6-$8, depending on the area and retailer. A lower end, thin-crust frozen pizza (i.e. Tombstone, Totino’s, Jack’s, etc.) will only run you from $3-$5 per ‘za. A delivery pizza (remember 12” is a medium in delivery-pizza terms) from any national chain will be about $10 after tax and a delivery charge. 

Personally, I would prefer to save my hard-earned dollars on the frozen pizza end, by investing in generic, thin-crust frozen pizzas. I’m then be able to splurge on delivery pizza when I want to treat myself to a higher quality pizza experience. Unfortunately, this formula rules DiGiorno pizza out of my diet completely. Their inherent identity crisis (trying to compete as a delivery pizza place even though they are in the frozen pizza category) puts them in sort of a pizza-sales no-man’s-land, where they are neither the best tasting choice, nor the easiest on the pocketbook. 

DiGiorno’s past success was based on a clever turn of phrase, a culture of over-consumption, and an economy to support both. With Americans tightening their budgets and looking for ways to save, DiGiorno’s archaic business model needs serious revisions if they hope to stay afloat in the increasingly competitive pizza marketplace.