Yesterday I ordered Pizza Hut’s new offering from one of its most advertised servings ‘Tikha Paneer …….’ at Hyderabad Central’s Pizza Hut. I waited for sometime and served with Personal Pan of same.
When I saw the pizza I suspiciously asked the pizza-man, if this is what I order and he answered affirmately. That pizza was almost looking same as that of their usual veg servings like Veggie Crunch. Hoping that this Indian retreat may be something to do with its taste, I started eating the same, and I have to finish it ( I was hungry). Surprisingly there is no percievable difference in the taste as well. But yes it came with costlier price-tag as compared to their older siblings.
I have no intention to spread bad word for Pizza hut’s new offering, but there are some lessons I have learned which can be well applied to product releases:
1) Do not release too early ( or too small): You should be releasing products early-often but should be large enough to be recognised as good update to the older release. Pizza might have got prepared differently, but was indifferent to my taste buds, and I am sure 90% people eating out there are not so connoisseur.
2) Release something which is recognisable to end-user : Whatever you release, if it doesnt make sense to most of your end-user (critical mass) it doenst make sense to release it alone. This feature may be important for you but may not be for end-user.
3)Work on the packaging: Dont ship in the same old box, if you are adding new features. It can be consistent with old package but with a difference. List new feautres, top 2-3 ways a user can get benefited etc. Do it differently. I saw some red-chilly spread on the cheese.
4) Do not increase the price: Especially if you are releasing something which doesnt make help end-users. User wont like pay extra bucks if there is something extra he/she is not gonna use.
5)Live up to expectations: There are frequent eye/heart catching advertisements rolling out TV screens now and then, but product is no where close to what it has been claimed. It not only wastes money spent on those advertisements but also leave customers wounded.
Just left the place thinking if I can buy a pizza base, some cheese, fresh vegetables and cook pizza myself…. over to Tarla Dalal’s reciepes 
