Pizza Challenge: Presentation
Introduction
There is substantial research indicating that the uncanny ability to identify an incredible problem or opportunity is the defining characteristic of exceptionally innovative people. World-changing innovators have an almost artistic ability to notice challenges and/or imagine desirable future states that others simply do not. As such, one of the most important components of any innovation process is research: gathering a broad range of data, information, facts, perspectives, opinions, observations, etc. with the aim of truly understanding and fully imagining an opportunity.
We begin the Pizza Challenge with a research phase. Each team member will become an ‘expert’ on one of the topics below. They’ll research the topic and share key insights through a brief presentation. We have three goals:
- practice and further develop your research skills,
- practice sharing expert knowledge to non-expert teammates,
- and better appreciate that research fundamentally drives innovation.
Deliverables
All deliverables are due on 9 November 2022
- A presentation to your teammates that spans approximately 5-10 minutes. You do not have to appear on camera but you will be required to narrate the presentation.
- A conversation in which teammates ask follow-up and clarifying questions spanning approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Teams will then synthesize insights from the presentations into the Process Document. To be clear, the presentations are not evaluated but the Process Document will be at the conclusion of the Pizza Challenge.
Research Topics
Team members will decide who will present on the topics outlined below. If, for some reason, the group size is reduced to 4, the team is not responsible for covering the final topic.
The presentations should be researched and designed individually. Your professor has provided a couple of recommended sources for each topic; you are encouraged to conduct further research. Be critical when engaging with sources—marketing copy from a pizzeria is probably not the most authoritative or objective source. The ultimate goal is to provide your teammates with the knowledge they need to take action and excel on the Pizza Challenge.
Topic 1: Hawaiian Pizza Controversy and the Reception of Pizza Novelty Aya’s part
Not all creative and innovative ideas are well received by the public, even if they are super tasty. The contentious debate about Hawaiian pizza demonstrates that innovators need to think critically about how an audience will react to a new idea. Many perceive new ideas to be inherently threatening and the introduction of novelty may provoke harsh reactions from traditionalists. People are passionate about pizza and are not afraid to flood social media with their opinions.
Assignment: Provide an introduction to the Hawaiian pizza controversy and share key conclusions about the reception of pizza novelty. This presentation will be essential for helping the team anticipate how audiences might react to their novel pizza pitch.
Starting Sources
Topic 2: Market Research on Pizza Options Around HMC
The pub in the new student centre wants this pizza dish to be a major draw. It needs to be radically different from everything else available around the HMC campus and, more broadly, Mississauga. The team needs to know what types of pizzas neighboring businesses are making so they can effectively determine if their pizza ideas are indeed novel and original. If possible, consider spending some time walking around Square One and examining the physical spaces too—often, many specials and one-off menu items aren’t included on online menus. Similarly, many mom & pop shops do not have an online presence, and they often have more original options than chains.
Assignment: Find and research the menus of food-based businesses around the HMC campus. Analyze your research findings to determine market saturation (i.e. what’s overdone?), novel options offered by the competition (i.e. what’s new and exciting?), and areas for innovation (i.e. what gaps exist?)
https://geniushomeworks.com/order/
Starting Source
https://www.google.com/maps/search/pizza/@43.5759432,-79.6673601,13z/data=!3m1!4b1
Topic 3: Pizza Creativity in the Greater Toronto Area
There’s a vibrant pizza scene in the GTA and it is distinct due to the region’s cultural diversity. People from across the world come to live and study in the GTA which naturally results in some really interesting fusions. There’s an opportunity to take inspiration in what other businesses are doing and bring some of that creativity to Sheridan College’s new pub.
Assignment: Research some success stories about innovative pizzerias in the GTA. Analyze the stories to identify what inspires these businesses to innovate, common strategies that are applied to generate novel ideas for pizzas, and other relevant tips or insights that might meaningfully inform the team’s work on the pizza challenge.
Starting Sources
Topic 4: History of Pizza
Pizza has a long and interesting history. It is important to be knowledgeable about this history as there are traditionalist and purist in any culture. Understanding how pizza was originally made and what forces influenced the evolution of pizza is super-important context.
Assignment: Research the history of pizza to define the core elements of pizza. Your major challenge is to establish what is pizza which will inform the rest of the creative process. For example, imagine someone suggested that they just get rid of the dough entirely (e.g. baking a mix of sauce, cheese, and toppings in a ceramic dish). Is that still a pizza? Or, what if someone suggested they eliminate cheese because that’s the most expensive ingredient. Is a no cheese pizza still a pizza?
Starting Sources
Topic 5: Research on Target Consumer Segments
The primary audience for the new student pub is, well, students at Sheridan College followed by faculty and staff. A secondary potential audience comprises of shoppers and commuters at Square One. We need to think creatively and critically about the needs, expectations, and desires of target users. And mobilize those insights to design a highly novel but effective pizza.
Assignment: Research and design personas for three key stakeholders: 1) a student attending a program at the HMC campus & 2) a professor or staff member working at the HMC campus, 3) a potential customer who regularly visits Square One but might not know there is amazing pizza to be eaten at Sheridan College. The personas should address 3 questions: what sort of experience is the customer looking for at the pub? What might motivate them to come to the pub and try out a novel pizza? What might discourage them from visiting the pub and trying out a novel pizza?
Starting Sources
You can primarily draw upon your personal experience and imagination to design the personas.
But, if you’d like to learn more about personas, both in terms of product design and marketing, check out and browse this resource from the library. To be clear, it is a book and there is no expectation that you’ll read it for the purposes of the presentation.
Assessment
Key insights generated from the research presentations will be recorded in the Process Document. This phase of the creative process will be assessed via Likert-type scale and the following prompts:
- Identified key attributes of ‘classic’ pizza.
- Identified key attributes of novel pizza.
- Identified sources of resistance to pizza novelty.
- Imagined a detailed customer journey to envision success.
- Synthesized insights to establish the key attributes and characteristics of a novel pizza.
