To create an out-of-the-box news moment for the makers of Hormel® Pepperoni, Sharp identified National Pi Day on March 14, 2021 as an opportunity to engage with foodies in a fun and interactive way. To commemorate the holiday, Sharp suggested conducting a timely survey revealing the pizza pie preferences of food lovers across the US, particularly when it comes to pepperoni. The findings were entertaining and delightful, showing that 80 percent of Americans think pepperoni goes with pizza like peanut butter goes with jelly, among other statistics. What's more, the data supported what we all intuitively know: that eating and making pepperoni pizza with family is a fixed part of American culture, and was even strengthened during the pandemic.
Sharp generated buzz around these survey results by pitching them under embargo to key national outlets and food publications immediately prior to National Pi Day on March 14. The result was 47 pieces of coverage reaching over 1.47B total impressions, which exceeded all client expectations. This included nine broadcast mentions as well as top tier stories from USA Today, “Pizza deals for Pi Day: Save Sunday plus earn free pizza with Domino's, Pizza Hut rewards programs.” and Fox News, “Majority of Americans say this topping belongs on pizza, according to new poll,” Sometimes, the best news is the news you create yourself!