Tom Law

A slice of ingenuity: Papa John's self-serve marketing toolkit

Papa John's, widely recognized for its commitment to quality, sought to enhance operational efficiency by bridging their high standards with innovative technology. The challenge was to simplify their elaborate artwork production process, which was a significant resource demand for both headquarters and franchises. Addressing this, I designed an intuitive digital repository and briefing system, complete with a feature-rich toolkit including a marketing calendar, which empowered franchisees to independently manage, customize, and procure marketing materials — thereby streamlining the entire process.

Client: Papa John's / Role: UX Lead / Tags: application design, content architecture, interface design /

The challenge

Papa John's faced a multi-layered challenge:

  • Workflow bottleneck: The existing process was reliant on headquarters' art department, creating delays.
  • Franchisee needs: There was a need for faster production of localized marketing materials.
  • Agency visibility: Creative and artwork agencies required streamlined processes.
  • Cost reduction: Both Franchisee and HQ needed to reduce artworking costs significantly.

My role

As a Senior UX Designer, my mandate was to navigate this complexity and deliver a unifying solution. My responsibilities included:

  • Stakeholder collaboration: Engaging with all parties to ensure system alignment with diverse needs
  • Wireframing and prototyping: Developing a full-scale prototype for comprehensive testing and feedback
  • User testing: Refining the system based on real user interactions and stakeholder input
  • Technical proficiency: Crafting a solution adaptable to various user skill levels

The solution

The solution was a digital art repository and briefing system that encapsulated:

  • User-Centric Design: Franchisees could navigate and customize templates with ease
  • Comprehensive Collaboration: The system was built with input from all relevant stakeholders
  • Functional Prototyping: Demonstrating real-world application and refining the user experience
  • Cost-Effective System: A significant reduction in dependency on the HQ artwork department

The results

This digital transformation led to remarkable outcomes:

  • System Implementation: A shift in the marketing production approach for Papa John's.
  • Cost Reduction: LSMs experienced a 190% decrease in artworking costs.
  • Administrative Efficiency: Marketing staff saw reduced hours on artwork-related tasks.
  • Franchisee Autonomy: Enhanced ability to adapt to market changes quickly.
  • Agency Efficiency: Improved processes for creative and artwork agencies.

This case study exemplifies the power of user experience in transforming business processes and the value it brings in terms of efficiency, cost savings, and operational agility