Pizza Hut India has announced the appointment of Aanandita Datta as chief marketing officer. She will be working closely with Merrill Pereyra, managing director, Pizza Hut Indian Subcontinent.
The company said that Datta will oversee all aspects of marketing and branding, with the core objective of transforming Pizza Hut into a ‘Younger and Everyday’ brand. Pizza Hut’s current CMO Neha, has meanwhile been elevated to the Pizza Hut Global team as senior director, marketing, and will be relocating to Dallas.
Speaking on the appointment, Pereyra says, “As we undertake rapid expansion and transform towards becoming a ‘Younger and Everyday’ brand in India, Datta’s expertise of managing high-level marquee brands will be instrumental in steering Pizza Hut India in the right direction.”
With close to 17 years of experience, Datta was previously designated as global brand director, Unilever, based out of the Netherlands. She has previously worked with consumer goods firms, managing brands such as Lipton, Kissan, Taaza at Unilever alongwith corporate brand Unilever, Horlicks and Sensodyne at GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare and Whirlpool Refrigerators.
On her new role, Datta says, “India is one of the most interesting markets in the world today, and our young demographic opens up brands to endless possibilities and experimentation. With a focus on technology, expansion, disruptive products, value pricing and distinctive communication, I believe Pizza Hut is already on the right path. I am excited to work with the incredibly talented team here.”
Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, is operated in India through its India franchise Devyani International Ltd. The company opened the first Pizza Hut store in India in 1997 at Jaipur. The Gurugram-headquartered company runs the outlets of over 297 Pizza Hut outlets across the country. The major chunk of Devyani International’s revenue comes from KFC and Pizza Hut stores.