Ex TikTok and Apple marketer joins Pizza Hut as new CMO
Pizza Hut is a brand in need of a revamp, and Jana Ulaite has been brought in to do the job. As part of the Yum! portfolio of brands, there’s an opportunity for an agency to work the same magic on Pizza Hut that Mother achieves with its sister restaurant chain KFC.
Ulaite has spent the last year as VP marketing for privacy-friendly web browser Tempest, but she’ll now be in charge of inventing all sorts of ploys to get close to Pizza Hut’s target customers. Her remit is to “play a pivotal role in identifying creative ways to deliver brand activity and drawing upon her tech expertise to enable a more modern experience for Pizza Hut customers across the region.”
Ulaite said: “I’m delighted to be joining Pizza Hut UK & Europe’s leadership team. As one of the world’s largest restaurant and takeaway franchisers, it is truly an iconic brand. My role will focus on transforming Pizza Hut into a younger, more culturally relevant, and digital-first brand. Not to mention delivering everyday value and experience for our customers – I can’t wait to drive this forward in 2024!”
Pizza Hut currently works with Iris, who might well be suited to the task of making Pizza Hut (which has 500 UK stores operated by 37 franchisees) “a more modern experience,” although it’s not clear how ambitious the brand is about making real changes to its image. At TikTok, Ulaite worked with agency Social Lab.
Prior to Tempest, Ulaite worked for four years at TikTok as head of marketing for all of Europe, and the same amount of time as marketing lead for Apple stores across the region. She’s also spent time at gaming company Electronic Arts.