Riko’s Pizza, a Connecticut-based franchise famous for its signature hot oil pizza, has been a staple in Fairfield County for over a decade. With deep roots in the local community and a history of strong organic growth, the company built its brand reputation through word-of-mouth, outreach, and grassroots efforts. But when the company pivoted from a corporate-owned model to franchise-driven expansion, it recognized the need for a more structured and scalable marketing approach. That’s where One Four Media came in.
The Challenge
Riko’s had never engaged in formal advertising at a corporate level. Franchise locations in Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and beyond faced the challenge of launching in areas where Riko’s Pizza had no prior brand identity or recognition. So building their presence in new markets, particularly outside the New England region, meant creating brand awareness. Without a digital marketing infrastructure, targeted media buys, or the right tracking tools, they struggled to measure consumer behavior, ad effectiveness, or even basic search trends associated with their brand.
The SOLUTION
Our goal was to build a sustainable, data-driven advertising model that could be replicated across multiple markets. We developed a comprehensive digital and Out-of-Home (OOH) strategy, integrating:
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Digital Advertising
Programmatic display, pre-roll video, YouTube, geofencing, geo-targeted social media, and paid search campaigns.
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Out-of-Home Advertising
Targeted billboards for select locations.
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Grand Opening (GO) Playbook
A six-week campaign structure, requiring a set budget commitment from franchisees to ensure visibility and launch success.
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Analytics & Tracking Implementation
Establishing proper tracking via Google Tag Manager and Analytics, integrating food-tech ordering platforms to measure cost performance and setting up in-platform pixels for data-driven decision-making.
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Connected TV (CTV) Campaigns
Targeting streaming audiences with high-quality video ads to drive brand awareness and engagement.
Perfecting the Recipe for Multi-State Franchise Growth
To drive Riko’s expansion into additional markets, we created a replicable digital marketing framework designed to support franchise growth across all markets. At the heart of this strategy is a six-week Grand Opening (GO) campaign, a high-impact media blitz that jumpstarts community excitement and brand awareness in new locations.
By leveraging a mix of paid search, display, pre-roll, YouTube, social media, geofencing, and retargeting, we ensure that each new market launch captures immediate attention and drives traffic from day one.
Beyond the initial launch, we’ve implemented an ongoing digital strategy that maintains momentum with baseline, recommendation, and opportunity campaigns—allowing each location to sustain a strong market presence with optimized ad spend. Through extensive testing, we’ve identified the sweet spot where Riko’s can maintain high response rates while reducing overall marketing costs.
Serving Up Scalable Success
Each new franchise launch followed a proven framework, integrating targeted digital campaigns, strategic out-of-home placements, and localized messaging to build awareness and drive initial sales.
By implementing a consistent and measurable advertising plan, we established a repeatable and scalable model that provides franchisees with the tools needed to capture demand, track performance, and optimize customer engagement. As Riko’s Pizza continues its nationwide expansion, this approach ensures that each new location enters the market with immediate visibility and a strong foundation for sustained growth.
The Results
With a customized, scalable media buying strategy in place, Riko’s quickly saw high-impact results across their franchise locations:
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Market Success
One location that had struggled for over two years saw a 30% year-over-year sales increase within the first six months of launching digital campaigns
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New York Expansion
The Merrick, NY location, which faced a challenging hidden plaza placement, experienced a 32% year-over-year revenue growth in its first month after launching digital marketing, compared to the average growth of 10% in the six months prior to launching the campaign.
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Burlington Breakthrough
In Burlington, VT, the franchise saw a 39% increase in revenue week-over-week in the first week of the GO campaign.
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Across-the-Board Growth
Every market where digital campaigns were deployed saw a minimum 15% increase in sales and online revenue.
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Enhanced Brand Recognition
Google search trends for Riko’s Pizza increased by 50% year-over-year in new markets where digital advertising was active.