Is Debonairs Pizza really Mzansi's favourite? ARB demands proof

Debonairs Pizza’s claim to be “home of Mzansi’s fave pizzas” is misleading without objective proof in this regard, the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) found. It earlier this month ordered this statement’s immediate withdrawal from advertisements, unless new, verified substantiation for this phrase is provided.

Attorneys Savage Jooste & Adams, on behalf of the complainant, objected to this statement made by Debonairs and submitted that it was not aware of any recent surveys done to justify the claim that the advertiser was regarded as the home of favourite pizzas.

In defence, Debonairs submitted that it was not just the most popular pizza brand, but one of South Africa’s most loved fast-food brands overall. It is the largest pizza franchise, accounting for over 50% of all pizza franchise locations in South Africa.

It referred to the Marketing Research Foundation’s MAPSTM studies - which it said found that Debonairs Pizza ranks third for high usage and shopping behaviour in the fast-food category. It listed a number of accolades, which include the latest South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SAcsi) for Fast Food Restaurants, which indicates that Debonairs Pizza has a high customer satisfaction ranking.

It further argued that it is clear that various robust and industry-recognised market surveys indicate that Debonairs Pizza is South Africa’s leading pizza brand, both in terms of market footprint and customer sentiment.

The ARB, meanwhile, said the advertiser appears to base its claim on various data points and surveys. While these reports may well support its conclusion and claim, the directorate notes that it has not been presented with any of the actual data.

More importantly, it is noted that the advertiser has not provided verification from a “SAMRA Accredited Marketing Researcher or entity acceptable to the South African Marketing Research Association” that the claim in question is accurate and adequately supported by these various sources. Whenever a claim that is capable of substantiation is considered, the directorate is obligated to satisfy itself that the evidence on which such a claim is based justifies the claim.

“The directorate cannot accept the say-so of an advertiser without having at least considered verification from an acceptable expert, or at the very least have seen the data,” the ARB said.

Until such verification is forthcoming, the advertiser must refrain from making these claims.

zelda.venter@inl.co.za