When The Narrative IS The Strategy

“For the past 13 years, our culture has been shaped by thousands of stories, each one as unique as the last.”

This is what you’ll see as the intro of the about video on MOD Pizza’s website.

When Scott and Aly Svenson started Mod Pizza in 2008, the last thing the world needed was yet another pizza place.

So, they built Mod Pizza on a new narrative: “Pizza As A Platform” for addressing societal challenges, their oblique goal.

In 2021, MOD celebrated the opening of its 500th store and granted over $750,000 to employees in crisis, amongst many other key initiatives.

I am bringing this company to your attention for something specific:

MOD Pizza is an excellent illustration of a company that differentiates between its stories and its narrative.

Their narrative is not an afterthought or a branding wrapper that makes the company look compelling.

No, instead, MOD’s narrative is the heart of the company.

To build that new narrative is MOD’s strategy.