Ascensión Oliver – Telepizza

For many years, quick-service restaurants competed primarily on convenience, speed and price. Today, the category has become far more complex. Consumers expect affordability, but they also seek memorable experiences, flexible consumption occasions and brands that remain relevant in an increasingly fragmented world. At the same time, QSR brands face new competition from supermarket ready-to-eat meals, changing consumer habits and growing pressure to deliver both short-term sales and long-term brand growth. According to Ascensión Oliver, Head of Consumer Insight at Telepizza, sustainable growth depends on balancing these competing demands. From building mental availability and strengthening customer relationships to combining value with innovation, she explains why marketing has become the strategic engine that connects every part of the business.

Brand Growth Starts with Understanding the Entire Consumer Funnel

For Ascensión, every discussion about brand growth should ultimately lead back to business growth. Sales remain the most important KPI, but they only tell part of the story. To understand why a brand is growing, marketers need to look beneath the surface at behavioural metrics such as purchase frequency, repeat purchase and average basket value, alongside traditional brand measures like awareness, consideration and preference. Together, these layers explain not just what consumers are doing, but why they are doing it.

She believes the classic marketing funnel remains highly relevant, despite years of attempts to reinvent it. "The classic funnel still makes sense. We've refined it, added new KPIs, turned it into a helix or a spiral if you like, but ultimately we're still talking about the consumer's relationship with the brand, ending in sales and preference." This broader perspective is also why she argues that marketers must continue investing in long-term brand building, even when immediate commercial returns are difficult to demonstrate. Building consumer preference today creates tomorrow's sales, even if that relationship is not immediately visible.

"The classic funnel still makes sense. We've refined it, added new KPIs, turned it into a helix or a spiral if you like, but ultimately we're still talking about the consumer's relationship with the brand, ending in sales and preference."

Affordability Remains Essential, but Value Alone is not Enough

The economic environment has fundamentally changed consumer behaviour. According to Ascensión, consumers have become far more rational about where they spend their money, making affordability one of the strongest growth drivers within QSR. Price promotions continue to play a crucial role, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty. At the same time, consumers remain willing to spend more on experiences they genuinely value.

This creates a delicate balancing act for brands. "The price and promotion lever remains key, but we cannot stay focused only on affordability and price. Innovation is essential. Experience is essential." She explains that QSR brands must continue creating differentiated products and experiences that justify paying more, even in a highly price-sensitive market.

That challenge has become even greater as supermarket ready-to-eat meals increasingly compete for the same consumption occasions by combining convenience, affordability and strong quality perceptions. Simply competing on price is no longer enough; brands need to offer consumers compelling reasons to choose them instead.

"The price and promotion lever remains key, but we cannot stay focused only on affordability and price. Innovation is essential. Experience is essential."

Winning the Moment of Truth through Mental Availability

For Ascensión, every purchase begins long before a consumer opens an app or walks into a restaurant. It starts the moment a need appears. Whether someone is simply hungry or looking to enjoy quality time with family, the real battle is determining which brands immediately come to mind.

"In today's world, brands are no longer competing only with other brands. They're competing with everything that demands the consumer's attention." This makes mental availability one of the most important drivers of growth. Brands must consistently build relevance, emotional connection and distinctiveness so they become the natural choice when a need arises. Communication therefore plays a crucial role, not simply by reminding consumers that a brand exists, but by reinforcing a clear and meaningful positioning over time. At the same time, she sees growing opportunities in increasingly fluid consumption occasions. Traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner moments are becoming less rigid, creating space for products that fit more spontaneous, flexible eating habits throughout the day.

"In today's world, brands are no longer competing only with other brands. They're competing with everything that demands the consumer's attention."

Every Customer Interaction Builds the Brands

Promotions have become an unavoidable part of the QSR landscape. Consumers now expect them, making promotions less of a competitive advantage and more of a category hygiene factor. Rather than trying to eliminate promotions altogether, Ascensión believes brands should focus on ensuring they do not become the only reason consumers buy.

"Everything builds the brand." That principle extends far beyond advertising. Promotions, restaurants, delivery drivers, customer service, digital channels and every customer interaction all shape how consumers perceive the brand. The challenge is ensuring that every touchpoint consistently reinforces the same positioning and experience. CRM, loyalty programmes and personalisation have therefore become increasingly valuable, not only because they increase purchase frequency, but because they generate richer consumer understanding and allow brands to create more relevant experiences. Customer experience itself remains a critical differentiator, from ordering and delivery through to after-sales service, with satisfaction always shaped by the expectations the brand has created in the first place.

Marketing has become the Orchestrator of Growth

Looking ahead, Ascensión expects the QSR category to continue expanding as consumers increasingly seek convenient food solutions that fit busy lifestyles. Yet sustainable growth will require much more than promotional activity. Brands must continue balancing affordability with innovation while creating experiences that remain relevant in an uncertain world.

This broader responsibility has fundamentally changed the role of marketing within organisations. Rather than acting purely as a communications function, marketing has become the strategic discipline that connects innovation, customer experience, commercial execution and brand building around consumer needs. Her advice for marketers reflects that philosophy: "Be very clear about who you are, who you want to become, and be consistent in every action you take to build that." In an increasingly competitive market, consistency may well prove to be the strongest competitive advantage of all.

"Be very clear about who you are, who you want to become, and be consistent in every action you take to build that."