Clicks 2 Bricks: Recent Episodes
Rob Reed
Clicks 2 Bricks is the podcast about multi-location marketing. Our mission is to inform and entertain multi-location marketers through interviews with CMOs, senior executives, and subject matter experts. Clicks 2 Bricks exists at this intersection of brand and performance marketing. We believe that brand is the only way to truly connect with consumers and to build meaningful relationships that pay dividends over years and even decades. The business results are not directly measurable, but no business can survive today without building a strong brand. Equally important for CMOs, though, is the ability to drive quantifiable ROI. For multi-location businesses, this equates to foot traffic and ringing the cash register. Our goal is to build a community of multi-location marketers that share knowledge and experience in this ever-changing marketing environment. As the craft of marketing evolves and becomes more specialized, Clicks 2 Bricks will be a resource for inspiration, education, and career advancement. The next generation of multi-unit retail CMOs starts here.
What sets Krispy Kreme apart from other indulgent food brands? It’s not just their delicious doughnuts. It’s their focus on creating memorable, shareable moments that bring people together. We are joined by David Skena, Krispy Kreme’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), to walk us through the legacy of this beloved brand and the innovative methods that have helped them expand globally to bring fresh, delicious doughnuts to an international audience. In our conversation, David sheds light on Krispy Kreme’s innovative digital marketing strategies, with a breakdown of how they are leveraging social media and limited-time-only promotions to drive customer engagement and build awareness. We also cover Krispy Kreme’s exciting new partnership with McDonald’s before discussing the opportunities it represents and the media options it’s opened up for the brand. Tuning in, you’ll hear about David’s passion for ROI marketing, why it’s clear when social media marketing delivers, and why Krispy Kreme is investing more and more into SEO every year. To find out how Krispy Kreme continues to delight customers and adapt to market trends, don’t miss this episode!
Key Points From This Episode:
- A fun fact about David: a surprising background as a computer programmer.
- Key characteristics of the Krispy Kreme brand and what sets it apart.
- Why providing a consistent, high-quality product is essential.
- Krispy Kreme’s dedication to quality by “delivering fresh daily” across all access points.
- How the brand has increased access with an expansive footprint in the US and globally.
- An exciting new partnership with McDonald’s and the opportunities it presents.
- David’s innovative approach to social media marketing for Krispy Kreme.
- The value of ROI marketing: how David measures sales when using social media marketing.
- Insight into Krispy Kreme’s reciprocal relationship with its franchisees.
- Top tech achievement: instituting their own e-commerce channel with a fulfillment partner.
- The key role that SEO, SEM, and consumer reviews play in their digital strategy.
- David’s unpopular marketing opinion and what he loves about the marketing industry.
- His impressive career journey from Kraft Foods to Pepsi Co. and what he learned.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
David Skena on LinkedIn
David Skena on X
Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme Job Openings
Krispy Kreme on LinkedIn
Krispy Kreme on Instagram
Krispy Kreme on TikTok
Krispy Kreme on X
Krispy Kreme on Facebook
SOCi
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
When a brand has a clear and attractive value proposition and then goes on to deliver on that promise, then a dedicated following and exponential brand growth is all but assured. Milan Laser Hair Removal is focused on one thing – providing a guaranteed treatment with excellent service – and to explain how Milan always stays true to its promise to become the biggest brand in its category, we are joined today by its Chief Marketing Officer, Sheila Ullery. Sheila details what Milan Laser Removal is all about, how she approaches her work as CMO, why the brand reveres everything that happens on a local level, and how it engages with influencers. Then, our guest unpacks the role of customer reviews in her work, how AI fits in, why a marketer’s passion is a strength and not a weakness, and how all the jobs she’s had until now have prepared her for her current role. We end with Sheila’s advice to new and prospective marketers, and we get a glimpse into the types of people who inspire her the most.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Welcoming Sheila Ullery as she tells us about her move from Arizona to Nebraska.
- Why she loves nature and being outdoors.
- The ins and outs of Milan Laser Hair Removal, where Sheila is now the CMO.
- What the brand needs from Sheila in her position, and how she goes about it.
- The role influencers in the growth of a brand, and tips for best practices.
- How customer reviews affect Sheila’s work.
- Exploring the way Milan has embraced AI.
- Sheila’s strongly held yet unpopular opinion about marketing.
- How her experience at previous companies set her up for her current role.
- Her advice to new and prospective marketers for how to conquer modern challenges.
- The leaders who inspire Sheila the most.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Sheila Ullery on LinkedIn
Sheila Ullery on Facebook
Milan Laser Hair Removal
WellBiz Brands
L'Oréal
Matrix
Massage Envy
Aveda
The All-In Podcast
LVMH
SOCi
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
If you want your marketing to connect with younger demographics, then your best bet is to make sure that your initiatives are indisputably authentic and aligned with your values – especially when it comes to sponsorships. That’s the advice of today’s guest, Shannon Cole, head of brand marketing and sponsorship at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). She joins us today to discuss RBC’s dedicated approach to sponsorships and the transformative impact of the RBC Training Ground program. Designed to identify and support Canadian athletes who might otherwise be lost in the system, this initiative has uncovered talents like Kelsey Mitchell, a former soccer player who won a gold medal in track cycling at the Tokyo Olympics. Discover how this program goes beyond traditional sponsorship, aligning with RBC's values to create authentic, life-changing stories that resonate with audiences. Shannon also discusses common mistakes made by marketers new to sponsorship and offers advice for aspiring marketers, before sharing her thoughts on AI, influencer marketing, and more. Join us for a fascinating conversation on how RBC leverages sponsorship to build meaningful connections and drive brand equity!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing Shannon Cole, head of brand marketing and sponsorship at RBC.
- Shannon’s background in soccer and how it influenced her choice of school.
- Finding the balance between brand marketing and performance marketing.
- The key role that branding plays for banks in setting themselves apart.
- How RBC is using sponsorship to connect with younger generations.
- RBC’s proud history of sponsorships and long-standing partners, including the Olympics.
- A breakdown of the RBC Training Ground program and its origins.
- How the program identifies and supports under-resourced Canadian athletes.
- A program success story: Kelsey Mitchell's journey from soccer to Olympic gold in cycling.
- Evaluating sponsorship opportunities: key criteria and metrics.
- How RBC adapts its strategies to the digital era and changing consumer behaviors.
- The importance of authentic, value-aligned sponsorships for RBC.
- Common mistakes made by marketers new to sponsorship (and how to avoid them).
- Advice to marketers interested in pursuing a role similar to Shannon’s.
- Lightning round: influencer marketing, AI-powered marketing, and agencies.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Shannon Cole on LinkedIn
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
RBC Training Ground Program
Mary DePaoli on LinkedIn
Kelsey Mitchell
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Today on Clicks 2 Bricks, we are joined by the chief brand and marketing officer of Caribou Coffee to discuss the brand’s innovative TikTok campaign. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Caribou Coffee and what sets it apart from other coffee brands, how it fits into the Panera portfolio, and how the coffee industry has changed in terms of market dynamics. We delve into their new TikTok dating show, Dream Date and how they’re leveraging the use of influencers and ambassadors for marketing before discussing the digital foundation they have created and how AI feeds into it. Our guest tells us about their local marketing strategies, how they optimize local search performance, and her unpopular opinion about foot traffic and marketing. Finally, Erin tells us about her interesting career trajectory and some lessons she’s learned along the way. Thanks for listening in!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Welcoming Erin Newkirk to the show, and a surprising fact about her.
- What Caribou Coffee is all about and what makes them different from other coffee brands.
- Our guest explains the regional boundaries for Caribou Coffee within the Panera portfolio.
- How the market dynamics have shifted within the coffee category.
- Erin tells us about their new TikTok dating show, Dream Date: A Sip at Love.
- What led them to make use of influencers and TikTok for marketing.
- Erin talks about the technological side of Caribou Coffee and how they use AI.
- How Caribou Coffee is working with their domestic franchisees on local marketing.
- A breakdown of their local search performance and how they optimize it.
- Erin shares an unpopular opinion about marketing that she has.
- Why consumer packaged goods is a really good place to start a marketing career.
- How she compares CPG to multilocational marketing.
- Who Erin wants to see on the show next.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Erin Newkirk
Erin Newkirk on LinkedIn
Erin Newkirk on X
Caribou Coffee
Caribou Coffee on LinkedIn
Caribou Coffee on TikTok
Hannah Burner
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
In today’s episode of Clicks2Bricks, we are joined by Ash ElDifrawi in his capacity as the Chief Commercial and Brand Officer for The Aspen Group (TAG), a portfolio of health-services brands. Ash is here to talk about the unique challenges of growing and supporting a national dentistry brand, and he is perfectly situated as two of the brands under TAG's umbrella are the only two national dentistry brands in the country! We learn about Ash's father and son podcast, Hold Me Back, before dissecting the inner workings of TAG as a company. We discuss how TAG's daughter companies are structured, how to overcome the challenges of the modern marketing funnel, the marketing relationship between TAG and its affiliated dental practitioners, and why the company relies so heavily on influencers and social media in its marketing efforts. Ash also explains the roles of customer reviews and AI at TAG, why he believes that marketing should be redefined in line with our evolving world, and how his experience at previous companies serves him in the work he does today, as well as the job opportunities that are currently available at The Aspen Group. Tune in for all this and more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Insight into Ash’s father-son podcast, Hold Me Back.
- The ins and outs of Aspen Dental and The Aspen Group (TAG).
- Exploring Ash's journey at TAG and how his role has changed through various titles.
- A closer look at all the brands under the TAG umbrella and how they're structured.
- TAG’s marketing funnel and the unique challenges that come with it.
- The thrills and spills of managing the only two national brands in dentistry.
- How TAG engages with its network of dental practitioners from a marketing perspective.
- Filling the funnel: understanding what works in today's market.
- How (and why) TAG uses influencers and social media marketing.
- Why Ash and his team are more focused on the first visit than retaining customers.
- Customer reviews and the role of AI at TAG.
- Ash's unpopular opinion about the evolution of the definition of marketing!
- How previous experiences at Google, GoGo, and Redbox influence the way he works today.
- The differences between general cognitive ability, talent, education, and experience.
- Job vacancies at TAG and how to connect with Ash and his team.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Ash ElDifrawi on LinkedIn
Ash ElDifrawi Books on Amazon
The Aspen Group (TAG)
Hold Me Back Podcast
AI Xecutive Council
Bob Fontana on LinkedIn
Redbox
Gogo Business Aviation
Raising Cane's
Marriot International
Warby Parker
SOCi
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
There is always space for learning and innovating; regardless of how old you or your brand are! Today on Clicks 2 Bricks we are joined by the new CMO at Blaze Pizza, Christian Kuhn to discuss the exciting changes he has incited at the company. Tuning in, you’ll hear about Christian’s fascinating career and some fun facts about him we may not have known, how Blaze Pizza was prepared for his arrival, how the company has evolved since we last heard about them on the show, and how Christian kickstarted his work there. We delve into what is driving change at the brand before Christian outlines some of the exciting new menu changes and reminds us that change can be small and simple. We even discuss their incredible Pie-oneer Program, hear about the Trail Blazing Pie-oneers, find out about their tech stack, how they are adapting their loyalty program, franchise marketing challenges, and how they are driving foot traffic, and so much more! Finally, our guest shares some words of wisdom for anyone wanting to get into marketing and stresses the importance and benefit of mentorship. Thanks for listening in!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Welcoming Christian Kuhn to this episode of Clicks 2 Bricks.
- Christian tells us about his time working at the Pentagon and US Air Force PR Department.
- How Blaze Pizza has evolved since new leadership took over and Christian joined.
- What was done to prepare the company in terms of marketing before Christian arrived.
- Why Christian chose to meet with the Blaze leadership and learn about the business first.
- Some of the dynamics at play driving the changes at Blaze Pizza.
- Christian outlines the changes they have made to the Blaze Pizza menu.
- The power of reinventing and adapting existing products to drive brand excitement.
- What plans Christian has for the brand and all about their new Pie-oneer Program.
- He tells us about some of the original Trail Blazing Pie-oneers and the cause it supports.
- Why and how the Blaze Pizza tech stack is ambitious but too expensive and too complicated.
- The importance of getting clear on what your loyalty program is for your brand.
- Unique marketing challenges with all their outlying franchises and how they overcome them.
- What’s driving foot traffic to their stores and why they prefer digital over traditional marketing.
- How mentors have played a role in Christian’s career and the importance of listening.
- Christian shares some advice for young people getting into marketing in 2024.
- What’s coming next in the talent department at Blaze Pizza.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Christian Kuhn on LinkedIn
Blaze Pizza
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
As a Chief Marketing Officer, you have to be passionate about the brand you’re working for. With more than 10 years of experience working for Chicago-style fast-casual restaurant, Portillo’s, CMO Nick Scarpino joins us for this episode of Clicks 2 Bricks to share his marketing expertise and love for this multi-generational brand! Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Nick’s career at Portillo’s, from cashier to CMO, the highlights of his time at Portillo’s (including his idea to introduce the birthday club), how his work integrates with the IT side of things, and so much more! We delve into how they balance digital and traditional marketing for local and national audiences before Nick tells us how he has leveraged the TikTok Creator program. We even discuss how Nick’s experience working at Google has helped him prioritize Google's foot traffic to the company, how AI will affect his role, his unpopular marketing opinions about TV, mentorship, and more! Thanks for listening in.
Key Points From This Episode:
- A bit of background and a fun fact about today’s guest, Nick Scarpino!
- Insight into Portillo’s story, Nick’s job as the first CMO, and his CIO counterpart.
- How their marketing supports and keeps up with the kind of growth Portillo’s experiences.
- Nick’s 10-year journey with the brand and the high points of his career.
- The birthday club he created and how it has benefitted Portillo’s.
- How marketing and IT work together at the company and their tech stack goals.
- Balancing national versus local and digital versus traditional marketing.
- Why the TikTok Creator program is so effective for digital marketing.
- The massive role Google plays in consumer foot traffic and how Nick approaches that.
- How AI is going to impact his job and restaurant marketing in general.
- An unpopular marketing opinion that Nick feels very strongly about.
- The important role that mentors have played in his career.
- Some hot takes on hot topics in the lightning round!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Nick Scarpino on LinkedIn
Portillo’s
Net Conversion
TikTok Creator Academy
How Brands Grow
Bob Hoffman
Trish Giordano on LinkedIn
Dawn Keller on LinkedIn
SOCi
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Customers aren’t interested in being marketed to or having products sold to them. What they seek is a genuine connection with brands that truly understand their needs. This is where the opportunity lies to inspire a deep affinity for your brand and products. Marketing today is less about selling and more about building relationships, creating connections, and fostering authenticity! This is the firm belief of our amazing guest on today’s episode of Clicks to Bricks. Bronze Major is the Head of Marketing for Carrabba's Italian Grill, one of several casual dining restaurants within the Bloomin’ Brands portfolio. Join the conversation as we explore the shifts in restaurant marketing between the pre and post COVID periods, offer insights into converting off-premise diners to on-premise patrons, and introduce the brand's new influencer marketing strategy for 2024. Thanks for tuning in, enjoy.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Par for the course, we start out with a fun fact about our guest Bronze Major.
- Bronze dives into the story behind Carrabba’s Italian Grill.
- How Carrabba’s Italian Grill fits into the Bloomin’ Brands portfolio.
- He details his career journey, over the past ten years.
- The learnings he gleaned from Publix that he took forward with him.
- Bronze unpacks the challenges and new initiatives he wanted to implement returning to Carrabba’s.
- Meeting the customer where they are and how they lean into it with their marketing.
- How priorities have shifted from 2023 to 2024 for Bronze and Carrabba’s.
- He highlights their approach to influencer partnerships and the evolution of word-of-mouth.
- His advice to other marketers looking at using influencer partnerships.
- Bronze talks about being featured in the Nation's Restaurant News’ Power List.
- We delve into a discussion on the different kinds of marketing spectrums.
- The marketing relationship dynamic between his team (corporate) and the franchisees.
- Local search and the role it plays as a marketing tactic they heavily lean into.
- The AI conversation and what it sounds like for Bronze and his marketing team.
- How they are using AI in their marketing right now.
- An unpopular opinion about marketing that Bronze feels strongly about.
- His advice to young marketers entering the profession in 2024.
- Bronze takes on our lightning round of questions!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Bronze Major on LinkedIn
Nation's Restaurant News’ Power List
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Bloomin’ Brands
Leah Burgess on LinkedIn
Aussie Grill
Bonefish Grill
Publix
Widow Jane
Eagle Rare
High West
Clase Azuls
Casamigos
Teremana
Avion
SOCi
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
If you’re a teenage girl, then you definitely know this global retail brand that specializes in ear piercing, affordable jewelry, and fashion. Today on Clicks 2 Bricks, we learn about the dynamic retail brand, Claire’s, as we welcome its Global Head of Marketing, Chris Duncan. Our conversation begins with exploring Claire’s complex retail network and unique marketing challenges. Then, we discover how the brand performs in malls and online, how and why it prioritizes attracting Gen X and Gen Alpha customers, and how these youths have influenced the way the brand appears on digital media channels. We also learn about the work that Chris and his team are doing in virtual reality spaces, why Claire’s is happy to keep its more traditional brand associations, how it interacts with its local store representatives, and how it approaches marketing locally, nationally, and internationally. To end, Chris details the role of AI at his company, how his previous jobs prepared him for this one, and his advice to young marketers who wish to follow a similar career path as his.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Global Head of Marketing, Chris Duncan walks us through the history of Claire’s.
- Claire’s current (and complex) retail footprint, and its unique marketing dynamics.
- How the brand performs in malls nationwide, and how it uses social media.
- Chris explains how he and his team connect with younger generations.
- How the youth have influenced the way the brand uses digital media channels.
- Tracking customer loyalty.
- The plans he has for Roblox, the Metaverse, and other similar spaces.
- Why Claire’s is happy to maintain its reputation as “the ear-piercing place”.
- The relationship between Claire’s and its local store representatives.
- Diving deeper into the brand’s local, national, and global approaches to marketing and receiving feedback.
- Claire’s marketing and AI, and Chris’ unpopular yet strongly held opinion on marketing.
- How Chris’ previous roles have prepared him for this one.
- His advice to young marketers who aspire to be leaders, and job vacancies at Claire’s.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Chris Duncan on LinkedIn
Claire’s
Claire’s on LinkedIn
Shimmerville
Roblox
Metaverse
OfficeMax
Kohl’s
SOCi
Wild Coffee Marketing
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Having been established for over 50 years, Hard Rock is one of the most instantly recognizable and revered global brands. But with such remarkable success and widespread expansion, it's easy to forget what the brand truly values at its core. To refresh our memories and to explain what Hard Rock stands for today, we are joined by the President of Entertainment and Brand Management for Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming, Keith Sheldon. As a lawyer-turned-marketer, Keith describes his current role at Hard Rock, how he and his team are navigating the unique challenge of redistilling Hard Rock's brand identity under one banner, and how his approach to marketing has changed since 2023. We learn about the evolution of Hard Rock's identity and DNA, how its memorabilia collation began, the ins and outs of the brand's recent resurgence (including its new advertising campaign), and how it benefits from its various partnerships with other big brands and noteworthy influencers. To end, Keith explains why mentorship at Hard Rock is a two-way street, and we learn about the brand's measured approach to adopting AI!
Key Points From This Episode:
- How Keith Sheldon's professional journey began as a lawyer.
- The evolution of Hard Rock and how Eric Clapton influenced its memorabilia collection.
- Insight into Hard Rock's recent brand resurgence.
- How Hard Rock's identity and DNA have evolved over the past 50 years.
- What Hard Rock's partnerships with F1 and Red Bull Racing do for the brand.
- The ins and outs of Keith's role as President of Entertainment and Brand Management.
- Embracing the challenge of redefining Hard Rock's identity under one umbrella.
- The campaign to reintroduce Hard Rock to the world, what the brand aims to achieve, and the payoff for customers.
- A look at the brand's local marketing efforts and property ownership structure.
- Understanding Keith's approach to marketing challenges in 2023 versus now.
- An overview of Hard Rock's stance on AI.
- How Keith learns from the youth at his company just as much as he offers them advice.
- Career opportunities at Hard Rock International.
- Keith’s hot takes on influencer marketing, TikTok, and Google!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Keith Sheldon on LinkedIn
Hard Rock International
Seminole Gaming
‘Come Together with Unity by Hard Rock’
Miami F1
Red Bull Racing
SOCi
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
In this episode, we sit down with Wendy Martin, Chief Marketing Officer for Floor & Decor, to unpack the intricacies of marketing for a specialized retailer in the hard surface flooring industry. Floor & Decor is a leading specialty retailer in the hard surface flooring market, offering an unparalleled selection of tile, wood, stone, and flooring accessories at low prices. Wendy is a seasoned marketing executive with extensive experience in the retail and home improvement sectors. Her expertise lies in creating compelling marketing campaigns that resonate with diverse customer bases. In our conversation, Wendy shares how Floor & Decor caters to its two primary customer segments —professionals and buy-it-yourself consumers—by adjusting marketing strategies to generate awareness and engagement. Discover the importance of being relevant across multiple channels, the role of professionals in their business model, and the unique challenges and opportunities in the flooring market. We discuss the interesting interplay between Floor & Decor's customer segments, how the company keeps customers inspired, and its approach to meeting customers where they are in their research and purchase phases. Discover the pillars of the company’s marketing strategy, the potential of AI in its marketing approach, and the role of user-generated content. Wendy also shares how her career experience has prepared her for her current role and valuable career advice for young marketers. Tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introduction of Wendy Martin and her role at Floor & Decor.
- Overview of the company’s history and how it has grown over time.
- Details on Floor & Decor's national footprint and recent store opening in Brooklyn.
- Floor & Decor’s unique marketing dynamics and customer segmentation.
- Differentiating between the buy-it-yourself and professional customers.
- Learn about the customer journey and essential customer touchpoints.
- Using digital channels to drive customer awareness and engagement.
- Approaches for staying top-of-mind for professional customers.
- Explore the company’s loyalty programs and educational initiatives.
- Ways the marketing landscape has changed for Floor & Decor.
- The company’s approach to customer care and local marketing tactics.
- Significant shifts in Floor & Decor’s business strategies and initiatives.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Wendy Martin on LinkedIn
Floor & Decor
Floor & Decor on Pinterest
Floor & Decor on Instagram
Floor & Decor on Facebook
Floor & Decor on X
Floor & Decor on YouTube
Floor & Decor on LinkedIn
HGTV
The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA)
National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)
SOCi
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
To celebrate 100 Episodes, we welcome back Ryan Ostrom, CMO and EVP at American fast-food chain, Jack in the Box. Since his first appearance on the podcast three years ago, Ryan has left his role in marketing leadership at GNC and pioneered an innovative turnaround for Jack in the Box. His strategy? A step-by-step process based on the principles of the acronym CRAVED: culturally relevant, authentic, feasible, easy, and distinctive. Today, he joins us to share the marketing philosophy that led to an award-winning campaign featuring Snoop Dogg and an activation dedicated to his intergenerational brand. Join us as we dive into Ryan’s experience of inheriting a legacy brand and the foundational work he has done to set the brand up for a new season of success. You’ll also find out how he managed to make the fictional Jack feel like a real member of the team, how he has used digital innovation to keep Jack in the Box relevant, and much more. Thanks for listening!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Lesser-known facts about Ryan Ostrom.
- Insight into the Jack in the Box advertisement featuring Snoop Dogg.
- What is behind the CRAVED acronym.
- Snoop Dogg’s intergenerational relevance and how the Dogg-in-the-Box activation unfolded.
- Strengths and weaknesses inherited from the Jack in the Box brand.
- Foundational work to set the brand up for success.
- Getting the social and digital platforms right.
- The evolution of the CRAVED acronym from Greg Creed’s RED.
- Bringing Jack to the forefront of the brand as a legitimate member of the team.
- How Jack in the Box’s strategy today leans into the digital environment.
- What sets their burgers apart after a two-year development process.
- How Jack in the Box has addressed negative reviews online.
- Predictions for the influence and role of AI in marketing.
- Ryan’s time at KFC under Yum! Brands.
- How Ryan brought the CRAVED philosophy to life at Jack in the Box and beyond.
- Ryan’s opinions on Gen Z, Facebook, and more!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box Careers
Jack in the Box on Instagram
Jack in the Box on TikTok
Ryan Ostrom on LinkedIn
Episode 21 with Ryan Ostrom
'Snoop Dogg Munchie Meal – Jack in the Box Commercial'
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
In today’s episode, we delve into the world of digital transformation in the restaurant industry with industry expert, Casey Terrell. Casey is a highly respected marketing professional with vast experience in the restaurant industry, particularly in digital transformation, technology adoption, and multi-location marketing roles. In our conversation, we discuss Casey's career trajectory and professional experiences, the integration of technology into marketing strategies, the state of digital transformation in the restaurant industry, and the evolving relationship between CMOs and CIOs. We explore the concept of digital transformation, the challenges faced by restaurants in adapting to technological advancements, and the role of marketing in driving innovation and customer experience. Gain valuable insights into the evolving marketing landscape in the restaurant industry, the qualities and considerations in choosing tech partners, the value of loyalty programs and the impact of personalized marketing approaches, the challenges and strategies of balancing brand-building efforts with performance marketing, and much more! Join us as we uncover what qualities will make you stand out in the marketing landscape and the nuances of digital transformation with Casey Terrell!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Cassey’s military background and how Burger King started his marketing career.
- Learn about the various roles and responsibilities he has had over the years.
- Transitioning from multi-location into packaged goods and shaking up the CPG space.
- Hear how he became the digital transformation expert he is today.
- The state of digital transformation in the restaurant industry and what needs to change.
- Unpack the changing dynamics between traditional CIO and CMO roles.
- Discover the essential qualities and considerations in choosing tech partners.
- Building technology in-house versus partnering with external vendors.
- Balancing the demands of the brand with performance marketing.
- He shares the impactful role his mentors have played in his career.
- Final takeaways and advice for budding marketers in the restaurant space.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Casey Terrell on LinkedIn
SPB Hospitality
Logans Roadhouse
Gordon Biersch Brew Co.
Yellowcard
Ocean Avenue
A Star Is Born
Burger King
VTEX
InBev
Episode 37: Patty Trevino
Episode 92: Bruce Skala
SOCi
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
In today’s crowded and competitive marketing landscape, many brands strive to break through the noise by creating memorable social media moments that bring their brand personality to life. In this episode of Clicks 2 Bricks, we take a look at Cricket Wireless' recent viral campaign with WWE, featuring the Cricket Chair Phone. What is a Chair Phone, you might ask? You’ll have to keep listening to find out! To unveil the secrets behind this successful brand activation, we are joined by Vivian Acosta, Cricket's Director of Social Media. Tuning in, you’ll gain valuable insight into Cricket’s social media strategy, their unique collaborations with content creators through the Cricket Creator Network, and how the brand is leveraging AI to make marketing more streamlined and effective. Vivian also shares some stereotype-smashing advice for reaching Hispanic audiences, highlighting the importance of community investment. Don’t miss this enlightening conversation that takes a deep dive into the power of collaboration, authentic engagement, and so much more!
[Update: Cricket’s plans start at $15 per month, not $25 as mentioned in the episode]
Key Points From This Episode:
- Some sporty fun facts about Vivian Acosta (that also make her a better leader)!
- The origin story of Cricket Wireless and how the brand has evolved since 1999.
- What Vivian’s role as Head of Social Media at Cricket encompasses.
- Insight into Cricket’s relationship with WWE and the unique Chair Phone campaign.
- Successes and challenges that accompany working with celebrities.
- How Cricket leverages the creator economy with the Cricket Creator Network.
- Unique benefits a wireless provider like Cricket has when working with content creators.
- Impressions, views, and other metrics that measure the success of the creator network.
- Ways that Cricket is using AI to make marketing more efficient and impactful.
- Vivian’s 10-year journey with AT&T and how it has made her a better marketing leader.
- Curiosity, authenticity, and representation: top tips for reaching Hispanic audiences.
- Why it’s important to acknowledge your blindspots and invite challenges.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Cricket Wireless
Cricket Chair Phone
Cricket Wireless WWE Partnership
Vivian Acosta on LinkedIn
Vivian Acosta on Instagram
Vivian Acosta on TikTok
Vivian Acosta on X
'Cricket Wireless x WWE present: CHAIR PHONE’
Ep 52: Brand Purpose and Cause Marketing with Tony Mokry
SOCi
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
In 2025, Dairy Queen turns 85 and in its eight-plus decades, it has evolved from being a simple soft-serve ice cream company to becoming one of the biggest QSR and burger brands in America! Dairy Queen’s philosophy is one of emotional connection, and bringing us closer to the brand today is its Executive Vice President of Marketing, Maria Hokanson. Maria walks us through Dairy Queen’s origins and history, what sets it apart from other brands in the space, what it aims to achieve in today’s climate, and how the way it has evolved since its inception has both highlighted and strengthened each of its core values. Then, we dive deeper into the brand by assessing its relationship with its franchisees, how it connects with its younger audience, its many store locations and remarkable brand reach, and how it uses old-school methods to make the most of modern technologies. Maria also explains the challenges of her work and how she overcomes them, how Dairy Queen uses AI for marketing, why she thinks that marketers deserve more respect, and her advice to anyone looking to follow a similar career path as hers.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing Maria Hokanson as she walks us through Dairy Queen’s office setup.
- Danger girl and danger boy.
- The history of the Dairy Queen brand, what sets it apart, and what it stands for today.
- How Dairy Queen has evolved to keep up with, and embrace, the times.
- The way the brand speaks to its younger consumers.
- Dairy Queen’s store locations and brand reach.
- Its marketing relationship with its franchisees, and how it gets involved in communities.
- New age technologies versus old school methods, and everything in between.
- The challenges that Maria experiences in her work and how she overcomes them.
- Marketing adjustments that she’s made in 2024.
- Everything you need to know about Dairy Queen and AI.
- Why Maria believes that the role of marketing is being undervalued by the industry.
- Her professional journey with Dairy Queen, and current job vacancies at the company.
- TikTok, ROI, influencer marketing, and Zena Srivatsa Arnold/Sephora.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Maria Hokanson on LinkedIn
Maria Hokanson on X
Maria Hokanson on Instagram
Dairy Queen
DQ FREEZER
DQ Careers
‘America's Best Loyalty Programs’
Zena Srivatsa Arnold on LinkedIn
Sephora
SOCi
Wild Coffee Marketing
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Authenticity is a rare trait in today’s business world, but as today’s guest tells it, being authentic is the only way to foster meaningful human connections – which are more valuable than all the money in the world combined! Tim Rea is the Chief Experience, Brand, and Marketing Officer for Edward Jones – a financial services firm with over 15,000 offices and more than 19,000 investment advisors all geared toward serving local communities throughout America – and he joins us today to walk us through the incredible work being done at his company. We begin with Edward Jones, learning what the company does, what it stands for, who it serves, its latest groundbreaking campaign, and where it fits in the financial services industry. Then, we dive into Tim’s professional history, what his role at Edward Jones entails, how his current job compares to his previous roles in retail and CPG, and an unpopular opinion about marketers that he refuses to let go of. We also discuss the evolution of the financial advisor, how Tim and his team build trust and measure success, and why he believes that marketers are best suited for business leadership positions.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Tim Rea gives us the breakdown of his company, Edward Jones.
- Why he doesn’t believe that Edward Jones is anti-Wall Street as some claim it to be.
- Understanding the Edward Jones brand and its position in the industry.
- Diving into Tim’s title and what his role entails.
- How his previous roles in retail compare to his current one in financial services.
- A closer examination of how Edward Jones works for its partners and clients.
- Exploring the evolution of the role of financial advisor.
- The ins and outs of Edward Jones’s latest campaign, Find Your Rich.
- How Tim measures success for the campaign and at work in general.
- Why being a local brand matters to him and his team, and how he builds trust.
- His strongly held and unpopular opinion on marketing and marketers.
- Tim’s professional journey, including his transition from CPG to multilocation to finances.
- Edward Jones’s mentorship program and how it inspires new marketers.
- Branded content, TikTok, Facebook, and inspirational brands.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Tim Rea on LinkedIn
Edward Jones
Find Your Rich
The Richest Man in America
PG Investor
HERSHEY’S
GRMA
SOCi
Wild Coffee Marketing
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Our guest today is Jen Wilson, and she’s the Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing for Lowe’s. The major update from the home improvement retailer revolves around the recent revitalization of the My Lowe’s Loyalty Program. This relaunch features enticing spending rewards and innovative methods to capture consumer preferences even before any purchases are made. Join the conversation as we dive into how they’re thinking about differentiation, how they’re measuring the performance of their loyalty program, the importance of a customer data platform, and Jen unpacks Lowe’s philosophy on ‘local.’ We delve into Jen’s impressive 18-year journey at Lowe’s, initially beginning in public relations and evolving into her current leadership role in marketing amidst this era of digital innovation. Don’t miss out on this insightful episode with our guest, Jen Wilson from Lowe’s. Enjoy!
Key Points From This Episode:
- We kick off the podcast with a fun fact about our guest, Jen Wilson.
- Jen unpacks Lowe’s’ brand story and what the current footprint looks like.
- Thinking about differentiation: being the most helpful brand in home improvement.
- How they came up with the concept of Lowe’s Knowns.
- Jen shares further details on the Lowe’s Knowns program.
- Relaunching the My Lowe’s Loyalty Program and the strategic thoughts behind the changes.
- How they’re measuring the performance of their loyalty program.
- Why she believes it’s critical to have a customer data platform set up as the underpinning of a loyalty program.
- We talk about the other pillars of their marketing strategy, other than the loyalty program.
- Jen shares her thoughts on how your brand strategy lives within the marketing umbrella.
- What they mean when they say they’re looking more through the front windshield and less through the rear windshield for 2024.
- Lowe’s philosophy on ‘local.’
- Jen talks about how local Google searches play a meaningful role for Lowe’s: a fundamental element of how they localize their strategy.
- She speaks to Lowe’s response to third-party reviews.
- How AI is being talked about as part of their marketing strategy.
- We delve into Jen’s remarkable 18-year career journey at Lowe’s.
- She elaborates on the formal and informal mentorship programs within Lowe’s.
- Jen fires back with our quick response round of questions.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jennifer Wilson on LinkedIn
Lowe’s
MyLowe’s Rewards
MyLowe’s Rewards Credit Card
Career’s at Lowe’s
Forbes CMO Network
‘CMOs Need To Think And Act Locally In The Age Of COVID-19 And Beyond’
‘Few CMOs Appreciate The Impact Of Google Search On Foot Traffic’
Dave Matthew Band on Instagram
Dead in Company
Meta
Deniz Anders on LinkedIn
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Stretching, as a service, is a growing industry and Stretch Zone is the original brand! Today we are joined by the Vice President of Marketing for Stretch Zone, Lindsey McFadden, who is here to speak about how technology and specifically, SOCi has helped her company scale at its intended rate. We learn about the origins of Stretch Zone, what the company does, how it pioneered professional stretching as a service, and everything that happens in its marketing universe. Then, we get into SOCi as our guest explains the working relationship between SOCi and Stretch Zone, how she and her team use the marketing cloud platform to its full potential, why she would recommend the platform to anybody in digital marketing, and where AI fits in all the above. We also hear about Lindsey’s professional journey and how she landed her current role, how her marketing process has changed since she first started in the industry, the ins and outs of Stretch Zone’s relationship with its franchisees, and the advice Lindsey would share with younger self and with those who wish to follow a similar career path as hers. Thanks for tuning in!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing Stretch Zone’s Lindsey McFadden as she shares her love for traveling.
- The Stretch Zone story and what the company has set out to achieve.
- How professional stretching as a service category didn’t exist before Stretch Zone.
- Lindsey walks us through Stretch Zone’s marketing universe.
- Why she chose SOCi and what her company is gaining from this partnership.
- Diving deeper into how Stretch Zone and its franchisees use SOCi to its full potential.
- Stretch Zone’s KPIs that are measured by SOCi.
- Our guest’s (glowing) customer review of SOCi.
- Her experience of this new era of AI.
- Lindsey’s marketing process in 2024 and how it’s changed over the years.
- Everything you need to know about Stretch Zone’s relationship with its franchisees.
- Lindsey’s professional journey and how she ended up in her current role.
- Her advice to her younger self and other aspiring marketers.
- TikTok, influencer marketing, and Gen Z.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Lindsey McFadden on LinkedIn
Lindsey McFadden on X
Lindsey McFadden on Instagram
Stretch Zone
SOCi, Inc.
Matt Maybeno on LinkedIn
Emily McConnell on LinkedIn
Ricky Fritzsching on LinkedIn
Scott Romney on LinkedIn
Wild Coffee Marketing
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Most people aren’t exactly eager to think about investing in products like life insurance, especially since it can bring up uncomfortable feelings about the future. This presents some pretty unique marketing challenges for companies that sell these types of products. So what can you do to connect with audiences and help them realize that getting life insurance is not as difficult or intimidating as it may seem? Joining us today to explore this topic is Keith Clark, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for Mutual of Omaha, a leading insurance and financial services company based in Omaha, Nebraska. We talk with Keith about the nuances of marketing life insurance, how life insurance personally impacted his life, and how his passion for helping families informs his work. Tuning in you’ll learn about the relaunch of Mutual of Omaha’s beloved show, Wild Kingdom, the company’s overall marketing strategy, its approach to digital media, how AI is changing the role of CMOs, and much more. Join us for a fascinating conversation with Keith Clark on what it means to market life insurance!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Get to know Keith Clark, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for Mutual of Omaha.
- An overview of Mutual of Omaha’s long history and its 115th birthday.
- Why the company decided to launch the wildlife television show, Wild Kingdom, back in 1963.
- How the show endeared watchers to the Mutual of Omaha brand.
- Relaunching Wild Kingdom and what they needed to consider in the adaptation process.
- An overview of Mutual of Omaha’s dynamic marketing strategy across distribution channels.
- Insight into the direct-to-consumer and direct mail aspects of their business.
- What Keith’s team does to increase brand awareness and assist salespeople.
- How life insurance impacted Keith’s life, personally, and the passion he feels for the product.
- Unpacking how AI and other technologies are changing the role of CMO.
- The biggest challenges for marketers in the digital era.
- Mutual of Omaha’s strategy for getting more sophisticated with their content development.
- Key marketing lessons Keith learned from working in publishing and at an agency.
- Keith’s advice for marketers aspiring to the role of CMO.
- Some of the exceptional marketers that Keith would love to see on the show.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Keith Clark on LinkedIn
Keith Clark on X
Mutual of Omaha
Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom Intro Theme
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
A well-loved National brand was recently mentioned by one of the most famous Hollywood actresses on Saturday Night Live. How does this kind of brand placement happen? Did Hooters know about the feature before it went live? Bruce Skala is the Chief Marketing Officer for Hooters, and he joins us today to tell the story behind the skit. Tune in to hear about the brand’s position in a changing cultural landscape, their contributions to Breast Cancer awareness, and the socially-driven marketing campaigns that keep local audiences engaged. We touch on trackability and influencer marketing, working with the SOCi platform, and the brand’s approach to customer loyalty and rewards. Join us as we discuss the ins and outs of the highly-coveted role of Chief Marketing Officer at Hooters, and much more today.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing Bruce Skala, Chief Marketing Officer at Hooters.
- Where this episode is being recorded at Hooters HQ.
- The international footprint that Hooters has created and a new product called Hoots.
- A recent sketch on Saturday Night Live which was a parody of Hooters.
- The cultural relevance of Sydney Sweeney’s skit.
- Breast Cancer awareness contributions by Hooters.
- Hooters’ relationship with social content on a National and in-store level.
- How the trackability of social media is changing the world of influencer marketing.
- Working with the SOCi platform on review management and analytics.
- Headcount and loyalty efforts.
- How Hooters ensures that each store engages in local marketing.
- Bruce’s career journey leading up to this point.
- Why everyone wants to be a part of Hooters marketing.
- Quickfire one-word answers, including suggested guests.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Bruce Skala on LinkedIn
Hooters
Hooters Waitress - SNL
Episode 26
Episode 8
SOCi
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
How do you put your most important, valuable asset in front of folks where it’s going to matter? During this episode, Chief Marketing Officer for Tractor Supply Company, Kimberley Gardiner joins us to tell her story. She shares her unique journey of working for major automotive brands, and how she is training Tractor Supply Company employees to create authentic content that connects with their customers in ways that traditional advertising just can’t. Join us as Kimberley unpacks her experience of touching the customer experience from end to end at Tractor Supply Company, working with an authentic team drawn from the company’s customer base, and her approach to content which engages employees across the business. Join us today to hear all this and more from this episode’s inspiring guest.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing Kimberley Gardiner, Chief Marketing Officer for Tractor Supply Company.
- Background on Tractor Supply Company and its 52 000 employees across the country.
- What motivated her to leave the automotive industry in the hope of touching the customer experience from end to end.
- Changing dynamics in rural America since the 2020 pandemic.
- Continuous refreshing of the brand and the tiered customer experience.
- Personalizing the customer journey.
- KPIs including transactions and frequency.
- The incredible asset of authentic and hard-working employees.
- Commitment to team member content.
- Tractor Supply’s relationship with customer reviews.
- Tech priorities for 2024 and the company’s relationship with AI.
- What it has been like for Kimberley to work with a smaller budget than automotive.
- Where the ‘life out here’ brand line originated from.
- How Kimberley’s experience in automotive has enhanced her approach to marketing at Tractor Supply.
- Her advice to go broad when seeking out mentorship and advice.
- A suggested guest: Wendy Martin at Floor and Decor.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kimberley Gardiner on LinkedIn
Tractor Supply Company
Tractor Supply Company on TikTok
Tractor Supply Company on Instagram
Episode 86
Wendy Martin on LinkedIn
Floor and Decor
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
What does B2B marketing look like in financial services? As today’s guest Kirti Naik explains, it’s not that different from the goals and challenges of consumer marketing, and it also offers unique opportunities for innovation in marketing. Kirti is the Head of Brand & Creative at the New York-based financial firm, Neuberger Berman, and she details what the company is currently focused on, what her role entails, how she navigates the challenges of marketing in finances, and how she defines success based on her intended performance outcomes. We also discuss how the leaders at Neuberger Berman engage with its marketing efforts, how marketing relates to investing, the current state of B2B marketing, and why Kirti believes that she has a high chance of affecting meaningful change by staying on as a marketer in financial services.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Getting to know Kirti Naik as she explains Neuberger Berman’s hybrid setup.
- The highs and lows of working remotely.
- Kirti’s passion for traditional Indian food and the podcast she co-hosts with her husband.
- An introduction to Neuberger Berman and her role at the company.
- The outcomes she’s pursuing as Head of Brand & Creative; her definition of success.
- How she navigates the distinct challenges of marketing in the financial sector.
- Why brand awareness matters for investing.
- How Neuberger Berman’s leadership team engages with the company’s marketing efforts.
- The current state of B2B marketing and the necessary industry changes being made.
- How Kirti ended up in financial services, and why she chose to stay.
- TikTok, Facebook, Gen Z, and influencer marketing.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kirti Naik
Kirti Naik on LinkedIn
Kirti Naik on X
Kirti Naik on Instagram
Kirti Naik on Facebook
Kirti Naik Email
Neuberger Berman
Make Your Money Move
Got Spice?
Disruptive Forces in Investing
Oppenheimer Funds – Globalize Your Thinking Campaign
Oppenheimer Funds — Invest in a Beautiful World Campaign
Tikka
CMO Council
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
With multiple formats including freestanding stores, mall locations, and convenience store co-locations, Vicki Beswick faces a fairly complex marketing challenge as the Vice President of Marketing for iconic pizza brand, Sbarro, especially now that the brand is leaning into e-commerce and delivery. Luckily, Vicki has a ton of pioneering e-commerce experience from her previous roles at Wendy’s, Express, and Bath & Body Works. She joins us on Clicks 2 Bricks today to tell the story of how the Sbarro family invented the original New York pizza slice almost 70 years ago and offer a glimpse behind the scenes at the fresh ingredients and small but mighty team that sets Sbarro apart from other players in the pizza-by-the-slice category. Tuning in, you’ll also learn how the brand supports its franchisees and builds off their success to grow the Sbarro footprint, why Vicki believes there are no stupid questions, her advice for aspiring marketers, and much more. How does Sbarro compete against the big three pizza brands? Keep listening to find out!
Key Points From This Episode:
- The surprising role of pizza in Vicki’s 25-year career journey!
- Background on the Sbarro brand, from the first location in Brooklyn in 1956 to present day.
- Unified marketing strategies that Sbarro employs across its locations.
- How Sbarro sets itself apart from other big pizza players with certified fresh ingredients.
- Benefits (and challenges) of leaning into e-commerce and third-party delivery.
- External partners Sbarro relies on to build and maintain their marketing tech stack.
- Insight into how Sbarro supports and communicates with their franchisees.
- What multi-location marketing strategies look like in the impulse pizza category.
- Vicki’s progression as a marketer and the career milestones that led her to this point.
- Real leaders want to teach you: tips for identifying and engaging with your mentors.
- Experiential advice for young marketers entering the arena in 2024.
- Career opportunities at Sbarro right now.
- Vicki’s take on influencer marketing, TikTok, and more in the lightning round!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Vicki Beswick on LinkedIn
Sbarro
Sbarro Careers
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
The storage space industry has some pretty unique challenges, especially when it comes to marketing. Not only are you trying to set yourself apart in a need-based business, but you also have to manage constant churn and fluctuating occupancy rates. So what does it take to launch and maintain a successful marketing strategy in this kind of environment? And how do you go about doing it? There is perhaps no one better to answer these questions than today’s guest, Dayna Hathaway, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Extra Space Storage, where she has spent 25 years learning what it means to master marketing for storage companies. Tuning in you’ll learn about their unique approach to brand marketing, why most people are surprised at the sophisticated nature of their internal operations (especially as a storage company), and why they put so much effort into their distinctive online presence across social media platforms, from Facebook to TikTok. We delve into their strategies for staying ahead of their competitors and their rigorous methods for maintaining high search rankings, before learning about their conscientious approach to AI, plus a whole lot more. If you’d like to hear all of Dayna’s thought-provoking insights on storage, marketing, and how to set yourself apart online, then be sure to tune in for this fascinating conversation!
Key Points From This Episode:
- A warm welcome to today’s guest, Dayna Hathaway.
- An introduction to Extra Space Storage: what they value and their recent growth.
- Dayna’s insights on what it takes to market storage units.
- Why they need to be better than their competition; from large companies to small operators.
- A breakdown of their digital vision: empowering customers to transact however they choose.
- Their commitment to ensuring that the customer journey is always excellent.
- Extra Space Storage’s highly active social media presence (including on TikTok!)
- Insight into the surprising levels of sophistication within their operations.
- How they balance their high occupancy rates with marketing efforts and constant churn.
- Their rigorous approach to data analysis and maintaining high Google rankings.
- Unpacking their decision to invest 100% of their marketing efforts in digital.
- Their unique approach to brand marketing and comprehensive investment in search engines.
- How they prioritize SEO, promote and encourage reviews, and do reputation management.
- Their AI strategy: exploring in-house opportunities before using it externally.
- An overview of how they are using AI internally for data and efficiency.
- Dayna’s long and positive history with the company.
- How she came to be Senior Vice President of Marketing.
- Where you can reach out to Extra Space Storage for career opportunities.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Dayna Hathaway on LinkedIn
Extra Space Storage
Extra Space Storage on Instagram
Extra Space Storage on X
Extra Space Storage on YouTube
Extra Space Storage on Facebook
Extra Space Storage on LinkedIn
Extra Space Storage on TikTok
Careers with Extra Space Storage
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Today on Clicks 2 Bricks, we are joined by Alec Hanson, author, host of the Modern Lending Podcast, and Chief Marketing Officer for loanDepot – a California-based company that sells mortgages and other lending products. One of loanDepot’s key channels is its team of lending consultants, each of whom is charged with building their own mortgage lending business in their local area. Not only has Alec done this himself, but he has quite literally written the book on it (you can get your copy of Bypassed wherever books are sold), and that’s what he brings to his role as CMO: a proven playbook for using digital marketing to supercharge the local agent business model. On top of this, he is also building a national brand that not only drives demand but also reduces the amount of selling his agents have to do. Tune in to learn the difference between sales and marketing, get insight into loanDepot’s Modern Lending Playbook, gain a new appreciation for the power of social media, and so much more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- The two sides to Alec Hanson, a comic book-loving weightlifter!
- Insight into loanDepot, Alec’s role as CMO, and his personal brand-building journey.
- What distinguishes marketing from sales (which are two sides of the same coin).
- A deeper look at the three major marketing channels at loanDepot.
- How loanDepot trains and develops its team of local and market professionals.
- Digital channels that drive opportunity and success for local agents.
- The importance of embracing new strategies and how loanDepot is implementing AI.
- An important lesson in serving customers the way they want to be served.
- How loanDepot balances brand building, consumer engagement, and education.
- Why you’re minimizing your chance of success if you’re not utilizing social media.
- The competitive advantage that the loanDepot brand offers great salespeople.
- Understanding millennials, the importance of search, why TikTok isn’t just for kids, and more.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
loanDepot
Alec Hanson
Alec Hanson on LinkedIn
Alec Hanson on Instagram
Alec Hanson on X
Bypassed
Modern Lending Podcast
That Mortgage Guy on TikTok
Grandma Nat on TikTok
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Nissan is the first automotive brand that we’ve had on the show and we are thrilled to be in conversation with the Chief Marketing Officer of Nissan North America, Marisstella Marinkovic! Automotive marketing is different from all the others in many profound ways, and Marisstella is here to highlight those differences and explain why her industry is the best to work in. After a quick review of her first year in her current role, our guest walks us through Nissan’s Heisman House and Big Game campaigns, how the introduction of college athlete sponsorships has changed the dynamics, how Gen Z’s need for authenticity has influenced the marketing landscape, and her summation of automotive marketing theory. Marisstella also explains how the complexities of her job fuel her, how she and her team use influencers, what she thinks about mentorship, what Nissan North America has planned for 2024, and her advice for new and aspiring marketers who are looking to follow a similar career path.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Why romance novels are Marisstella Marinkovic’s secret passion.
- A review of her first year as Chief Marketing Officer of Nissan North America.
- Exploring Nissan’s Heisman House campaign.
- How it’s possible to sponsor college athletes, and how it’s changed sponsorship dynamics
- Nissan’s approach to their Big Game (Super Bowl) commercial.
- Authenticity, and Gen Z’s influence on marketing.
- The theory of automotive marketing.
- Why Marisstella appreciates the complexities of her job.
- How it takes time to see the results of marketing in the automotive industry.
- The way she and her team use influencers.
- Marketing areas that she’s prioritizing in 2024.
- Debunking unpopular opinions about marketing.
- Her nonautomotive experience and how it applies to the work she does today.
- Our guest’s sales pitch for joining the automotive marketing industry.
- Nissan’s approach to mentoring, and our guest’s advice for young, new marketers.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Marisstella Marinkovic on LinkedIn
Nissan Motor Corporation
Allyson Witherspoon on LinkedIn
KIA
Zillow
‘El Test Drive | Nissan USA & Nissan Latino’
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Joining us today is Pat O'Toole, the Chief Marketing Officer of the iconic Burger King. Recorded in person at the Burger King headquarters in sunny Miami, Florida, this episode unveils the highly-anticipated Million Dollar Whopper campaign and insider secrets to Burger King’s “Reclaim the Flame” plan to accelerate growth. Pat is an accomplished marketing executive with a proven track record in elevating iconic brands to new heights. With a deep understanding of global markets and a history of steering some of the most beloved brands, he continues to make a lasting impact on the marketing landscape. In our conversation, we discuss his path from broadcast journalist to marketing guru, why now is the most exciting time in marketing history, and how the company is celebrating people's unique tastes through the Million Dollar Whopper campaign. You’ll gain valuable insights into multi-location marketing in the fast-food space, serving franchisees and the end consumer, the next generation of marketing, and much more. To discover how Pat is taking Burger King’s marketing to new heights, tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Background on Pat and the historic Burger King headquarters in Miami, Florida.
- His journey from journalism to marketing executive.
- The state of the current marketing landscape and how it will evolve.
- What a Million Dollar Whopper is and the motivation for it.
- The story, process, and technology behind the Million Dollar Whopper campaign.
- Burger King’s Reclaim the Flame plan and Pat’s role in it.
- Insights into the company’s overall remodel strategy.
- How Burger King is servicing both franchisees and the end-consumer.
- Pat's transition from marketing in CPG to the fast-food space.
- Essential advice that Pat has for budding marketers.
- Ways that he is mentoring the next generation of marketers.
- A lighting round of marketing-related questions.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Pat O’Toole on LinkedIn
Burger King
Million Dollar Whopper Competition
OKRP
PepsiCo
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Is parking a commodity, or does LAZ Parking simply offer a differentiated branding experience? Helping us get to the bottom of this is the National Senior Director of Marketing at LAZ Parking, Kim Spagnulo. Kim joins us to explain how LAZ became the biggest and fastest-growing privately-owned parking operator in America, and how she fulfills her role as its National Senior Director of Marketing. After hearing the story of how LAZ was founded, our guest walks us through the company’s unique culture, how she goes about her work on a national level, and the challenges she’s endured along the way. Kim also shares insight on the technology trends in marketing that she’s most excited about, how Google fits into the picture, why she values brand consistency and how this plays out on social media, and her advice for new and aspiring marketers. Be sure to tune in to hear what Kim thinks about Yelp and AI-powered marketing, and to learn about the job opportunities that are available at LAZ Parking.
Key Points From This Episode:
- A warm welcome to the National Senior Director of Marketing at LAZ Parking, Kim Spagnulo.
- How a small events company paved the way for her marriage.
- The LAZ Parking story.
- Why the culture at LAZ is ‘truly special’, and the types of projects it facilitates.
- How it became the largest and fastest-growing privately-owned parking operator in America.
- The way Kim uses her work of marketing parking structures to drive the company forward.
- Some things that may surprise other marketers who aren’t familiar with LAZ’s culture.
- What Kim’s role entails on a national level, and the challenges that she encounters.
- The marketing technological trends that she’s looking forward to implementing.
- Why Google is a major player in LAZ Parking’s day-to-day operations.
- Exploring the importance of brand consistency for LAZ, and how it uses social media.
- Kim’s advice for new marketers.
- Job opportunities at LAZ Parking.
- Yelp, branded content, and AI-powered marketing.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kim Spagnulo on LinkedIn
Kim Spagnulo on X
Kim Spagnulo on Facebook
LAZ Parking
Alan Lazowski on LinkedIn
Jeff Karp on LinkedIn
Michael Harth on LinkedIn
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
Joe Artime’s journey with Moe’s Southwest Grill began as a student, slinging tacos and burritos. Today, he is the Head of Marketing for the franchise. During this episode, he joins us to discuss the new positioning for Moe’s Southwest Grill, the choice to pivot towards video content for 2024, and how the brand connects with local communities through its franchisees. Tune in as we do a deep dive into the history of the brand and its name, consider the future of the role of CMO, and explore the art of relating to customers through storytelling. Joe reveals his repositioning strategy set to take root in 2024, touches on new menu items that will be tested in the coming year, and shares upcoming plans for on and off-site content creation. Joe tells us his approach to relationship-building and empowering franchisees, gets candid about his predictions for the future of AI, and much more. Don’t miss this value-packed episode!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing Joe Artime, Head of Marketing for Moe’s Southwest Grill.
- A fun fact about Joe that most people might not know.
- A recap of the last twelve months at Moe’s Southwest Grill and his history with the brand.
- Where the name Moe’s actually comes from: musicians, outlaws, and entertainers.
- The new positioning of the brand which started in 2023 and will take off in 2024.
- Questions around the future of the CMO position and how it may move into an operational role.
- Relating to customers through storytelling.
- Key areas for the upcoming repositioning of the brand.
- Where the brand could improve in the future: showcasing the food.
- What Joe intends to do differently with branding in 2024.
- The new menu items that will be tested in the year to come.
- Shooting videos on site and in a test kitchen.
- Why building strong franchisee relationships is a non-negotiable.
- What is behind the original localized approach to marketing.
- Creating guidelines and offering suggestions to empower franchisees.
- Moe’s standpoint on third-party delivery.
- Joe’s predictions for the impact of AI on marketing in the restaurant space.
- His progression as a marketer through roles at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, Krystal, and Burger King.
- Advice for marketers: learn the business drivers, follow the data, and understand how the technologies are changing.
- What he learned from taking on roles in different departments.
- The status of Joe’s team today.
- His take on TikTok, influencer marketing, Yelp, and a suggested guest for the podcast.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Joe Artime on LinkedIn
Moe’s Southwest Grill
Focus Brands
Alice Crowder is the CMO of Krystal
Ellie Doty is the Chief Marketing Officer for Burger King
Sergio Perez on LinkedIn
Clicks 2 Bricks
Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
To become a transformational CIO, one must have key characteristics, capabilities, and leadership styles that foster followership and inspire others to embrace their vision. This is the belief of Michael Chachula, Chief Information Officer for FAT Brands, who joins us today to shed some light on what it takes to manage the marketing tech stack for 18 different restaurant brands in a total of 2,300 locations, including Fatburger, Johnny Rockets, and Fazoli’s. With a background in tech, finance, and hospitality, Michael exemplifies the well-rounded expertise needed to run tech for a multi-brand restaurant portfolio, but it’s his focus on inspiring rather than commanding people to follow him that stands out in this interview. He also shares his take on how artificial intelligence is impacting the restaurant industry today and into the future and we discuss how tech providers can become trusted advisors, why industry experience is more important than the latest tools, and so much more! For a down-to-earth conversation with a true visionary leader, don’t miss this episode with FAT Brands’ CIO Michael Chachula!
Shifting the relationship their customers have with AI software from a tool to a partner in the business is the main focus of our guest, and his company, today. We are excited to have with us on the show, Afif Khoury, the Founder and CEO of SOCi, the first CoMarketing Platform for Multi-Location Brands. Join the conversation as we learn more about the SOCi marketing platform, what makes their AI unique, and the crawl, walk, and run options of their model. We discuss the point solution versus the platform conundrum, how brands have responded to their platform, and thoughts on how AI will impact the local listings product area and open up new innovations around it. If you’re intrigued by the idea of AI-powered data scientists, train marketers, and force multipliers for corporate marketing teams and local representatives, then you are going to love this episode!
With some of the strongest franchise opportunities on the market, BELFOR Franchise Group is a dominant brand in the home services category. For more than 10 years, BELFOR Franchise Group has been empowering entrepreneurs to own businesses that are not only designed for growth but also provide profoundly meaningful services to their communities. Today, you’ll hear from Abigail Baker, Senior Vice President of Marketing for BELFOR Franchise Group, a curated portfolio of brands that often serve businesses and consumers in the wake of natural disasters. Abby is charged with marketing for all 12 brands, some of which are regional, some of which have national footprints, and all of which do business at the hyperlocal level. In this episode of Clicks 2 Bricks, we discuss the marketing challenges Abby faces with some specifics about how she partners with and empowers her franchisees. Tuning in, you’ll also learn about the power of content, why investing in SEO ranking is critical, how to use data to your benefit, and more!
Jeanniey Walden is the founder and CEO of Liftoff Enterprises, an award-winning marketing executive, renowned work-life advocate, and host of the nationally syndicated TV show, Liftoff with Jeanniey Walden. Jeanniey attributes her success to AIR: Authentic, Inspirational, and Relatable interactions, and she applies this lens to everything she does, including her new position as CMO of Rite Aid. In today’s episode of Clicks 2 Bricks, she shares her customer-centric perspective on multi-location marketing and offers some insight into her lifelong mission to inspire others, which not only informed her decision to start her own TV show but permeates every aspect of her role at Rite Aid. We discuss the inner workings of moving from an interim role to a full-time gig, why Jeanniey embraces the hurdles that come with being a challenger brand, and why she believes that networking, a strong work ethic, and asking for guidance are important steps on the journey to success, plus so much more! For insight into the whole health ethos of one of America’s smallest large companies, be sure to tune in today!
We’ve heard many rags-to-riches stories from startups all across the country, but few compare to the near-instant success of the fast-growing food brand, Dave’s Hot Chicken. Its CMO, Brad Haley, joins us once again after his previous appearance on the show as the CMO of IHOP. After finding out an interesting fact about Brad that many didn’t know, our guest then walks us through the story of Dave’s Hot Chicken, what initially attracted him to the brand, Drake and other big-name investors of the company, and how he approaches this role differently compared to his previous jobs. Dave’s Hot Chicken was born in the social-digital age, and our guest explains how Instagram has been key to its success, why cultural impact matters more than sales, adapting to the digital age as a marketer, and everything you need to know if you are a new marketer with CMO aspirations. Few are as accomplished as Dave when it comes to successfully implementing game-changing campaigns, and after summating the current state of marketing, Dave explains why the Jack in the Box campaign stands out from all the rest in his remarkable career. If you’d like to hear more about working with Dave’s Hot Chicken and perhaps becoming a franchisee of your own, then be sure to tune in!
According to a recent survey, Coldwell Banker was the most recognizable real estate brand of 2021, with 91% of surveyed consumers correctly identifying the brokerage's logo. How does a business achieve this level of brand recognition? Finding the right Chief Marketing Officer is a good place to start! CMO might be his title, but “brand champion” might be a more appropriate moniker for David Marine, who has worked in the marketing group of the most recognized brand in real estate for more than 20 years. He says that his superpower is storytelling, which has enabled him to reshape the brand’s luxury and commercial divisions, create the first real estate video-centric YouTube channel, and even develop what is considered the highest-rated real estate ad of all time. In this episode, David joins us to share some insight into his journey and highlight some of the marketing strategies that made him the CMO he is today. We discuss how marketing in the real estate world has changed pre- and post-pandemic, how David ensures that Coldwell’s messaging is consistent across its network of 100,000 agents, and how he and his team are thinking about the technology topic du jour: AI-powered marketing. We also touch on search engine ads, influencer marketing, and so much more, so you won't want to miss this instalment of Clicks 2 Bricks with Coldwell Banker CMO David Marine!
On the show today, we have the massively experienced and insightful Jason Seeley, who currently holds the position of Vice President of Digital at CKE Restaurants. CKE is the corporation behind Hardee's and Carl's Jr., and we get to hear from Jason about his role at the company and how he approaches each of these brands and their marketing initiatives. Our guest has a really interesting career journey, and he talks about how he started as a graphic designer and his time at Walmart and Wendy's, which ultimately led to him transitioning into digital marketing and moving up the corporate ladder. We also spend some time on the impacts of the pandemic, what the digital marketing landscape looks like at this specific point in history, and where it might be headed in the next few years. Jason weighs in on the impact of AI, finding great tech partners, and also offers some helpful advice for young marketers trying to accrue good experience and enhance their resumes. Join us to hear it all!
The world around us is constantly changing but there is one thing you can be sure will always stay the same: marketing fundamentals. Today’s guest, Mike Templeton is the director of Digital Experience for Casey’s, the third-largest convenience store chain and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the country! One of the core themes of this episode is the “fidgetal” experience (if you haven’t heard the term before, don’t worry, you’re not alone), which deals with the interconnectedness between the digital and the physical world. Tune in today to hear about Mike’s fruitful career journey in the marketing space and absorb invaluable knowledge as he shares his thoughts on how to use the power that consumers have in the marketplace to your advantage, things to take into consideration when choosing technology partners and solutions, the importance of prioritizing localization, why he is excited about the potential of AI, and so much more!
Retail juggernaut, Walgreens is beginning to prioritize healthcare across all their service offerings. Linh Peters is Walgreens’ CMO, and she joins today to describe the role that marketing will play in her employer’s new venture. Linh has worked with other huge brands including Calvin Klein, Best Buy, Target, and Starbucks, and she explains how the challenges in her current role differ from the other jobs she’s worked before. As a loyalty specialist, Linh goes into detail about the current state of marketing, the ins and outs of Walgreens’ myW™ Days program, why brands have less power now than they did before COVID, and how a rewards program influences a CMO’s marketing strategy. We learn about how the data alone can validate any rewards program, why the most important thing is to connect with customers as opposed to giving out freebies, the biggest mistakes that first-timers make when launching a loyalty program, and whether the recent changes in marketing are for better or worse. Our guest also explains how a harrowing 5months on a boat informed her worldview, how her upbringing in Vietnam and migration to America influenced her career choices and bred her passion for healthcare, how having a personal board of directors could grow you as a leader, and what the future of Walgreens looks like: healthcare, marketing, and beyond!
Studying the liberal arts can be beneficial to almost every aspect of your life, as it forces you to develop a level of critical thinking that is necessary for navigating the world that we live in. Moreover, anthropology can provide a firm foundation from which a prospective marketer can grow and flourish. That is the journey of today’s guest, Andrea McCauley, as she explains how her love for anthropology provided the vital skills that she still uses in marketing today. Andrea is the Head of Marketing and Senior Vice President for Massage Envy, a nationwide wellness franchise that provides massage, stretch, and skin care services. After Andrea and Rob agree on the undeniable benefits of the liberal arts, the conversation then turns to how COVID has affected marketing as a whole, the biggest challenges that marketing leaders are currently facing, and how Massage Envy uses marketing to support its franchisees. We discuss Andrea’s career trajectory and the challenges she faced when becoming CMO, the technological shifts that Massage Envy has made since COVID, what our guest thinks about AI in relation to her current role, and so much more! Andrea’s lightning round of questions explores TikTok, branded content, Yelp, and Facebook, and she delivers some important advice for all aspiring marketers.
With only 105 days to deliver 80% of your revenue, working in the tax space during tax season can be incredibly intense. Add to that the aversion that most people feel to completing such a complex and intimidating task, and you have some pretty big challenges when it comes to marketing and meeting your customers where they are. Joining us today to unpack all things tax and marketing is Jill Cress, Chief Marketing Officer for H&R Block. With over 20 years of experience working with MasterCard, Jill is no stranger to the intricacies of marketing in the fintech space, and for the past year, she has taken on her first multi-location marketing role as CMO of H&R Block. We talk with Jill about her perspective on the state of marketing today, what it’s like having over 10,000 locations during tax season, and what H&R Block is doing to ensure hyper-local awareness in their marketing. We also discuss how they are using digital solutions to improve efficiency for their clients before delving into their extensive use of AI within their operations and what their recent partnership with Microsoft entails. For a fascinating conversation on tax, multi-location marketing, and so much more, be sure to tune in today!
No stranger to the franchise industry, today’s guest came to Batteries Plus from senior marketing roles with world-class brands like Wendy’s and Massage Envy. As Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer at the nation’s largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob, and phone repair franchise, Derek Detenber is responsible for marrying marketing and merchandising omnichannel strategies to improve customer experience and elevate the brand’s public profile, as well as drive profitable sales growth for franchise owners and stores. In this episode, we talk about the similarities and differences of multi-location marketing in the diverse categories of retail, QSR, and services. We also learn about what the current AI conversation sounds like internally at Batteries Plus and how Derek sees this wave of innovation impacting brick-and-mortar marketing in the future. Spoiler alert: it’s all about the data! Join us on Clicks 2 Bricks today for a fascinating conversation about what it means to champion the customer, the obligations that marketing teams have to their franchise partners, the marketing initiatives that Batteries Plus is putting into play in 2023 and beyond, and more!
Steve Fournier’s story begins long before he became the SVP of Omni Channel for Discount Tire. His journey with the company started when he was still in high school, installing tires. He has been involved in every aspect of the business, with a special focus on marketing and digital transformation. This conversation explores the intersection of marketing and customer experience, along with Discount Tire’s digital transformation that’s been a full decade in the making. Tune in to hear why Discount Tire was well prepared for the global COVID-19 pandemic, what localized marketing looks like for a business with 1,100 stores, and how Steve is responding to AI. We touch on customer data, Steve’s biggest marketing initiatives for the year, and the recent growth they have experienced in digital. You’ll also hear his advice for young marketers, learn how measurable outputs are influencing the marketing landscape, and even learn about a few job openings at Discount Tire today. Thanks for listening!
This interview with the Director of Digital and Social Media for National General Insurance is the first time we’ve ventured into the insurance space on the show. The highly-regulated, unsexy nature of this industry means that it is challenging to market effectively. But David Shwartz has stepped up to the plate and is injecting soul into insurance! In this episode, David explains the difference between standard and non-standard books of business, how the National General Insurance business model works, and what makes it different from other insurance companies. Then, we delve into their approach to marketing, including the social channels that they make use of (and the ones they intentionally avoid), how and why they guide their customers from the online world into their stores, and their heavy reliance on data! David also shares his top advice for anyone entering into, or already working in, the marketing space, where the appeal in insurance marketing as a career option lies, and his thoughts on influencer marketing.
All business comes down to solving a problem, and marketing is no different. Today’s guest is here to share how his multifaceted career journey has informed his expertise as Director of Media for Domino’s. Tuning in, you’ll hear an overview of the exciting media campaigns Domino’s has activated this year, bringing digital and traditional media together under one roof. John shares some insight on the ‘test and learn’ culture that drew him to choose Domino’s and how that plays out in daily decision-making. We dive into the brand’s relationship with TikTok, and which deliverables John chooses to outsource. Find out what motivates the rigorous nature of marketing at Domino’s, hear why what’s meaningful to a customer is not always intuitive, and how John chooses to navigate that as Director of Media. He believes that every form of media has its place in the ecosystem and this underpins his approach as a leader. Hear some hard-earned pearls of wisdom before our conversation draws to a close with John’s memorable answers to our lightning-round questions. Join us today for an episode that packs a punch!
While most businesses suffered heavy losses during the pandemic, one restaurant franchise not only survived but thrived. Here today to share more about how her company successfully navigated COVID, is the Chief Marketing Officer for On The Border Mexican Grill and Cantina (OTB), Edithann Ramey. After giving us a brief history of her company, Edithann describes OTB’s mostly-corporate system and explains why she wouldn’t have it any other way. We discuss the tools and strategies OTB used to overcome the pandemic, before diving into their digital transformation process and their stance on third-party sales. With a national economic recession looming, Edithann gives her assessment of the macroeconomic environment and how that has influenced her marketing plans for 2023. Our conversation then turns to Google and local store marketing, and ends with our guest answering rapid-fire questions relating to influencers, TikTok, and Yelp!
Perfect timing has never been better personified than in Jack in the Box’s acquisition of Del Taco. What started as a cheaper foil of Taco Bell, Del Taco has since grown into a reputable franchise of its own, boasting almost 600 locations nationwide. Today’s guest, Tim Hackbardt, is the Chief Marketing Officer at Del Taco, and in this episode, he tells us just how well the two brands are collaborating after the aforementioned acquisition was finalized in March 2022. We dive deeper into how the acquisition affected marketing in particular, before Tim relays an incredible tale of how a new Del Taco brand finally made it onto the menu after 20 years of failed attempts, paving the way for an impressive name-change campaign. Tim has a passion for being an endurance athlete, and he explains why his dedication to pushing his body to its limits also helps him in his role as CMO. We learn how he feels about brand versus performance marketing, an iconic campaign that he is most proud of, why Del Taco has chosen to fully embrace all things digital, and the top priorities for restaurant marketers in the post-COVID era. Tim also has some inspirational advice to share with aspiring marketers and an unbelievable job opportunity to offer to listeners. Tune in today to learn more!
Many brick-and-mortar restaurant chains had the rug pulled from beneath them when the pandemic arrived, and have since had to reassess and rework their whole brand strategy and marketing plan. Cici's Pizza is a well-established brand, and was able to ride the tumultuous waves of the quarantine and the uncertain economy relatively successfully, but was still in need of some reinvigoration and redirection for the new era we have entered into. Stephanie Hoppe recently stepped into the role of Chief Marketing Officer at the company and today we get to hear from her about what this journey has looked like so far, and the important changes that she and her team have made to keep Cici's pleasing its customers and thriving across its different locations. We talk about the move away from strictly location-based services, and how this has meant embracing digital aspects of the restaurant business, with Stephanie emphasizing the balance that suits Cici's now, as people return to their outlets. She also shares some insight into the type of guidance they provide to franchisees and how this enables and empowers them to succeed. Our guest talks about some of the lessons from her career before Cici's, why we all have to keep one eye on macroeconomic trends, and so much more, so make sure to join us for this great episode!
Mobile marketing has come a long way since 2000 when the first mobile ad was shared via SMS. Our smartphones now play a key role in our everyday lives and today’s guest believes that marketers need to start thinking more big-picture and long-term if they are going to make an impact. Today, on Clicks 2 Bricks, you’ll hear from Kevin Planovsky, who is the Co-founder of Vert Digital, a full-stack digital agency based in Atlanta, Georgia. Listen in as we talk about the early days of mobile marketing and increasingly rapid smartphone adoption, along with the unique challenges and opportunities that those megatrends presented for multi-location brands. We touch on how digital marketing has evolved since the age of adtech and Kevin shares his take on brand versus performance marketing. You’ll also hear his advice for client-side marketers who might want to start their own agency, plus a whole lot more! You won’t want to miss this fascinating conversation with four-time girl dad and two-time cofounder, Kevin Planovsky!
After almost 25 years in the business, Robeks has earned itself a healthy portion of the ever-growing smoothie franchise market. They know what works and the kind of leaders that thrive in their fun yet fast-paced environment and, today, you’ll hear from Mitch Baker, VP of Marketing at Robeks, as he shares their ingredients for success. Tuning in, you’ll gain a high-level overview of the brand and some deeper insight into their local marketing playbook. We also take a look at the various hands-on ways that Robeks supports their franchisees, the metrics that Mitch tracks when it comes to local digital engagement with the brand, and why he believes that every franchisee should have basic marketing skills, plus so much more! Innovation, incredible customer service, and consistency are at the heart of Mitch’s approach to multi-location marketing and he encourages young marketers to remain open to change and keep looking for new, out-of-the-box ways to engage with consumers. Ultimately, Robeks wants to help their franchisees thrive, not just survive. To find out how they do that, make sure not to miss today’s thought-provoking conversation with Mitch Baker!
With billions of active users worldwide and counting, social media remains one of the most influential marketing tools available. But how can multi-location brands harness the power of these digital channels to reach both local and national audiences? To help us answer this question, we are joined by our first return guest on Clicks 2 Bricks, Brandon Rhoten! When we first sat down with him in Episode 19, Brandon was the CMO for Potbelly Sandwich Works. He has since moved on and now serves in several advisory roles, the most recent of which is with SOCi, considered the marketing platform for multi-location brands. Brandon is the first to join the company’s new Industry Advisory Board and, in this episode, he shares what this new role entails. Tuning in, you’ll also get Brandon’s unique point of view on how social media marketing has evolved since his pioneering work with Wendy’s, which includes how restaurant brands should be thinking about localization and giving local franchisees, managers, and employees a voice on these digital channels, plus so much more! Make sure not to miss this insightful conversation with the marketer who builds impossible-to-ignore brands, Brandon Rhoten!
It often falls on the CEO to come up with a strategy to increase the growth and profitability of a company, but today’s guest believes that a strategist is vitally important when it comes to identifying new opportunities, channels, and product lines. Beto Guajardo is currently the President of Focus Brands International, which includes brands such as Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s, and Schlotzsky's. Throughout most of his career, Beto led strategy for iconic brands such as Levi’s and Starbucks after getting his start in the consulting world with McKinsey and Company. In this episode, Beto explains what career strategy is, what this job entails, and what the KPIs and the performance metrics are for this role, before providing an example of the success he generated when he shifted investment into an opportunity he identified in the Starbucks app. He also talks about the strategy he used to turn Schlotzsky’s around, help them survive the pandemic, and ultimately achieve success. To find out about the interplay between strategy and execution, the marketing challenges of operating across so many different markets internationally, and Beto’s advice to anyone who wants to pursue a career in strategy, tune in today!
Welcome to a brand-new episode of Clicks 2 Bricks. Today we are joined by Phil Crawford, the Chief Technology Officer for CKE Restaurants. Our conversation centers around building a modern restaurant tech stack, touching on the need for integrations and what Phil looks for in great technology partners before diving into location data management and the importance of precise, long data in the era of ordering ahead and off-premise dining. Join us to hear his thoughts on leadership and relationship-building, owning your mistakes, and prioritizing partnership. You’ll also hear about his opinion on the role of roadmaps in a long sales cycle, before we touch on location data management, workflow, and systems. Phil believes in making mistakes in order to learn and shares wisdom from his own story today. Thanks for tuning in.
Welcome to another exciting and informative episode of Clicks 2 Bricks, a podcast about marketing strategies for multi-location businesses and organizations. The marketing landscape has changed dramatically since the advent of social media and has forced businesses to think differently about marketing strategies. In today’s episode, we discuss multi-location marketing strategies with Melanie Babcock. Melanie is responsible for The Home Depot personalization strategy, including various other strategies such as The Home Depot Retail Media Network and The Home Depot app. Melanie was originally in social media but transitioned to the marketing space where she brings a unique skillset and perspective. In today’s show, we learn about the status of the workforce post-pandemic, challenges associated with The Home Depot, her transition from social media to marketing, the transferrable skills she brought with her, details about The Home Depot's marketing strategy, how social media and marketing has evolved in recent years, and so much more! Tune in to hear some more from expert and marketing mogul Melanie Babcock!
The pandemic sent so many businesses spiraling, but our guest today is one of the admirable few who managed to turn it into a unique opportunity for growth and creativity! Brandon Coleman is the Chief Marketing Officer for Dave & Buster’s, and he took the helm of this iconic entertainment brand a mere two weeks before the pandemic struck. Brandon successfully reset and rebuilt an entire marketing tech stack through the thick of it and pivoted to a significant off-premise component, complete with virtual brands. In this episode, we learn about Brandon’s journey of keeping Dave & Buster’s afloat, the brand’s unique model for driving profitability, and their goal to achieve a one-to-one customer relationship at scale. We also take a deep dive into how Brandon filters, vets, and chooses his tech partners. Tune in to hear all this and so much more, including Brandon’s take on the implementation of new tech and information about a new MarTech job opening at Dave & Buster’s!
So much is constantly changing in the world of marketing, and this is not only down to the tumult of the last two years. On the show today, we have a fascinating chat with Tana Davila, the CMO of P.F. Chang's, in which she shares her reflections on her career thus far and the most important progressive steps she has witnessed in her time in the industry. P.F. Chang's is a brand that has evolved immensely during its lifetime, starting as a sit-down Chinese restaurant chain, and now positioning itself as an omnichannel Asian culinary brand. Tana explains the idea of polished casual and how their digital transformation has led their forward motion. We also get some insight from our guest about how she worked her way up in the company, and what she believes has served her best on this journey. Other important topics covered in our conversation include the most recent Olo Beyond4 Conference, technology partnerships, and advice for young marketers, so be sure not to miss this great episode!
Doug Zarkin is the Chief Marketing Officer for Pearle Vision, a title he's held for an impressive ten years! In this episode, we pick his brain about his marketing philosophies and find out how he is bringing sexy to optical retail marketing. Doug fills us in on Pearle Vision’s current undertakings and how the pandemic was bizarrely a time of exponential growth for the brand! We learn how their digital marketing plan has matured over the last few years and are reminded of the importance of offline marketing. We also find out why Doug considers himself to be a brand positioning snob and why humility is critical in the marketing world. Tune in to hear more about the relationship between brand and performance and for some astute advice for young marketers and aspiring CMOs!
“Every moment is a brand moment. Good or bad, you're making a statement one way or the other in everything that you do.” These are the words of today’s guest, Dwayne Chambers, who is currently the Chief Marketing Officer of Checkers and Rally’s Drive-In Restaurants, while also running his own consultancy, Brand Moments. Over the years, he has held leadership positions with some amazing brands, including PF Chang’s, Krispy Kreme, Fuddruckers, Noodles & Company, Red Robin, and Sonic Drive-In. Dwayne believes strongly in the power of capturing moments and, today, he joins us to explain how he does this through his role at Checkers and Rally’s. Tuning in, you’ll hear how the company differentiates itself in the highly competitive burgers and fries category, how they were perfectly positioned to handle the pandemic as a drive-thru establishment, and how they have adapted throughout this time in terms of both marketing and other forms of innovation. Dwayne also provides some insight into what it has been like to build and manage a fully remote team. To find out about Checkers and Rally’s innovative AI drive-thru technology, the amazing benefits Dwayne has derived from remote working, and why he believes modern marketing is really about consumer moments, as well as so much more, make sure to tune in today!
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is a well-established Los Angeles-based coffee brand that lost its way but is in the process of turning itself around, currently seeing considerable growth. Today’s guest, Sanjiv Razdan, has a lot to do with its recent success. Sanjiv is the president of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for the Americas and India. He also gained experience working for Pizza Hut, Yum Brands, and Applebee’s before he became the COO for the restaurant juggernaut that is Sweetgreen. In this episode, he sheds light on how he came to his current role at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, how the company lost its way and was impacted by the pandemic, and how they are turning things around. He also discusses the integral role of technology in the restaurant business, what he learned from his time at Sweetgreen, and how he’s applying this insight in his current role. Finally, Sanjiv introduces us to the GLEAM Network, which is a nonprofit organization he founded that is dedicated to mentorship in the restaurant and foodservice industry. To hear Sanjiv break down his six pillars for transforming the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf business, as well as many other fascinating insights, tune in today!
Founded in 1972, Cousins Subs is a Wisconsin-based family business where each location operates like a mom-and-pop business. While a company like this could easily fall behind in terms of digital transformation and staying abreast of current marketing trends, today’s guest has played a vital role in staying ahead of the digital curve and growing the company despite the pandemic. Today we are joined by Justin McCoy, the Vice-President of Marketing for Cousins Subs, who has been with the company for 16 years. He explains the history of the company as well as its current footprint in terms of corporate locations and franchises. We then discuss how Justin has grown into his current role from his early days of guerilla marketing at the store level, how he has repositioned and contemporized the brand for sustainable growth, and how he witnessed the digital transformation of the restaurant business play out at Cousins Subs. We cover what we love and hate about third-party online ordering partners, what local store marketing efforts look like, how the digital team is structured, which social media platforms they’re focussing their efforts towards, and so much more! To hear what’s next for Cousins Subs as it celebrates its 50th birthday as well as Justin's advice to anyone aspiring towards the executive level of an organization, tune in today!
In today’s conversation, we welcome Tony Mokry, who is the Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Cricket Wireless, the leading prepaid wireless carrier in the US and a division of AT&T. Tune in to hear us talk about some of the unique areas where Tony is investing in the brand, why authenticity is a key pillar and how this translates to the company’s thousands of authorized retailers. Listeners will learn what Cricket Wireless is and what it stands for, how Tony came to join the company, and how AT&T facilitated his changing career. Tony shares the details of Cricket’s cause marketing campaigns which align with the brand purpose, with the ads created by Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah as an example. You’ll hear how his role as CMO extends beyond just getting customers to sign up, and the relationship with Bark which addresses cyberbullying using keywords. Tony shares advice with listeners to embrace change and get uncomfortable in their jobs, in order to grow. We hope you join us to learn more!
The COVID 19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated the rate at which digital innovations are currently being integrated across industries. In today’s episode, we talk with Zipporah Allen, who joined Taco Bell as their Chief Digital Officer in 2019, just a few months before the start of the COVID-19 changed the world, about the success of their latest digital initiative and how her previous roles prepared her for the immense challenges that accompany a global pandemic. Zipporah has had a phenomenal career, from occupying multiple roles across marketing and strategy at McDonald’s to joining Yum! brands where she spent several years at Pizza Hut mastering the pizza category and digital innovation, before transitioning to Taco Bell. Tuning in, you'll hear about Taco Bell’s new subscription program, Taco Lovers Pass, how they developed it, why Zipporah is so proud of her team, and why digital is uniquely suited to delivering a remarkably personalized customer experience. We also delve into Zipporah’s dedication to multi-locational marketing, what drew her to the industry, and why she stayed. Be sure to tune in for this fascinating conversation on the power of brand identity, consumer engagement, the relationship between digital and analog, and much more!
Today’s episode is one you don't want to miss: our guest is Ellie Doty, Chief Marketing Officer for Burger King, previously CMO for Chili’s, and she comes from a number of marketing positions with KFC and Taco Bell. Our conversation with Ellie is all about the nostalgia-driven, visual identity refresh that she led for Burger King, along with her unique perspective on digital transformation and what digital actually means. We begin with Ellie's transition to her current role, including picking up the elegant logo journey already underway to see it through to the end of the line. From there, we get into the much-needed mental shift of how digital marketing is inseparable from marketing, Burger King's data capture and CRM journey, and the importance of keeping your finger on the pulse when it comes to trends. This fascinating discussion covers everything from the brand versus performance debate to driving online ordering, paid media advertising and local spending, and even Ellie's experience with influencer marketing! We also touch on some valuable advice for young marketers with their eye on the CMO prize and some quick thoughts of the customer decision journey. For all this and more from one of the top experts in the industry, be sure to tune in today!
Tackling the marketing for a restaurant chain during a pandemic is no small feat. Today’s guest Kieran Donahue took up the challenge when she became the Chief Marketing Officer for IHOP mid-COVID. While she is not solely responsible for the very impressive 40% growth that the brand recently announced, she did play a part in it. After a long career in hospitality with brands like Hilton and Marriott, Kieran joined this leading family dining brand to take on a new challenge in the restaurant industry. Today she joins us to discuss this transition, how she approached her new job, and what IHOP did pre-COVID that helped them survive the pandemic. She describes how she transferred some of the best practices from her experience in hospitality into her role at IHOP. She also talks about the importance of knowing your customers and how technology can be used to achieve this. To find out how IHOP is developing their brand and their tech stack in parallel, how they view their relationship with third parties, and insight into their new fast-casual concept Flip’d, tune in today!
Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Clicks 2 Bricks with your host, Robert Reed. Joining us in conversation today is Zack Oates, CEO, and co-founder of Ovation, an actionable guest feedback platform for multi-unit restaurants. He shares his thoughts on how asking for customer feedback can drive quantifiable downstream revenue. Listeners will learn the nuts and bolts of how Ovation works, how it came to be, and where they are directing their funding and efforts going forwards. Their focus is on creating a seamless experience for the guest, and Zack tells us how they are working to turn data into a more flexible experience. You’ll also hear how the Ovation service does more than offer a platform for customer feedback, including driving five-star online ratings. You’ll also hear about the integrations that Ovation has grown to include, and why they choose to share all the data even with customers who leave Ovation. Tune in to hear all this and more today!
Labor shortage, supply chain issues, the challenges of third-party delivery.... these are all hot topics on everyone's lips in the last couple of years. Today our guest is Jonathan Maze, Editor-in-Chief of Restaurant Business Online, who's here to give us the run-down on all these issues, and more. We discuss everything from the accuracy of AI and voice-activated ordering, to keeping pace with the swiftly changing face of technology that serves restaurants – and the boom in investment in that area. Jonathon delves into the extensive list of pros and cons for third-party delivery services, and how they've changed the way restaurants do business, collect data, and facilitate (or hinder) the push for customer loyalty. Finally, he runs us through the incredible offerings of the upcoming FSTEC conference, and what we know will be prevalent themes there for the top executives. This conversation is truly fascinating and insightful, and listeners will find this too – press play now and join us!
If you're a little obsessed with Mexican food, like me, then no matter where you are in the U.S. you've probably heard of Puesto. With 120 different tequilas, 100 different mezcals, and fresh ingredients in all their mouthwatering – and most importantly, authentic – food, there's little surprise that this family-run restaurant is now in nine locations. But how does one market and manage a multi-locational restaurant business while staying true to your roots and all the offerings of Mexico City? In this episode, I'm talking to Alex Adler, co-founder, and taquero for Puesto, who says that they may be a multi-location business, but they are definitely not a chain. He talks us through all aspects of the business, from its inception in the family kitchen to digital feedback, and their journey with finding a coherent operating system. We get the rundown on the Puesto marketing and social media strategies, as well as delving into why certain social media platforms work better for this type of business. Adler also shares, with humility and a lot of passion, the special innovations that kept customers (and those in the industry) a little more connected to normality during COVID and drew them loyally into the Puesto community. Lastly, Adler shares some hard-won advice on when to pivot, and the crucial factor that got them where they are today – know what you want as a guest, and always putting that at the center of the experience. Press play and join in the conversation now!
Although hospitality, entertainment, and restaurants are different sectors, there are considerable overlaps, one of them being the fact that they are multi-location. After spending the beginning of his career in hospitality and entertainment, Vincent Szwajkowski moved to fast-casual dining and is now the CMO of Blaze Pizza. Vincent recently spoke on a panel at FSTEC about how CMOs today are using technology. In this episode, we hear more about Blaze, its footprint, and how it stands out in the saturated pizza market. We talk about the progression of Blaze's online ordering, which was expedited by the pandemic, and the challenges this presented them with. Blaze recently launched its own app, and Vincent stresses the importance of being ready for an undertaking of this size. It is not something that should be taken lightly because it will put considerable strain on everyone. Our conversation also touches on third-party apps and their role, what still has to happen at Blaze, and some advice from Vincent for aspiring CMO's. Tune in to hear it all!
The two brands that form the focus of today’s episode are close to my heart, not only because their food is absolutely delicious, but also because Papa Gino’s and D’Angelo were the places where I worked my first and second jobs. Deena McKinley’s career path started out seemingly a long way away from these iconic restaurants, but as you’ll hear today, a lot of the skills she developed as an English teacher, have been very useful in her role as CMO. In this show, Deena and I discuss how she and her team have reignited these long-time favorite eateries through combining their historical allure with technological advancements. Technology and marketing are completely intertwined these days and Deena has a wealth of knowledge and experience in this realm. Deena shares what her three-pronged marketing approach consists of, what she has achieved since becoming CMO, why she doesn’t see third-party delivery apps as a threat, and the importance of asking questions. All the talk of turkey sandwiches and cheeseburger subs will no doubt have your mouth watering, so make sure you have a Papa Gino’s or D’Angelo is close by when you listen to this!
Everybody has a Krystal story. Alice Crowder’s Krystal story involves her dad fishing quarters out of his pocket to buy them Krystal’s, which were a quarter a piece at the time! Yours might be memories of all-nighters at university or midnight toasts at weddings. For the past 90 years, the Krystal brand has maintained its status in society, but there is a lot of innovation happening at the company, and Alice is one of the people at the helm. In today’s show, you will hear about how Krystal is making use of influencer marketing, the app they are releasing this week and other approaches that the second oldest quick service restaurant in the country uses to stay relevant after all these years. Alice’s personal career journey with Krystal is another interesting story which she shares, and her many years of experience in different sectors of the marketing field make her well-positioned to offer excellent advice to any budding CMO’s out there!
The food and beverage industry is overflowing with restaurants, diners, and takeaway stores, all competing for their piece of the market share. That’s why, in order to be successful, you have to differentiate your business and provide your customers with a unique, memorable, WOW-worthy experience. That is exactly what Mark Mears has done as CMO of WOWorks, a holding company that encompasses Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, and Simple Greek. By catering to the desires of the “for me” generation, creating a culture of collaboration that supersedes organizational hierarchy, and utilizing an integrated marketing and communications plan, Mark and his team are continually WOW’ing the world. Mark has 36 years of experience in marketing and has accumulated a wealth of knowledge about building a brand and we are very lucky to have had the chance to pick his brain on the topic! Tune in to hear it all!
In today’s episode of Clicks 2 Bricks, we speak with Stephanie Perdue, Vice President of Brand Marketing for Chipotle. In 2020 the COVID 19 pandemic dealt a massive blow to restaurants across the US. Seemingly overnight businesses were severed from their primary source of income and were left scrambling to adapt. Luckily for Chipotle, when the crisis hit they already had a robust digital framework and an off-premises strategy in place, which they were able to fast track to adapt to the new normal. In our conversation with Stephanie, we talk to her about her career in marketing, her love of fast-casual, and what she learned from her time at Taco Bell which spans over a decade in various positions. She describes being hired at Chipotle during a trying period where the brand was experiencing an onslaught of competition, while also recovering from a food safety incident that had lost some customer trust. She expands on how they approached the marketing challenge by centering their efforts on communicating what Chipotle was all about and hiring Oscar award-winning documentary filmmaker Errol Morris to direct their marketing video content.
Top multi-location brands have an impossible challenge in the form of managing their digital presence across hundreds or thousands of locations. This is a pain point that SOCi solves and today we have its CMO, Monica Ho, on the show as our guest. SOCi is a leading all-in-one marketing platform built specifically for next-level multi-location marketers. For the last three years, SOCi has been conducting a report called the Localized Marketing Benchmark Report whose focus is to measure the success of local marketing for multi-location brands. Monica joins us today to share the methodology behind the report and explore ways that brands can not only improve their scores but more importantly, how these insights can translate into quantifiable business results.
Digital marketing requires a high level of cohesion in order to be effective. If there is a lack of seamless integration, different silos will be working towards different goals. Alan Magee is at the helm of digital transformation at Church’s Chicken. He arrived at the brand two years ago and currently works as the VP of digital marketing and tech. In today’s episode, Alan sheds light on Church’s three-phased digital transformation, how they have moved through the connect and calibrate phase, and the work they are currently doing around activation.
Luckily for 7-Eleven, Marissa Jarratt’s childhood dreams of becoming President of the United States or a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader didn’t come true. As the head of marketing for 7-Eleven since 2019, Marissa has played a hugely important role in figuring out the purpose of the brand and using that purpose to inform the way that the company responds to the needs and wants of its customers. In today’s episode, Marissa lets us in on the thinking behind 7-Eleven’s new campaign, Take it to Eleven, and why she is so excited about the direction that the company is heading.
Trailblazing is as much a part of Patty Trevino’s DNA as it is a part of the DNA of the brands she works for. You have one guess as to who was responsible for rolling out the first Beyond Burger line in any fast food restaurant in America, and who came up with the idea of a CBD burger! Our guest today is skilled at understanding the culture of the times and is not afraid to break the rules. She also knows how important it is to have the right structures set up before pushing out innovative ideas. This combination of attributes means that she is able to give customers what they want time and time again.
Today’s guest is Kristin Gallucci, Chief Marketing Strategist for United Franchise Group. United Franchise Group controls a variety of brands in the B2B and B2C space with the signage brand Signarama as its flagship. Our conversation with Kristin today is all about the marketing channels and organizational structure at United Franchise Group and Signarama more specifically. Our discussion begins with Kristin introducing United Franchise Group, the brands affiliated under its umbrella, the history of the company, and its strategies for acquiring new brands. From there, we get into the marketing strategies Signarama used during the pandemic and Kristin talks about their decision to leverage national television as well as a sponsorship deal with the World Axe Throwing Championship.
As a company that generates income from ups and downs, Sky Zone, like its competitors, wasn’t expecting 2020 to unfold in the way that it did. In March 2020, the trampoline park chain was forced to close its doors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, Sky Zone has been opening its doors slowly and safely. Today we speak with Sky Zone CMO, Josh Cole, about why the chain is feeling so confident about its reopening and why they remain in a strong position as the pandemic gently eases. To kick things off, Josh shares Sky Zone’s origin story before diving into the chain’s revenue streams. More on this topic, Josh talks about how Sky Zone’s end-goal is to convert daily users into monthly subscribers.
If you're part of Generation X, thinking of Pizza Hut will likely invoke vivid memories from your childhood of sharing a signature pan pizza at your local branch under its iconic red roof. It is memories like this that Pizza Hut has tapped into to build its recent ‘Newstalgia’ campaign. Today’s guest is George Felix, CMO for Pizza Hut, and he joins us to talk about the process of revitalizing Pizza Hut by taking it way back to its roots, even as the business shifts completely to a delivery and takeout model. George discusses how he and some of Pizza Hut’s most longstanding franchisees came upon the idea of tapping into nostalgia as the North Star of the new campaign.
Did you know that there are over 400 Honey Baked Ham stores across the country? We were surprised when we heard this too! Today, we are joined by the CMO of this iconic, family-owned brand, Jo Ann Herold. Jo Ann shares how her first job, as a 16-year-old working at McDonald’s, sparked her interest in the foodservice industry. Except for a brief stint at a sustainable flooring company, she has been working in the sector ever since, with an unwavering passion. We discuss the services that Honey Baked Ham provides for its customers, how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the company, the way they balance the presence of their national brand with the individuality of their local stores, and their commitment to their core value of authenticity.
Today we speak with Marcel Nahm, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the restaurant category at Focus Brands. Marcel is a marketing whizz who has worked with big household names like Schlotzsky's, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Mcalister’s Deli, and Auntie Anne’s. In today’s show, we ask him about his new role, discussing his career to date and the differences between the restaurant and specialty categories. We first hear about the ins and outs of Marcel’s role at Focus Brands. As he shares what it takes to fulfill his role, we find out why it’s important to have a small ego, to be a strong collaborator, and to have trust in others. Diving deeper, Marcel walks us through the three brands that have his oversight, namely Schlotzsky's, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Mcalister’s Deli. He details the unique experience each has to offer, and why it’s important to maintain individuality and separation between brands.
Overhauling a business takes a willingness to experiment and iterate, and it is so important to have a company culture that supports this approach, especially during a pandemic! Today’s guest is Julie Roehm, Chief Experience and Marketing Officer for Party City, and she joins us to talk about the transformation she and a brand new executive team implemented in this firm with the help of an agile turnaround plan and synchronized culture. Before Julie joined, Party City was following a ‘stack it high and watch it fly’ approach relying on vertical integration and a market share as big as their SKUs.
Today we sit with Brett Campbell, Vice President of Field Marketing for Tropical Smoothie Cafe, and dive into the nuances of field marking and how it’s aided his organization’s success. After hearing about Brett’s childhood as the son of a U.S Navy pilot, he tells us more about the Tropical Smoothie Brand and how it has been making waves in the fast-casual space. Brett talks about the brand study they performed two years ago, and why it was so useful in helping the Tropical Smoothie Cafe team find their brand voice and engage with their market more effectively. Following this, Brett details his role at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, sharing some of his professional history.
Many multi-location brands end up prioritizing operations over field marketing because they don’t have the expertise or human resources to do the actual outreach. This is a pain point that Field Day is solving and today we have its Founder and CEO, Alex Nocifera on the show to help us learn how. Field Day is a one-of-a-kind solution for local marketing activation. It combines a proprietary technology platform that offers all the tools and measurement capabilities to run sophisticated outreach campaigns to local communities with an army of trained brand ambassadors to execute those campaigns. Our conversation with Alex begins on the subject of the lost art of leveraging a community via in-person interactions due to a marketing landscape heavily weighted toward digital marketing.
Listening to your peers and understanding your business model from the ground-up is a key path to marketing success. This idea is shared by today’s guest, Andrew Rebhun, as we unpack his career and latest role as the Vice President Digital Officer for El Pollo Loco. Having lived in six cities for over 10 years, we open our conversation with Andrew by exploring his impressive career trajectory. After chatting about his work for Ford, we talk about his transition into the QSR industry and how he accelerated McDonald’s digital expansion. Having laid the foundations for his current job at El Pollo Loco, we then dive into the healthy state of their marketing department. Andrew opens up about their challenges, how they drive customer engagement, and what they’re doing to get customers to use their app over third-party services.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is fast becoming one of the most important tools for business. Today, we sit with industry expert Jason White to talk about his journey in SEO and discover best practices of local SEO for multi-location brands. Jason is currently the Director of SEO at PMG and has cultivated a deep knowledge of SEO practices over the past decade. First, listeners will hear about Jason’s career path so far, as well as how PMG fits into the SEO landscape. We then ask Jason about the basics that multi-location brands should be covering, as he touches on landing pages, Google My Business, and more. As our conversation develops, we talk about the value Google brings to brick and mortar businesses and the challenges that come with proving ROI to clients.
Whether it’s to watch the game, go out with buddies, have a family meal, or simply pound beer and eat chicken wings, Hooters is the top choice for many. But even before the pandemic struck, consumer needs were changing. In response, Hooters began building out a fast-casual version of itself called Hoots Wings with a limited menu and food delivery capabilities. All of this happened thanks to the open mind and leadership of HOA Brands CEO and President Sal Melilli, and today he joins us on the show to talk about what these changes looked like from the perspective of marketing and operations. Sal’s career is unique in that he has worked for Hooters his whole life, having started as a dishwasher and slowly worked his way up until where he is today. He is a big believer in teamwork and often accredits the excellence of the company to the people that work for him, as well as the strength of the Hooters brand itself. We start our conversation hearing about the conditions that formed the initial thinking for Hoots Wings. From there Sal weighs in on their agile and customer-led approach to reinventing themselves, as well as the corporate structure behind the different Hooters companies and franchises. We talk about traditional versus digital marketing next, and Sal shares some techniques they are using to stay visible online and in the real world. Toward the end of the conversation, Sal speaks about what is in store for Hooters and Hoots Wings in the coming months and years. Tune in today!
Yes, today’s show is about coffee and so much more. We sit with Mike McFall, co-founder, and CEO of Biggby Coffee and author of Grind. In this rich and tasteful episode, we splash into Mike’s journey with Biggby Coffee and how he’s achieved his success. We kick off the show by hearing Mike’s story and take a look at some of the characteristics that set his coffee chain apart from all the others. We then shift scope toward the present day to find out what’s in store for Biggby’s future. Mike tells us how, by embracing versatility, Biggby has laid down the foundations for a strong 2021. Mike then introduces us to his latest book, Grind, and talks about the book’s premise, why generating revenue is your number one goal, as well as his fail-proof business model. Toward the end of the episode, we come full circle, back to Biggby Coffee, with Mike leaving listeners with some stirring parting notes. He closes by talking about the power of purpose and why the customer’s experience should be central to the way you operate your business. To get more nuggets of business wisdom, be sure to join us today
Creating a brand that becomes a part of culture and community is a marketing mission for many, but few can pull it off as well as Kristen Hartman, President of the Specialty Category at Focus Brands. The heart of her success is a freshly baked Cinnabon, rich in taste and aroma. Today we speak with Kristen to find out how she created Cinnabon’s success and open the show by first taking a look at Kristen’s background in the industry, exploring her new role as we go. After hearing about what working on the Cinnabon Brand means to her, Kristen shares thrilling anecdotes about the entertainment industry, and how a Cinnabon reference helped set the narrative for Breaking Bad spin-off series, Better Call Saul. Far from done, Kristen has enjoyed a successful career thus far. In the latter half of the episode, listeners will find out what she learned from working for companies, and how the Cinnabon strategy has changed in light of the coronavirus. Stay tuned and you’ll catch a glimpse into the future, as Kristen shares details about how Cinnabon is evolving and why pandemic has accelerated growth in some areas. To find out the secrets behind franchising, as well as Kristen’s advice for juniors looking to break into the industry, be sure to tune into this delicious episode.
Today’s guest is John Teza, President and Chief Development Officer for Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa. John’s career has been largely focused on building and marketing franchise brands from the operations and investment side, and he joins us today to share how he is applying his extensive experience in his role at Hand & Stone. Our conversation covers the benefits of recurring revenue subscription models, marketing franchise brands to consumers and franchisees, and a whole lot more. We kick things off with John talking about some of the key differentiators of Hand & Stone. From there, we take a deep dive with him into his past career, what led him to join Hand & Stone in August, and some of the things he is focusing on there in his current role. We get into how marketing Hand & Stone to franchisees versus customers differs, what onboarding new franchisees looks like, and how using an internal ad agency to handle new launches plays into this. Our conversation also covers the recurring revenue model at Hand & Stone and how this helped keep them afloat during the pandemic. In addition, John shares about how the process of migrating from an on-prem to a cloud-based POS tech stack is playing out and the advantages it will provide. Toward the end of the show, John weighs in on trends in the restaurant and health and wellness industries relating to tech, COVID, customer preferences, and more. Tune in today!
As marketers plan for 2021, their strategies will have to shift accordingly or they will get left behind. These are new trends, habits, and behaviors that will not change when the COVID crisis has passed, including the consumer view on what it means to be local and the importance of investing in local connections and communities, especially through digital, as well as focusing on brand purpose throughout every level of how companies operate. Today’s guest is Phillip Rather, Head of Local for Facebook. He has been with Facebook for more than a decade, and he has a broad perspective on the Facebook platform and a deep understanding of the multi-location marketing paradigm. Listen in as Phillip shares an analogy between the railroad and the future of digital, makes the distinction between SMBs and local, and explains what he focuses on in his role. We also learn about the relationship between national and local across mediums and the importance of collaboration versus centralized understanding, and Phillip describes some of the vertical use cases he hopes to address. Tune in to find out how Facebook has been affected by COVID and how COVID will change the face of digital marketing forever, as well as Phillip’s advice for how businesses – both direct-to-consumer and big brands – can prepare themselves for the upcoming wave of creative digital innovation!
The question of whether you should focus on digital or traditional marketing is a non-starter. Instead, you need to be wherever your consumers are — that’s the best channel to reach them. This key insight comes from today’s conversation with Ryan Ostrom, GNC’s Chief Brand Officer. We start our episode with Ryan by clearing the elephant in the room, as we ask him about what GNC did to overcome their Chapter 11 filing. Ryan opens up his playbook and talks about how he redirected customers from their recently-closed locations to new storefronts. We explore more of GNC’s marketing approach as Ryan shares their brand and customer-first marketing philosophy and how distribution channels influence their branding strategy. While the pandemic has damaged many companies, we then chat about how COVID has increased GNC’s relevance. After discussing the vital roles that loyalty programs, franchisees, and on-the-ground associates play in GNC’s branding, Ryan unpacks how he adapted their content to target the emerging ‘exercise at home’ market.
The impact of social media is being reinvented every day, and now large corporations like Walmart are leading the way. Today we talk to Zach Lones, the Director of Social Media Marketing for Walmart. We kick things off by taking a look at where it all started for Zach — having owned an e-commerce store at the age of 15 and making his way into corporate localized marketing for Walmart. Zach also shines a light on the evolution of Walmart’s social media presence, as the brand has moved into a variety of platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. He goes on to share some of his secrets to social media success and touches on employee trust, recognition, and associate content. You’ll learn how Walmart separates itself from its competitors by making use of a volunteer strategy and offering social media roles to any store employee that is creative and enthusiastic about content. He provides listeners with behind-the-scenes details on their training process, how moderating content works, and this remarkably led to only one out of 2.1 million posts being flagged. Toward the end of the episode, we discuss how Walmart looks at viral content differently, as well as their views on KPIs, ROIs, and the importance of engagement. Tune in with us today!
Marketing is about growing revenue and differentiating a brand, and getting that second part right requires the willingness, bravery, and know-how to zag where others zig. Today’s guest is Brandon Rhoten, CMO of Potbelly Sandwich Works who is best known for his disruptive and pioneering work at Wendy’s where he helped the QSR brand rise above the sameness of its category and become culturally relevant again through social media and digital. Today we talk to him about his work at Potbelly and Wendy’s, and some of the strategies he has employed over the years to revive and build impossible to ignore brands. Our chat with Brandon begins with him describing the state Potbelly was in when he joined in 2018, how he has used research and testing to shift their marketing, what these new marketing strategies look like, and what business has been like since the pandemic.
Today we get to hear from Erin Levzow, the new Vice President of Marketing Technology at Del Taco. While Erin has been with the brand for only two months, her role has been specially crafted to focus on digital transformation and adapting to the new realities of the COVID pandemic. Having worked in a marketing capacity for numerous restaurants and hospitality institutions, Erin has a wealth of experience and expertise to bring to the Del Taco table. She talks to Rob about where the company is positioned in the Mexican food market compared to Taco Bell and Chipotle – their biggest competitors – and how they are pivoting in the context of the pandemic and with the recent return of CMO Tim Hackbardt. After touching on the company’s existing tech stack, Erin shares what she is focusing on for 2021 and highlights the importance of different software working well together, which seems to be an ongoing challenge to even the biggest brands.
Last year, one of Denver’s most popular burger joints seemed to be in its death throes, and a pandemic with inherent lockdown should have been the final nail. Instead, Smashburger has become one of the city’s major fast-casual outlets, and today’s guest Scott Johnson believes the pandemic only helped it thrive. As the Vice President and Head of Marketing, Scott was brought in to resurrect Smashburger, and turn it into the thriving business it is today. In this episode, you’ll hear about how he first implemented change by celebrating the outlet’s best traits. With a focus on brand strategy and short-term tactics, Scott began to put his resources into digital media. We talk about the virtues of paid media and shifting toward Google ranking using SEO and social media. Our conversation is seasoned with anecdotes about Scott’s previous stints at big-name companies like AT&T, Arby’s, and Boomin’ Brands as we hear about some of the lessons he learned. As a marketing mogul, he takes a high-level look at marketing and how it has changed over the last ten years. Scott comments on how the landscape has been shaped in such a way that smaller brands can compete with the big guys out there, and how economies of scale have drastically evolved. This was just a bite-sized chunk of our tasty conversation. For the whole thing, be sure to tune in!
Relevance, ease, and distinctiveness – this is one of the pillars of growth for today’s guest, who refers to it as his RED system. Ken, is the CMO of Yum! Brands, which has more than 50,000 locations across KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and the most recent addition to the portfolio, Habit Burger. Ken has a unique role in working across each of these brands with more than 2000 marketers operating in 140 countries. All the numbers are big when it comes to Yum!, and Ken is the person who has to wrap his arms and his brain around all of it. If you're looking for a conversation about marketing strategy, with a heavy dose of marketing theory, then you've come to the right place. In this episode, Ken shares the size and scope of the Yum! Universe, how he repositioned the KFC brand in post-apartheid South Africa, and how physical availability, location, and speed translate directly into sales in the fast-food world. He also shares the impact of COVID on Yum! Brands, both positive and negative, and the effect of the recent social justice movement on Yum!’s individual brands, as well as his thoughts on creativity and technology, and the power of combining emotional power with distinctiveness and consistent messaging. Tune in today!
In 2019, Torchy’s Tacos, made a significant investment in executive leadership, hiring a new CMO with the expertise to expand the beloved Austin-based brand’s presence in both new and existing markets and bring Damn Good tacos, queso, and more to fans far and wide. Today’s guest is that CMO, Scott Hudler. Scott was previously Chief Digital Officer for Dunkin’ Brands, where he spent 10 years guiding the iconic East Coast company through a digital transformation, as it took on the 800-pound coffee gorilla that is Starbucks. He got a taste of big-box retail as the CMO for Dick's Sporting Goods and then joined upstart Torchy’s Tacos to lead marketing. The Austin-based company is growing fast, and it's pioneering a new category in the ever-changing restaurant industry: craft casual. In this episode, Scott shares with us the story behind the Torchy’s brand, how it has grown, and how it has been affected by COVID, as well as the digital evolution of the restaurant, the three pillars of what Scott calls craft casual, and how restaurants are thinking differently about Google Search and the conversion to business. All this and so much more is in today’s episode, so make sure to tune in!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Scott shares where he is calling from and how Torchy’s is approaching work from home.
- A fun fact from Scott – he was on the grand jury for the Ray Lewis murder trial in Atlanta.
- Scott tells the story behind the Torchy’s Tacos brand and company – it all started in a trailer.
- How the brand has evolved since 2006, and the pragmatic approach to growth they’ve taken.
- How COVID has impacted Torchy’s growth plan – they have opened 12 new locations, not 20.
- Torchy’s is a 100% corporate model that owns all of its 82 restaurants in seven states.
- What attracted Scott to Torchy’s was it was a growing brand with an entrepreneurial spirit.
- Scott’s time at Dunkin’ Brands, what he experienced, and what he learned working there.
- The digital evolution of Dunkin’ – from an app and a loyalty program to mobile ordering.
- Social media was an important part of what helped amplify the Torchy’s brand to the masses.
- The brand doesn’t fit in a box – Scott shares the three pillars of what they call craft casual, convenience, and authenticity, and care.
- Scott explains their current campaign that plays off the 2020 presidential campaigns.
- What Scott took away and learned from his role at Dick’s Sporting Goods, mainly how to cut through the clutter and reach consumers.
- How restaurants are thinking differently about Google Search and the conversion to business.
- Why Torchy’s is exclusive to the DoorDash delivery system – partnership being number one.
- Managing partners get a percentage of operating profit, incentivizing them to drive sales.
- How managing partners are empowered to do local marketing with a budget based on sales.
- Using Facebook to drive the brand at a local level – each location has a Facebook page.
- Scott’s opinion of martech or the marketing technology space and how it can drive customer engagement and reach.
- Another leader in multi-unit enterprise that Scott admires is Jon Luther, President of Popeyes.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Scott Hudler on Twitter
Scott Hudler on LinkedIn
Torchy’s Tacos
DoorDash
Whitespark
'Few CMOs Appreciate the Impact of Google Search on Foot Traffic'
As Ray Kroc, the father of modern franchising, once said, “It’s not real until it’s in the restaurant.” This key idea is reflected throughout our conversation with today’s guest, Dan Gertsacov, the Chief Commercial Officer of Focus Brands. As we talk about his role in innovating Focus Brands’ digital strategy, Dan emphasizes that digital innovation is only real when it reflects in a better experience for both your customers and franchisees. Early in the discussion, we dive into how the shift towards online ordering and brand engagement has leaped forward due to the pandemic. Dan explains the need to blend physical and digital service offerings, especially as customers benefit from and appreciate having options. We then ask Dan about his areas of focus and his answers highlight the importance of revenue management, demand generation, and expanded digital capabilities to franchise success. After exploring how restaurants impact their communities, we touch on how franchisees can connect with their customers at a local level, and how good brand groups specialize in crafting cutting-edge marketing playbooks. Displaying an incredible openness, Dan discusses what he’s done to innovate Focus Brands, giving listeners a mini-master class in marketing strategy, digital transformation, and leadership. Tune in to hear his incredible insights, with more on how your genius marketing plan should link with customers and franchisees.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Fun fact about Dan; as an undergraduate, he planned to be a professional chef.
- Dan shares the story of how his passion for cooking drove him into the restaurant industry.
- Hear what Dan has done to transform Focus Brands’ digital strategies.
- Digital silver linings; how the pandemic is causing more customers to go online.
- Why franchises that didn’t prepare for the digital shift have been struggling to pivot.
- How digital has reduced the friction between customers and brands.
- Why the smartest brands invest in giving their customers different service options.
- Comparing the hospitality industry with the changes that restaurants are undergoing.
- The importance of market revenue management and making decisions on a franchisee level.
- Google versus McDonald’s; what it’s like to work in the tech and restaurant industries.
- How restaurants can provide a vital role in empowering local communities.
- What Dan’s brands are doing to connect with the communities that they serve.
- Why good brand groups focus on crafting cutting-edge marketing playbooks.
- Understanding how franchisees, franchisors, and partner vendors successfully work together.
- Hear what Dan did to innovate Focus Brands’ digital marketing model.
- The virtues of having a “Crawl, walk, then run” mentality when innovating your business.
- Living your brand values, knowing your ‘why’, and making decisions based on data.
- Dan’s take on why performance and brand marketing are two sides of the same coin.
- For our lightning round, we discuss branded content and agencies.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Dan Gertsacov on LinkedIn
Dan Gertsacov on Twitter
Focus Brands
Ray Kroc
McDonald’s
Harvard Business School
Moe's Southwest Grill
Schlotzsky's
If you don't know this convenience store brand, it’s probably because you don't live in the Midwest – Casey’s General Store, or Casey’s, as it’s more commonly known, is a regional brand based in Iowa and has more than 2,000 locations. Casey’s considers itself committed to the communities that it serves and is upgrading its branding to make that better known, after rolling out their Here for Good tagline late last year. Today’s guest is Chris Jones, Senior Vice President and CMO of Casey's General Stores. Chris is leading the 60-year-old company through a digital transformation and a most recent refresh of its visual identity. We talk about these initiatives, the Casey’s rewards program, and some of the interesting challenges of competing within the convenience store industry, as well as how the company responded to the COVID crisis. Tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Fun fact about Chris Jones: He’s worked in the confectionery, pet food, and pizza industries.
- What Chris loves about Iowa is its diverse population and its great mix of industries.
- The Casey’s General Stores story – from gas station to convenience store and pizzeria.
- Part of Casey’s strategy is to position the brand at the heart of the communities they’re in.
- Chris says the Casey’s brand has different salience in different need states for their guests.
- Chris talks about the interesting challenges of competing in the convenience store industry.
- How Chris looks at the landscape, and why the convenience industry is generally congenial.
- Having a successful dinner business is extremely unusual in the convenience industry.
- The push toward digital – Chris as the first chief marketing officer at Casey’s, and he joined at a time that digital was part of their strategy.
- From repositioning the brand and building the digital experience to refreshing visual identity.
- The combination of rewards, the new mobile app, digital, and marketing automation is really paying off in terms of Casey’s digital business.
- The process of streamlining Casey’s visual identity while retaining what makes them unique.
- Casey’s has re-centralized some operational aspects of the business so that operators can better focus on the guest experience.
- Through their rewards program, Casey’s hopes to contribute to a funding solution for schools.
- Feedback at a local level through guest surveys and real-time feedback from operators.
- Casey’s response to COVID and their pride in the resilience of their teams in stores.
- Casey’s competes with national and regional convenience, pizza, and QSR players.
- The specific marketing response to COVID – Chris says they made no reductions.
- How Casey’s has recently been contemporizing the skills they have across the business.
- Chris’ response to brand loyalty – it’s a feeling that guests have, not a program they offer.
- Chris feels that the type of branded content they have is word-of-mouth, where guests are talking about Casey’s program.
Tweetables:
“Across the industries I've worked in here, in retail and financial services while I've lived in Iowa, there is still a common passion in all those industries to know your guest, care for your guest, and really evolve the experience. I think that's been a universal theme across all these businesses. They’re trying to build branded, compelling guest experiences.” — Chris Jones [0:03:23]
“The combination of rewards, the new mobile app, the digital, and marketing automation is really paying off in terms of our digital business in the first quarter. Our fiscal year runs from May to April, so we start with our big summer season to get our big roaring start, and then we continue with the rest of the year. But what that means is that we just reported our first quarter, May, June, July,
People have been predicting the “Death of the Main Street” since the 80s but for many franchises, brick and mortar stores are key in engaging with the community that they serve. Tariq Farid, Founder, and CEO of Edible Arrangements know the power of connecting with your local area. As he explains later in this episode, he’s “built his brand on local engagement.” We open our conversation with Tariq by diving into his professional background. He shares how he learned about franchises and the importance of process from working at McDonald’s and Burger King as a teenager. Tariq then discusses how he started Edible Arrangements and how they’ve always been guided by their mission statement to “Wow you.” We chat about seizing the opportunity before Tariq unpacks what he’s been doing to innovate with his company. Reflecting on his experience at the helm, we ask Tariq about how he handled the 2008 recession compared with the current COVID crisis. His answer highlights how pivoting your business and developing the right marketing approach can help you thrive during difficult times. We touch on the valuable role that young team members play in reaching customers, differences between local and digital advertising, and why, after researching its health benefits, Tariq is stepping into the CBD industry. Near the end of the episode, Tariq provides listeners with his take on leadership and the common mistakes that entrepreneurs make when they franchise their business. Tune in to hear more from the wildly successful head of the Edible Brand.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Tariq shares details on his background and how he grew his company.
- Having the confidence to push your company forward, despite the naysayers.
- How Tariq’s products connect with people and American gift-giving culture.
- Guiding your company with a strong mission statement.
- Seeking advice; there are always people who are willing to help.
- Learning early on that every production requires a process.
- Tariq’s experience turning his business into a franchise.
- Building customer retention by always doing more than is expected.
- What Tariq is doing to reinvent his company while retaining its core product line.
- Comparing Tariq’s response to the 2008 recession and our current COVID crisis.
- Why Tariq relies on his younger staff to understand many of his customers.
- The importance of local marketing to Edible Arrangements’ success.
- How the digital landscape has shifted customer behavior.
- Hear about Edible Arrangements’ franchise system and data tools.
- Exploring Tariq’s move into the CBD industry with Incredible Edibles.
- The so-called “Death of the Main Street,” and Tariq’s take on the state of franchising.
- Why Tariq is focused on the two Ds — digital and delivery.
- Common mistakes that entrepreneurs make when they franchise their business.
- Tariq’s leadership philosophy and the benefit of working with talented people.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Tariq Farid
Tariq Farid on LinkedIn
Tariq Farid on Twitter
Edible Arrangements
The Founder
McDonald’s
Burger King
Michael H. Seid
Rob Reed on LinkedIn
Rob Reed on Twitter
Clicks 2 Bricks
If marketers have learned anything during the past few months, it is that all brands need local marketing strategies to support the diverse conditions that consumers endure. Today’s guest is Joel Yashinsky, who is a pure multi-location marketer. Having spent 18 years with McDonalds, once serving as CMO of the Canadian business, he joined Applebee’s as CMO in 2018 with a mandate to revitalize the casual dining brand. And then of course, the pandemic happened. Given the rapidly changing climate, there was a need for multi-location businesses to adjust their marketing strategies accordingly, and this is exactly what we discuss in this episode. Joel shares a bit about Applebee’s marketing strategies, including leveraging local messaging, rapidly improving their digital experience, and trusting and supporting their franchisees with an all-hands-on-deck approach. We also discuss brand and performance marketing, cloud kitchens and virtual brands, as well as the McDonald’s Monopoly Scandal, so make sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Today’s headline: Local Search Like it’s 2020 (Not Like it’s 2010).
- Eating good in the neighborhood – Joel introduces Applebee’s target audiences.
- Joel explains what it was like for the brand pre-COVID versus post-COVID.
- As casual dining took a big hit, Applebee’s focused on creating a safe and easy to-go experience, followed by patio dining.
- Across the whole organization, it was all hands on deck to share information and build sales.
- Applebee’s focused on leveraging the local message rather than doing national marketing.
- By making inroads to improve the digital experience since 2018, Applebee’s had enough in place to build from going forward.
- Local versus national marketing – Joel says grassroots efforts by franchisees were terrific.
- Franchisees are using all the local tools available to them, from Facebook ads to billboards.
- The different approaches from QSR to casual dining, the main difference being alcohol.
- Comparing Applebee’s with IHOP – attracting casual dining versus family dining guests.
- A back-to-basics, meat-and-potatoes type marketing approach has served Applebee’s well.
- Joel’s opinion of brand and performance marketing, and how Applebee’s is identifying opportunities for integration points.
- The opportunities Joel sees with cloud kitchens and virtual brands, like Neighborhood Wings.
- Joel’s marketing career advice – read How to Win Friends and Influence People.
- Another key piece of advice from Joel – stay in the current role until the next one comes
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Joel Yashinsky on Twitter
Joel Yashinsky on LinkedIn
Applebee’s
Applebee’s on Facebook
Neighborhood Wings
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Local Search Like it’s 2020 (Not Like it’s 2010)
CMOs Need To Think And Act Locally In The Age Of COVID-19 And Beyond
Rob Reed on LinkedIn
Rob Reed on Twitter
Clicks 2 Bricks
Digital transformation has been on the agenda of organizations for years but, thanks to COVID-19, this year has become a crucial time for companies to plan for and implement it across industries. Today’s guest is Walgreens’ CMO and Senior Vice President, Patrick McLean, who joined the company in November of 2019. Pat is responsible for the vision, strategic direction, and performance of all Walgreens’ marketing activities, and the majority of his tenure has been defined by the global pandemic. In this episode, we talk about the hundred-year-old retailer’s response to COVID, and how marketing will help push Walgreens forward into a digital future. We discuss safety measures, marketing strategies, e-commerce, and brand versus performance marketing, and Pat explains the ways in which the Walgreens of the future will be a digital, omnichannel value proposition. Tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- A few keys headlines that will impact multi-location brands, namely Apple’s search engine.
- Pat’s fun fact: He actually wanted to be a Broadway musical star.
- How Walgreens’ COVID marketing plan has changed, like suspending the printed circular.
- As an essential service, Walgreens quickly went into action to protect staff and customers.
- Some of the protective measures that Walgreens put in place across their 9,000 stores.
- The moment Pat realized everything was going to change came with shelter in place orders.
- Pat saw this experience as a compressed version of customer insight and brand strategy.
- Walgreens started to provide content that was broader than pharmacy-related information, which was a learning point.
- Pat saw a huge increase in customer engagement thanks to their new marketing strategies.
- There was also an increase in e-commerce, but they should have been better equipped.
- In future, there will be significant investment in e-commerce and omnichannel experiences.
- Pat found there were a lot of parallels between this job and his previous role in retail banking.
- Brand versus performance marketing – Pat fundamentally disagrees that there’s a difference.
- While Walgreens can do a better job of localizing marketing, they are known as a local brand.
- Walgreens strives to understand the needs of the communities in which they operate.
- Feedback loops between individual stores and marketing – there is direct communication.
- How Walgreens has evolved their North Star metric of optimizing for profit per customer visit.
- Advice from Pat – he thinks you have to be able to speak the whole language of marketing.
- Pat believes Facebook is struggling with identity – they need to revisit their value proposition.
- Pat listens to a lot of marketing podcasts and uses them as means of staying current.
- Pat thinks it would be interesting to hear from some of the leaders at Target about their readiness for e-commerce.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Patrick McLean on Twitter
Patrick McLean on LinkedIn
Walgreens
Search Engine Land
Taking Brand Action
Good to Great
Clicks 2 Bricks
While many companies have struggled through the pandemic, others are proving that locally-aimed campaigns and having an innovation mindset are key to thriving within the modern marketing landscape. Today we speak with Art D’Elia, CMO and Executive Vice President of Domino’s — a franchise that has seen a huge windfall during the pandemic. We open our discussion by talking about what Art’s role entails and why managing franchise relationships has been key to Domino’s success. He provides insight into how Domino’s system works, their use of advisory boards, and how he stepped into a company that has always focused on innovation. Giving us a peek behind the Domino’s curtain, Art shares their marketing strategy of developing brand actions that make the experience of getting and eating pizza more magical. We then explore two examples of successful campaigns that were aimed at the local level. After discussing why Domino’s brand identity is tied with its technology, logistics, and operations, Art opens up about why he sees services like DoorDash as their direct competitors. Tune in for Art’s insider-perspective into Domino’s marketing department — a company that’s been leading their industry for the last 60 years.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing Art D’Elia and his recent promotion to executive vice president.
- Why maintaining strong franchisee relationships has been a driver for Domino’s success.
- How Domino’s franchise system works locally and internationally.
- Governing large franchises through representative bodies.
- Focusing on marketing innovation and the power of brand actions.
- Pothole and hot spots; hear about two successful Domino’s campaigns.
- Leveraging local franchise knowledge when designing new features.
- How logistics and operations factor into Domino’s brand identity.
- Domino’s versus the aggregators; why DoorDash is their direct competitor.
- What Domino’s did to pivot in the pandemic and why they’re doing better than ever.
- Involving local franchises in marketing and more on Domino’s marketing model.
- Overcoming consumer cynicism with authentic messaging and user-generated content.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Few CMOs Appreciate The Impact Of Google Search On Foot Traffic
Art D’Elia LinkedIn
Domino’s Pizza
Russell Weiner
DoorDash
Grubhub
Uber Eats
Google My Business
Danone
PepsiCo
Walmart
Kroger
Fernando Machado
Dove
Burger King
Unilever
The Coca-Cola Company
McDonald’s
Morgan Flatley
Rob Reed on LinkedIn
Rob Reed on Twitter
Clicks 2 Bricks
Kat Cole is the COO and President of Focus Brands, a role in which she oversees the leadership teams of seven major franchises: Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Jamba, McAlister's Deli, Schlotzsky's and Moe's Southwest Grill. Today we chat with Kat about her career, the early steps she took as a teenager, and the massive leaps she made during her time at Hooters, taking up leadership positions at the age of 20! Our conversation with Kat is especially relevant as we spend some time focusing on her work at Cinnabon in 2010, at the end of the recession, and the steps she took to get the brand back on track and prepared for an economic upturn. These lessons are really useful in the current climate, and Kat expands on her approach to the COVID crisis and how this has played out through the array of brands under her watch. Kat goes so far as to call crisis her 'jam'! We talk about the power of dedicated leadership teams within a large corporate and brand structure and how this setup serves the Focus Brands family so well. We also get into how Kat goes about empowering the leaders of these teams to work to their strengths while adhering to an overall culture. The conversation covers technology, local constraints on franchises, and the bottom line. Make sure not to miss this fantastic conversation!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Kat's amazing career path leading up to her current position at Focus Brands.
- The branding education that Kat received early on in her young career.
- Kat's transition from her position at Hooters to a new title for Cinnabon and Focus Brands.
- Learning while serving and networking for everyone's benefit.
- Becoming the president of Cinnabon and dealing with the effects of the recession.
- How Kat approached rebuilding the Cinnabon brand and tackling the challenges it faced
- The three questions with which Kat began her process with the franchise.
- Empowering the franchisees and systematizing and reinforcing the business.
- Keeping the focus on people and building a culture of excitement and progress.
- Mapping Kat's achievement at Cinnabon in terms of revenue.
- The portfolio of brands under Kat's watch at Focus Brands currently.
- The response from Focus Brands to the COVID crisis and how this played out across different brands.
- Investments in new technology; how these advancements are implemented across brands.
- The management of brands and their own leadership teams; the view from the top.
- Acting local in the current economic landscape and adapting to new, localized regulations
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kat Cole on LinkedIn
Kat Cole on Twitter
Focus Brands
Hooters
Cinnabon
Auntie Anne’s
Carvel
Moe's Southwest Grill
Jamba
McAlister's Deli
Schlotzsky's
Undercover Boss
'CMOs Need To Think And Act Locally In The Age Of COVID-19 And Beyond'
USA Today
CNN
We were always headed for a restaurant landscape defined by contactless payments, home delivery, and digital spaces. COVID has just accelerated it. While many were caught unawares, Wade Allen, Head of Innovation for Brinker International, has been transitioning his company for years. As a result, Brinker is not just surviving. It’s thriving during the pandemic. We start the conversation by talking about Wade’s career and how he became Brinker’s Head of Innovation. He speaks about helping brands pivot in a changing marketplace before we dive into a discussion on the newly-launched It’s Just Wings, a purely digital brand that uses Brinker’s existing kitchens to offer food through DoorDash.
This episode marks the first in a new era of the Clicks-2-Bricks podcast where we’ll be focusing on how brick-and-mortar brands are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our first guest is Ben Gaddis, CEO of Austin-based T3 and the author of Embracing Irrationality. T3 is a brand consultancy whose main focus is to help brands in retail, restaurant and financial services spaces embrace the challenges of going digital. In our conversation with Ben today, we learn his perspectives on how brands should be responding to the COVID-19 crisis and the role agencies such as his can play in helping them navigate these uncharted waters. Ben weighs in strongly on the idea of localized marketing in the present climate. Now more than ever businesses should be hypersensitive to their customers’ needs, and willing to restructure their services in a matter of days, not weeks.
There is so much noise in today’s SEO landscape that it’s often hard to filter out what is valuable from what is not. This is why we have brought in today’s guest, Steve Wiideman, to get into the SEO weeds with us. Steve is an undisputed SEO guru. Not only has he been in the game for as long as SEO has been around, but he has seen the evolution of SEO driving online traffic to websites, to driving off-line traffic to brick-and-mortar businesses of all types. His clients have included everyone from attorneys and auto repair shops to brands like IHOP and Applebee's. In today’s episode, we learn how Steve gained his SEO expertise and how necessity led him to ultimately be a front-runner in the space. We talk more about how the future of SEO will be about untethering the responsibility for users to be on their phones.
If you live in America, chances are very high that you have been to IHOP at least once in your life, no matter how old you are. While it has become a staple in the food industry after 62 years in the business, the love that many people had for it was latent and nostalgic, which meant that they were not actively going to the restaurant. Brad Haley, the CMO, has worked to have the brand make a cultural impact once again. Before taking up his role at IHOP, Brad worked at Jack In The Box and Carl’s Jr, where he had a knack for creating campaigns that the mainstream media covered as news.
When you think about your local sports bar, a premium viewing experience doesn't necessarily spring to mind. While there might be great food and cheap drinks, the sport-watching element can often be sub-par. The same with going to a stadium. Although the atmosphere may be electric, without top-quality seats, you often just watch the game from the screen anyway. Tom's Watch Bar seeks to bridge the gap between the conventional sports bar and being at the stadium to create an interactive experience that goes beyond passive watching. Leading this innovative startup’s marketing is Dan Holm, who started his career as the marketing coordinator for Outback Steakhouse.
Chipotle is slowly cementing its place as an institution in the food landscape, and this is in large part due to its incredible marketing efforts. From their NBA final ‘freeting’ to their involvement at the National Spelling Bee, the company is making huge strides in entrenching themselves into popular culture. Leading the marketing charge is our guest today, Chris Brandt, who has been CMO for 18 months. Before this, he held CMO roles at Taco Bell and Bloomin’ Brands, along with senior positions at Coca Cola and General Mills. In this episode, Chris sheds some light on what working at Chipotle has been like. When he started at the company, they were in the midst of a food safety crisis. While he worked with PR on damage control, he also spotted an opportunity to share how real everything at Chipotle was.
Jersey Mike’s is an intriguing brand for many reasons. Not only is it rapidly expanding, with 1700 stores across the country, but it also strives to have a mom-and-pop feel without being a mom-and-pop joint. They want their customers to have a warm, intimate experience rather than a distanced one synonymous with chain restaurants. At the helm of the company's marketing ship is Rich Hope, today’s guest. He has been CMO for the past 10 years, having started when there were only 30 locations. Not only has Rich overseen tremendous growth, but he has deftly navigated the brand through the past decade’s constantly evolving landscape. In this episode, Rich sheds light on various cogs in Jersey Mike’s marketing machine.
Welcome to the Clicks to Bricks Podcast! This is Episode 0, in which we will lay down the foundations of the show and explain to listeners why there is a need for a podcast dedicated to multi-location marketing. Kicking off this podcast, your host Rob Reed and guest Joergen Aaboe are interviewing one another, asking questions about the relevance of the podcast, giving listeners a glimpse of what they can expect, and mapping out the profile of guests that will be featured on the show. The two discuss their former involvement with MomentFeed, how the last decade has culminated in the multi-location landscape marketers know today, and how smartphones have altered the dynamic of marketing.
What emerges from the conversation is the importance of connection to the consumer if you want to remain competitive as a marketer in 2020 and onward. Grabbing the attention of your audience is no longer the top priority; instead, marketers are now competing to keep the consumer interested by finding innovative ways to connect with them. But it’s not all business on this podcast – we also talk about Joergen’s obsession with Chipotle and discuss how this famous fast-casual restaurant has managed to build out their brand while also growing their revenue. Be sure to tune in for everything multi-location marketing and more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Hear about Joergen’s former role as head of marketing at MomentFeed.
- The purpose of the podcast, the audience, and the profile of guests that will be interviewed.
- The circumstances that brought about the discipline of multi-location marketing.
- Find out how today’s real-time smartphone engagement promotes connection to the consumer.
- A shift away from trying to capture attention to holding on to the attention of consumers.
- The important balance between brand and revenue, and how that can be applied to Chipotle.
- Thoughts on how Chipotle has stayed culturally relevant and the reward of their brave social media marketing.
- A look back at Rob and Joergen’s time at MomentFeed and what they learned about establishing culture.
- Chipotle’s keto-friendly options and how it testifies to their integration into contemporary culture.
- Ideas for how this fast-casual restaurant can leverage their “farmer’s market look” for location-specific marketing.
- The build-your-own model of the Chipotle menu and how they keep their options innovative.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Joergen Aaboe on LinkedIn
Joergen Aaboe on Twitter
Rob Reed on LinkedIn
Rob Reed on Twitter
MomentFeed
Chris Brandt on LinkedIn
Chipotle
Rich Hope on LinkedIn
Jersey Mike’s Subs
Brad Haley on LinkedIn
IHOP
Google Analytics
Starbucks
Gary Vaynerchuk
Seinfeld
Taco Bell
Outback Steakhouse
Tom’s Watch Bar