customer wants , needs , and behaviors ; develop a vision for this end-to-end customer experience ; and work hand in hand with IT and operations partners to deliver it across all customer touch points .
How do you prepare a marketing plan and execute the strategies ? I start with the very simple premise that there are only two ways to grow sales : grow your customer base and / or increase revenue per customer . We look at what the data tells us about customer acquisition , retention , frequency , and spend per visit trends to determine where opportunities exist and where to prioritize our focus . Customer research is critical in this process to help diagnose the “ why ” behind the trends and develop effective plans based on customer insights and behaviors . Then , as we think about execution , we determine what tactics are best managed nationally , regionally , or even most effective if done at the unit level . Cross-functional collaboration , open lines of communication out to the field , and clear definition and tracking of success metrics are critical throughout the process to ensure flawless execution .
How do you measure marketing results and effectiveness ? We use a combination of a brand tracking study to understand how we are affecting perceptions in the marketplace , and analytic tools to understand the return on our marketing investments . We ’ ve made it a priority to have the tools and data to build models that help us measure impact and ROI , and optimize marketing spend across vehicles .
How do you go about creating a “ customer-centric ” marketing and brand philosophy ? One of the favorite parts of my job has always been market research and customer data analytics . When I joined the company , one of the first tasks I took on was to pore through all of the information we had about the industry , marketplace , the competition , consumer perceptions of the brand , and member / guest behaviors . We then filled in the gaps with new pieces of research , including customer segmentation , brand tracking , and behavioral analytics . Once we pulled the insights together , developing the next chapter of the brand ’ s story became clear and exciting : getting consumers to understand that this category is not just about convenient and affordable massage and skincare . Rather , these are things that should be proactive and integral parts of everyone ’ s well-being journey .
Why is it so important for the marketing department to have a “ personal touch ” when it comes to helping the brand connect with franchise prospects ? I think it is important for prospective franchisees to understand the vision of the brand , key insights about the consumer they will serve , and the brand promise we strive to deliver every day . Massage Envy delivers a very personal service to members and guests , and understanding the consumer point of view helps a prospective franchisee realize what it takes to make a location successful .
Do today ’ s prospects expect more from the franchise marketing department ? What , and how do you provide it ? It ’ s a dynamic marketplace , and the expectations of marketing departments to demonstrate their leadership and expertise has never been greater . In a service business like ours , and given consumers ’ changing expectations for engagement , franchise prospects know that the more they understand about the brand and its customers , the more they set themselves up for success . That ’ s why arming prospects with the brand vision and key insights we ’ re collecting at every consumer touch point is a priority for us .
How is today ’ s consumer and marketing data helping you fine-tune your marketing initiatives ? Brands like Amazon and Google have really figured out how to leverage data to engage consumers most effectively . They ’ ve set the bar for what consumers expect you to know about them when you are communicating with them . For us , that means capturing data at each touch point ( unit-level transactional information , online behavior , even down to the types of services performed ) to get to know our customers better than anyone in the category .
Describe the evolving role of social media in your brand ’ s marketing efforts . Communicating through social channels is a priority for us . We are a service provider , first and foremost , so we have to be both proactive and reactive in how we engage through social media . We leverage social media to highlight positive comments about the services customers receive . And we pay equal attention to the negative comments so we can get better at satisfying the customer ’ s needs , while also diagnosing operational issues . We ’ ve brought in a new social agency and additional staff to manage the brand ’ s social presence . They perform reputation management functions as well as the development and deployment of social content .
How do you work with other internal departments and does technology help ? Despite the brand ’ s overall footprint and scale , we are a relatively small corporate team . We are evaluating technology solutions to help us communicate better internally . But for now we are still a face-to-face , talk it out kind of culture .
What advice would you offer to aspiring CMOs ? As early in your career as you can , begin to see your role as an enterprise leader , not just a marketing leader . It ’ s not enough anymore to be an expert in marketing without understanding the depth of the business operations around you . Dive into the data , understand the business , and ask every day how you and your team can help make a difference .
Do you see vendors as business partners ? Why / why not ? It ’ s a little bit of both . I see some vendors as just vendors because the relationship is transactional and price-driven on both sides . But I view strategic or creative agencies and promotional partners as true business partners because we ’ re exchanging goals and objectives and working together to activate plans and achieve mutual results .
How is your marketing / branding strategy developed , and how does it flow through the system ? In a franchised network , it ’ s all about communication . Franchisees are bombarded with a lot of competing priorities from operating their businesses , HR-related items , and , of course , marketing . We need to be simple , clear , and always provide them the “ why ” behind what we are doing , along with the what , how , and when . n
42 Franchiseupdate ISSUE I , 2017