Franchise Update Magazine Issue II, 2014 | Page 37

“Revolutionary Marketing”
Schlotzsky’s brand and sales “revolve” around its guests

A

s 2014 dawned, Mark Mears
stepped into the C-suite at
Austin-based Schlotzsky’s to
lead the brand’s marketing
initiatives. By all indications, it’s been
a great move.
As CMO, Mears oversees the direction of the brand’s marketing division,
including the strategic management of
Schlotzsky’s marketing and creative services departments, along with directing
brand promotions, advertising, creative
design, menu tests, and other initiatives.
Mears, with nearly three decades of

experience in QSR, fast casual, casual,
and premium casual, is a visionary business leader with a track record of building system value and driving innovation
at high-profile brands.
He came to Schlotzsky’s from Mimi’s
Cafe, where as president and chief concept officer he led the brand through
a repositioning strategy, related menu
optimization, and new concept development. He’s also spent time as senior
vice president/CMO at The Cheesecake
Factory, executive vice president/chief
marketing officer at Blimpie Interna-

tional, and at Pizza Hut where his roles
included field marketing, advertising,
promotions and licensing.
Like many CMOs, Mears knows
the landscape not only from marketing positions within franchise brands
but also from having spent time on
the agency side with firms including
Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon, & Eckhardt,
Leo Burnett, DDB Promotions, and
Euro RSCG Retail.
Schlotzsky’s now has more than 350
locations worldwide, with plans for
aggressive growth this year and be-

Franchiseupdate I SSUE I I , 2014 

Grow Market Lead

BY KERRY PIPES

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