Franchise Update Magazine Issue III, 2011 | Page 22

Grow Market Lead
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Maiden Voyage
First Consumer Marketing Conference sails into San Francisco
By Kerry Pipes and Eddy Goldberg

T

he advent of social media has
changed the rules of consumer
marketing.
In a groundbreaking event
this past June, the first-ever Franchise Consumer Marketing Conference attracted
marketing executives from 57 franchise
brands with more than $11 billion in
annual system-wide sales—all seeking
better ways to connect with customers
in today’s digital marketing environment.
CEOs, presidents, chief marketing officers, ad directors, and more gathered in
San Francisco’s elegant Omni Hotel for
an open, intimate, in-depth examination
of the latest consumer marketing techniques and strategies.
The inaugural event, hosted by Franchise Update Media Group (FUMG), is
the first to focus exclusively on how franchise brands can more effectively reach
consumers in today’s rapidly evolving
marketplace—and provided an unprecedented opportunity for franchise marketing executives to meet with leading
marketing experts, engage with their peers,
and discover new strategies for reaching consumers and maintaining brand
growth. Attendees also took advantage

Brand recognition

of the networking area where suppliers
ranging from social media experts and
agencies to mobile marketing leaders and
technology innovators explained how
their solutions can help brands connect
with consumers.
An advisory board of CMOs and other
marketing and branding pros helped
shape the content and direction of the
conference, focusing on how brands
can reach consumers today and maintain growth. And, in a survey of more
than 250 franchise CEOs and CMOs,
we found respondents most interested
in: 1) acquisition of customer knowledge, 2) consistent messaging in brand
awareness efforts, and 3) franchisee buyin, engagement, and execution of local
marketing plans. (For a look back at the
agenda, topics, and speakers, www.franchise
consumermarketing.com.)

The event kicked off Tuesday morning
with breakfast in the networking area, an
ideal venue for meeting new partners and
suppliers, including social media experts,
agencies, mobile marketing leaders, and
technology innovators. This was followed
by the opening general session.
“Never have technology and marketing
been so intertwined,” said Therese Thilgen, CEO of FUMG, in her welcoming
remarks. “The next digital decade will
be disrupted—in fact, we already have
been disrupted,” she said, noting that the
challenge for CMOs is how innovative
and adaptive they can be in the face of
rapid, ongoing change.
Next, keynote speaker Rick Barrera
presented strategies from his book Overpromise and Overdeliver. In an overcrowded
marketplace, he said, “Take the time to
define and articulate your overpromise.
It will help you determine, internally,
what to do and what not to do. The same
goes for your franchisees. It’s your North
Star,” he said.
“What is your articulated brand promise, and how do you align everything you
do and everything your franchisees do

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