an operations or financial perspective . These are very real needs and concerns , but somebody needs to keep focused on what ’ s best for the guest .
How do you prepare a marketing plan and execute the strategies ? The first two considerations are 1 ) what are our brand strengths , and 2 ) how do they align with current opportunities in the marketplace ? We also look at our recent past to assess what initiatives are getting positive traction and should be further leveraged .
How do you measure marketing results and effectiveness ? We look at pre- and post-promotional period sales , traffic , and ticket performance . We also take into account menu mix shift and migration analysis , and the impact on profitability . Finally , guest feedback and consumer research .
Discuss your core consumer marketing strategies and objectives . We are focusing on attracting Millennials to our concept . There are a couple of key characteristics about the Millennial lifestyle that Charleys can easily leverage : they appreciate adventures in flavor , they enjoy snacking , and they expect the option to customize . Therefore , our brand experience , LTO offerings , menu development , and marketing communications all focus on at least one of those core concepts . We ’ ve also set specific objectives for establishing and growing our non-traditional day part business , most specifically snacking occasions .
How do you go about creating a “ customer-centric ” marketing and brand philosophy ? This is a constant effort . Within a restaurant brand , only two functions are focused on this : marketing and operations . However , there are forces pressuring both of these functions that could potentially undermine focusing on the guest , such as food and labor costs . Therefore , it ’ s essential to continually prove the financial value , both short-and long-term , of consistently seeing things from the guest perspective .
Describe your marketing team and the role each plays . I have two different teams reporting to me . One is the
“ We have to resist the temptation to jump immediately onto new technologies without fully understanding the impact they may have on the brand , or if the returns are worth the resources to pursue them .“
marketing team , which includes a couple of marketing managers who drive the development , execution , and communication of our marketing calendar , LSM support , digital initiatives , and menu development . Unlike at some of the other brands I have been a part of , Charleys also has an internal graphics team that reports to me and does a great job of designing and producing most of our marketing communications materials . The other is a small cross-functional concept development team of four associates challenged with creating and executing an entirely new premium QSR / fast casual chain capable of aggressive franchise development .
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 ? There are lots of restaurant industry franchise opportunities to choose from . A brand not only has to credibly demonstrate an attractive financial model — that ’ s table stakes just to get into the consideration set — it also has to demonstrate a high level of continued support . Marketing is essential to a franchisee ’ s continued success , and a franchisee prospect needs to be comfortable that the brand is on the right strategic path . Franchisees need to know they have channels and direct access to voice their feedback , ideas , and concerns . Prospects , in addition to spending time with me and other members of the executive team during their initial visit to the support center , also spend dedicated time with the marketing department learning about the layers of the marketing calendar , the expectations of their active engagement in marketing their location , and all the ways we can support them in their future success . The prospects get to know several senior marketing associates by name before they ever open their first location , so they start their Charleys experience knowing they already have a direct line if they ever need it .
How does this help your franchise sales and development effort ? Much of our PR efforts are dedicated to attracting new franchisees to the concept . However , the primary activity I am responsible for that helps drive the development efforts is the creation of a second concept to create more growth opportunity for our existing franchisees .
What tools do you rely on to do this ? We just released a new LSM program with an online resource to help them plan and execute their LSM efforts . Our marketing representatives here in the support center and our franchise business consultants in the field partner with them in identifying opportunities to market their restaurants in their communities and help them execute against their plans .
Do today ’ s prospects expect more from the franchise marketing department ? What , and how do you provide it ? In today ’ s ever-increasing competitive restaurant market , franchisee prospects understand that marketing will be essential to their future success . More than ever , we see new prospects inquiring about the level of support they will get from the marketing department and about our approach to marketing the brand .
How is today ’ s consumer and marketing data helping you fine-tune your marketing initiatives ? We are starting to skim the surface in this area . We have several older POS platforms in the system and we now have a plan and timeline in place to transition into a new POS platform that will greatly enhance our abilities to mine more data .
Describe the evolving role of social media in your brand ’ s marketing efforts . We are dedicating more efforts in social media . We recently started partnering with outside expertise to help us mold our social media strategy and
58 Franchiseupdate ISSUE III , 2016