Franchise Update Magazine Issue IV, 2014 | Page 32

Grow Market Lead

to continue to evolve by looking to our
guests for insights, and outside our segment and industry for inspiration. We
are much more likely to discover new
ideas on a “foodstorming” trip to small,
entrepreneurial concepts or at a farmers’ market. Fast-casual consumers are
well-educated and looking for crave-able,
innovative menu items that incorporate
fresh ingredients and flavors not found
on every street corner. It’s our goal to
constantly identify these ideas and, as a
marketer, I believe we must tell the story
of our crave-able food in a compelling
and unexpected way.
Describe your marketing team
and the role each plays. We have a

brand marketing team (overseeing strategy, creative, production, and media) in
Dallas and regional marketing managers
in the field who are working with our
franchise partners and company operators. I’ve worked with many marketing teams throughout my career, but I
truly believe that I have the best team
in the industry. While my team comes
from different backgrounds, they share
some common traits. They’re curious,
always seeking out new ideas. They’re
all very competitive (not necessarily
with each other, but with goals we set).
They’re passionate about the brand and
are perfectionists (almost to a fault) on
details. Most important, they realize
that marketing is just a small part of the
equation. Their focus is on helping our
franchise partners enter new markets
and on staying nimble to take advantage
of opportunities.
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? We are bringing in

a record number of prospective franchise
partners each month for discovery days
to learn more about the brand. Many of
these individuals are coming from other
segments of the industry, including casual dining, QSR, and family dining. By
the time we are sitting down with them,
they have visited us in multiple markets,
have seen the brand in the media and in

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Franchiseupdate ISS U E IV, 2 0 1 4

“Fast-casual
consumers are
well-educated and
looking for craveable, innovative
menu items that
incorporate fresh
ingredients and
flavors not found
on every street
corner.”
our advertising, and begun to see our
many points of differentiation. From
our innovative, made-to-order menu
offerings to our segment-leading catering business, it’s important to all of us
that those first impressions are reflective
of the commitment we have to protecting and evolving the brand. Marketing
ensures that all brand communication
and touch points are consistent and
accurately represented. After all, the
strength of a brand is in the details.
How does this help your franchise
sales and development effort? All

aspects of our business are instrumental
in franchise sales. Prospective partners
often learn about our brand’s franchise
opportunities and strong economic model
after enjoying a dining experience at one
of our cafes, visiting our website, or at
an industry conference. Our marketing
materials and website not only highlight
our ingredient-inspired menu items, but
also tell the Corner Bakery Cafe story,
providing an in-depth look into our
heritage and culture, our experienced
executive team, and how our culinary
team and menu items are best-in-class.
These marketing materials often give
franchisees a visual look into the brand,
ultimately helping them to experience
a cafe even if they do not have one in
their home market.

menus and POP to television spots and
mobile billboards, we provide a taste
of the brand both inside and outside
our four walls. We share a variety of
our marketing elements during our
discovery days to show how marketing
dollars are invested, and to ensure the
prospective franchisee that we have the
tools to effectively support the brand as
they break into new markets.
Do today’s prospects expect more
from the franchise marketing department? What and how do you
provide it? As we evolve from a pre-

dominantly company-owned brand to
a 50/50 franchise/company organization, we constantly tap into our franchise partners’ vast experience inside
and outside the segment and industry.
We have worked directly with them to
create processes and tools that benefit
the brand as a whole. We offer local
marketing and sales-building training sessions, assist in the development
of their marketing plans, and provide
them with resources for the execution
of the plans, including traditional and
non-traditional media resources.
How is technology changing the
way franchise marketing is done
in terms of one-on-one contact?

Technology is certainly a benefit in
communicating with our franchisees
and providing them with tools to execute programs locally. We