Franchise Update Magazine Issue IV, 2016 | Page 20

CONSUMER MARKETING CMOQ&A Team Player Cross-functional strategy drives Fazoli’s new CMO I BY KERRY PIPES n mid-2015, Sentinel Capital Partners acquired Fazoli’s from Sun Capital. Sentinel, which had scooped up Checkers and Rally’s, Newk’s Eatery, and TGI Fridays the year before, targeted an aggressive growth strategy for the nearly 30-year-old brand. And this past February, Fazoli’s announced the hiring of a new CMO and vice president of operations. The CMO was Donna Josephson, who was tapped for her two decades of marketing experience at brands that included McAlister’s Deli, Wendy’s, Applebee’s, and Chickfil-A. At Fazoli’s Josephson is spearheading marketing strategies aimed at supercharging the brand’s growth across its 220 units. But it’s a team approach from top to bottom, says Josephson. “Marketing strategies are developed to support the key initiatives in conjunction with our agency partners and then shared with cross-functional leaders to ensure alignment,” she says. “There is ongoing communication of the plan throughout the year, and we have a cross-functional execution that brings the plan to life.” Plans also are shared with the franchise advisory board and then with the entire system. Josephson has a track record of marketing success. As vice president of marketing at McAlister’s, she led the executive team in redefining the sandwich chain’s brand positioning and recruited and built a team to support it. At Chick-fil-A she pioneered local marketing programs, and in the marketing office at Wendy’s she was awarded the R. David Thomas Outstand- 18 ing Management Award. She understands how marketing affects the performance of the brand and is well aware of its relationship to a brand’s operations and balance sheet. That’s why she believes it’s important to be “bottomline focused while building programs that appeal to consumers.” Describe your role as CMO. I lead overall brand strategy development, brand management, national and local initiatives, as well as research and development, and menu innovation. My team is responsible for driving profitable sales growth for our 220 franchise and company locations. What’s the most challenging part of being a CMO today? One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that the team is up to date on technological advancements and how consumers’ needs and wants are evolving within this rapidly changing environment. Technology has enabled marketers to have more information in regard to consumer behavior than we have ever had. Interpreting that data to create products and meaningful experiences that meet our guests’ needs and increase demand for Fazoli’s is key. We are adding new technology that will enable the organization at all levels to better serve our customers. This new technology will provide better data for decision-making, better communication and training for associates, and help us provide a better overall guest experience. What are the 3 most important keys to being an effective CMO leader today? Assuming the basic foundations of solid brand positioning that resonates with consumers and a high-functioning marketing and R&D team are in place, first it is crucial to understand the guests’ journey as they interact with your brand. Data provides insights into the everchanging needs and wants of our guests. At Fazoli’s, developing great-tasting products and meaningful programs to fill those needs across all touch points of their journey with the brand helps us deliver a consistent and rewarding dining experience that drives both trial and repeat business. This leads to the second key, which is being able to work well and partner across all levels of the organization. It is not enough to create great products and demand for them. From advertising to the delivery of the product, the CMO needs to work cross-functionally with other departments in the organization to ensure the guest experience is brought to life in a meaningful way. This requires develop- Franchiseupdate ISS U E IV, 2 0 1 6 fu4_market_cmoqa(18-19).indd 18 11/8/16 2:26 PM