Clicks 2 Bricks is the podcast about multi-location marketing. Our mission is to inform and entertain multi-location marketers through interviews with CMOs, senior executives, and subject matter experts. Clicks 2 Bricks exists at this intersection of brand and performance marketing. We believe that brand is the only way to truly connect with consumers and to build meaningful relationships that pay dividends over years and even decades. The business results are not directly measurable, but no business can survive today without building a strong brand. Equally important for CMOs, though, is the ability to drive quantifiable ROI. For multi-location businesses, this equates to foot traffic and ringing the cash register. Our goal is to build a community of multi-location marketers that share knowledge and experience in this ever-changing marketing environment. As the craft of marketing evolves and becomes more specialized, Clicks 2 Bricks will be a resource for inspiration, education, and career advancement. The next generation of multi-unit retail CMOs starts here.
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Ep 112: Alex Nocifera is the Co-Founder and CEO of LOMA, and Brian Monahan is Head of Retail Media Solutions for Dentsu
Episode 112
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 • Duration 51:03
Host Rob Reed welcomes some serious local retail powerhouses to the Clicks to Bricks podcast today: Alex Nocifera and Brian Monahan. Alex, a serial entrepreneur Rob has known for over a decade, returns to the show. Following a successful exit in local marketing and founding Field Day, which was featured in episode 29, he’s now focused on his latest venture, LOMA, which he co-founded with Brett Campbell, another former guest from episode 30. Joining him is Brian Monahan, Global Client President and Head of Retail Media Solutions at the agency powerhouse Dentsu. Together, they discuss the shift toward local store marketing, exploring how local activations and media drive foot traffic, boost frequency, and connect businesses with the communities they serve. This is a great episode in a new format we are exploring, so be sure not to miss out. Thanks for listening!
Key Points From This Episode:
Where guests are joining us from today.
A fun fact about Brian Monahan that most people might not know.
What Alex has been up to since Field Day and more about LOMA.
How Brian ended up at Dentsu and what they do there.
Alex speaks to where the pain is that’s preventing franchise brands from unlocking the potential of local.
Brian shares his thoughts on the idea of mistaking activity for impact; what is the unlock?
Alex shares why they’re still working with paper mail and how influence can come in many different ways.
The franchise profile: dealing with the franchisee and the possible disconnect.
We discuss the idea that retailers are becoming media networks.
Brian’s take on Walmart’s store-level support through socials and why more retailers haven’t followed it.
LOMA being built to work for big companies: centralizing the workstream.
Alex unpacks three core constituents in retail.
Going back to the good old-fashioned match market test.
Thoughts on trends and big shifts expected for 2025.
Ep 111: David Skena is the Chief Marketing Officer for Krispy Kreme
Episode 111
Wednesday, August 14, 2024 • Duration 46:00
What sets Krispy Kreme apart from other indulgent food brands? It’s not just their delicious doughnuts. It’s their focus on creating memorable, shareable moments that bring people together. We are joined by David Skena, Krispy Kreme’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), to walk us through the legacy of this beloved brand and the innovative methods that have helped them expand globally to bring fresh, delicious doughnuts to an international audience. In our conversation, David sheds light on Krispy Kreme’s innovative digital marketing strategies, with a breakdown of how they are leveraging social media and limited-time-only promotions to drive customer engagement and build awareness. We also cover Krispy Kreme’s exciting new partnership with McDonald’s before discussing the opportunities it represents and the media options it’s opened up for the brand. Tuning in, you’ll hear about David’s passion for ROI marketing, why it’s clear when social media marketing delivers, and why Krispy Kreme is investing more and more into SEO every year. To find out how Krispy Kreme continues to delight customers and adapt to market trends, don’t miss this episode!
Key Points From This Episode:
A fun fact about David: a surprising background as a computer programmer.
Key characteristics of the Krispy Kreme brand and what sets it apart.
Why providing a consistent, high-quality product is essential.
Krispy Kreme’s dedication to quality by “delivering fresh daily” across all access points.
How the brand has increased access with an expansive footprint in the US and globally.
An exciting new partnership with McDonald’s and the opportunities it presents.
David’s innovative approach to social media marketing for Krispy Kreme.
The value of ROI marketing: how David measures sales when using social media marketing.
Insight into Krispy Kreme’s reciprocal relationship with its franchisees.
Top tech achievement: instituting their own e-commerce channel with a fulfillment partner.
The key role that SEO, SEM, and consumer reviews play in their digital strategy.
David’s unpopular marketing opinion and what he loves about the marketing industry.
His impressive career journey from Kraft Foods to Pepsi Co. and what he learned.
Ep 102: Keith Sheldon is the President of Entertainment and Brand Management for Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming
Episode 102
Wednesday, June 5, 2024 • Duration 37:02
Having been established for over 50 years, Hard Rock is one of the most instantly recognizable and revered global brands. But with such remarkable success and widespread expansion, it's easy to forget what the brand truly values at its core. To refresh our memories and to explain what Hard Rock stands for today, we are joined by the President of Entertainment and Brand Management for Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming, Keith Sheldon. As a lawyer-turned-marketer, Keith describes his current role at Hard Rock, how he and his team are navigating the unique challenge of redistilling Hard Rock's brand identity under one banner, and how his approach to marketing has changed since 2023. We learn about the evolution of Hard Rock's identity and DNA, how its memorabilia collation began, the ins and outs of the brand's recent resurgence (including its new advertising campaign), and how it benefits from its various partnerships with other big brands and noteworthy influencers. To end, Keith explains why mentorship at Hard Rock is a two-way street, and we learn about the brand's measured approach to adopting AI!
Key Points From This Episode:
How Keith Sheldon's professional journey began as a lawyer.
The evolution of Hard Rock and how Eric Clapton influenced its memorabilia collection.
Insight into Hard Rock's recent brand resurgence.
How Hard Rock's identity and DNA have evolved over the past 50 years.
What Hard Rock's partnerships with F1 and Red Bull Racing do for the brand.
The ins and outs of Keith's role as President of Entertainment and Brand Management.
Embracing the challenge of redefining Hard Rock's identity under one umbrella.
The campaign to reintroduce Hard Rock to the world, what the brand aims to achieve, and the payoff for customers.
A look at the brand's local marketing efforts and property ownership structure.
Understanding Keith's approach to marketing challenges in 2023 versus now.
An overview of Hard Rock's stance on AI.
How Keith learns from the youth at his company just as much as he offers them advice.
Career opportunities at Hard Rock International.
Ep 12: Clicks 2 Bricks with Tariq Farid, Edible Brands Founder & CEO
Episode 12
Wednesday, September 23, 2020 • Duration 46:37
People have been predicting the “Death of the Main Street” since the 80s but for many franchises, brick and mortar stores are key in engaging with the community that they serve. Tariq Farid, Founder, and CEO of Edible Arrangements know the power of connecting with your local area. As he explains later in this episode, he’s “built his brand on local engagement.” We open our conversation with Tariq by diving into his professional background. He shares how he learned about franchises and the importance of process from working at McDonald’s and Burger King as a teenager. Tariq then discusses how he started Edible Arrangements and how they’ve always been guided by their mission statement to “Wow you.” We chat about seizing the opportunity before Tariq unpacks what he’s been doing to innovate with his company. Reflecting on his experience at the helm, we ask Tariq about how he handled the 2008 recession compared with the current COVID crisis. His answer highlights how pivoting your business and developing the right marketing approach can help you thrive during difficult times. We touch on the valuable role that young team members play in reaching customers, differences between local and digital advertising, and why, after researching its health benefits, Tariq is stepping into the CBD industry. Near the end of the episode, Tariq provides listeners with his take on leadership and the common mistakes that entrepreneurs make when they franchise their business. Tune in to hear more from the wildly successful head of the Edible Brand.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tariq shares details on his background and how he grew his company.
Having the confidence to push your company forward, despite the naysayers.
How Tariq’s products connect with people and American gift-giving culture.
Guiding your company with a strong mission statement.
Seeking advice; there are always people who are willing to help.
Learning early on that every production requires a process.
Tariq’s experience turning his business into a franchise.
Building customer retention by always doing more than is expected.
What Tariq is doing to reinvent his company while retaining its core product line.
Comparing Tariq’s response to the 2008 recession and our current COVID crisis.
Ep 11: Local versus National Marketing with Applebee’s CMO Joel Yashinsky
Episode 11
Wednesday, September 16, 2020 • Duration 47:46
If marketers have learned anything during the past few months, it is that all brands need local marketing strategies to support the diverse conditions that consumers endure. Today’s guest is Joel Yashinsky, who is a pure multi-location marketer. Having spent 18 years with McDonalds, once serving as CMO of the Canadian business, he joined Applebee’s as CMO in 2018 with a mandate to revitalize the casual dining brand. And then of course, the pandemic happened. Given the rapidly changing climate, there was a need for multi-location businesses to adjust their marketing strategies accordingly, and this is exactly what we discuss in this episode. Joel shares a bit about Applebee’s marketing strategies, including leveraging local messaging, rapidly improving their digital experience, and trusting and supporting their franchisees with an all-hands-on-deck approach. We also discuss brand and performance marketing, cloud kitchens and virtual brands, as well as the McDonald’s Monopoly Scandal, so make sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
Today’s headline: Local Search Like it’s 2020 (Not Like it’s 2010).
Eating good in the neighborhood – Joel introduces Applebee’s target audiences.
Joel explains what it was like for the brand pre-COVID versus post-COVID.
As casual dining took a big hit, Applebee’s focused on creating a safe and easy to-go experience, followed by patio dining.
Across the whole organization, it was all hands on deck to share information and build sales.
Applebee’s focused on leveraging the local message rather than doing national marketing.
By making inroads to improve the digital experience since 2018, Applebee’s had enough in place to build from going forward.
Local versus national marketing – Joel says grassroots efforts by franchisees were terrific.
Franchisees are using all the local tools available to them, from Facebook ads to billboards.
The different approaches from QSR to casual dining, the main difference being alcohol.
Comparing Applebee’s with IHOP – attracting casual dining versus family dining guests.
A back-to-basics, meat-and-potatoes type marketing approach has served Applebee’s well.
Ep 10: Into a Digital Future with Walgreens’ CMO Pat McLean
Episode 10
Wednesday, September 9, 2020 • Duration 45:17
Digital transformation has been on the agenda of organizations for years but, thanks to COVID-19, this year has become a crucial time for companies to plan for and implement it across industries. Today’s guest is Walgreens’ CMO and Senior Vice President, Patrick McLean, who joined the company in November of 2019. Pat is responsible for the vision, strategic direction, and performance of all Walgreens’ marketing activities, and the majority of his tenure has been defined by the global pandemic. In this episode, we talk about the hundred-year-old retailer’s response to COVID, and how marketing will help push Walgreens forward into a digital future. We discuss safety measures, marketing strategies, e-commerce, and brand versus performance marketing, and Pat explains the ways in which the Walgreens of the future will be a digital, omnichannel value proposition. Tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
A few keys headlines that will impact multi-location brands, namely Apple’s search engine.
Pat’s fun fact: He actually wanted to be a Broadway musical star.
How Walgreens’ COVID marketing plan has changed, like suspending the printed circular.
As an essential service, Walgreens quickly went into action to protect staff and customers.
Some of the protective measures that Walgreens put in place across their 9,000 stores.
The moment Pat realized everything was going to change came with shelter in place orders.
Pat saw this experience as a compressed version of customer insight and brand strategy.
Walgreens started to provide content that was broader than pharmacy-related information, which was a learning point.
Pat saw a huge increase in customer engagement thanks to their new marketing strategies.
There was also an increase in e-commerce, but they should have been better equipped.
In future, there will be significant investment in e-commerce and omnichannel experiences.
Pat found there were a lot of parallels between this job and his previous role in retail banking.
Brand versus performance marketing – Pat fundamentally disagrees that there’s a difference.
While Walgreens can do a better job of localizing marketing, they are known as a local brand.
Ep 09: Brand Actions and Local Marketing with Domino’s Executive Vice President and CMO, Art D’Elia
Episode 9
Wednesday, September 2, 2020 • Duration 36:49
While many companies have struggled through the pandemic, others are proving that locally-aimed campaigns and having an innovation mindset are key to thriving within the modern marketing landscape. Today we speak with Art D’Elia, CMO and Executive Vice President of Domino’s — a franchise that has seen a huge windfall during the pandemic. We open our discussion by talking about what Art’s role entails and why managing franchise relationships has been key to Domino’s success. He provides insight into how Domino’s system works, their use of advisory boards, and how he stepped into a company that has always focused on innovation. Giving us a peek behind the Domino’s curtain, Art shares their marketing strategy of developing brand actions that make the experience of getting and eating pizza more magical. We then explore two examples of successful campaigns that were aimed at the local level. After discussing why Domino’s brand identity is tied with its technology, logistics, and operations, Art opens up about why he sees services like DoorDash as their direct competitors. Tune in for Art’s insider-perspective into Domino’s marketing department — a company that’s been leading their industry for the last 60 years.
Key Points From This Episode:
Introducing Art D’Elia and his recent promotion to executive vice president.
Why maintaining strong franchisee relationships has been a driver for Domino’s success.
How Domino’s franchise system works locally and internationally.
Governing large franchises through representative bodies.
Focusing on marketing innovation and the power of brand actions.
Pothole and hot spots; hear about two successful Domino’s campaigns.
Leveraging local franchise knowledge when designing new features.
How logistics and operations factor into Domino’s brand identity.
Domino’s versus the aggregators; why DoorDash is their direct competitor.
What Domino’s did to pivot in the pandemic and why they’re doing better than ever.
Involving local franchises in marketing and more on Domino’s marketing model.
Overcoming consumer cynicism with authentic messaging and user-generated content.
Ep 08: Starting Virtuous Cycles with Kat Kole, COO and President of Focus Brands
Episode 8
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 • Duration 47:22
Kat Cole is the COO and President of Focus Brands, a role in which she oversees the leadership teams of seven major franchises: Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Jamba, McAlister's Deli, Schlotzsky's and Moe's Southwest Grill. Today we chat with Kat about her career, the early steps she took as a teenager, and the massive leaps she made during her time at Hooters, taking up leadership positions at the age of 20! Our conversation with Kat is especially relevant as we spend some time focusing on her work at Cinnabon in 2010, at the end of the recession, and the steps she took to get the brand back on track and prepared for an economic upturn. These lessons are really useful in the current climate, and Kat expands on her approach to the COVID crisis and how this has played out through the array of brands under her watch. Kat goes so far as to call crisis her 'jam'! We talk about the power of dedicated leadership teams within a large corporate and brand structure and how this setup serves the Focus Brands family so well. We also get into how Kat goes about empowering the leaders of these teams to work to their strengths while adhering to an overall culture. The conversation covers technology, local constraints on franchises, and the bottom line. Make sure not to miss this fantastic conversation!
Key Points From This Episode:
Kat's amazing career path leading up to her current position at Focus Brands.
The branding education that Kat received early on in her young career.
Kat's transition from her position at Hooters to a new title for Cinnabon and Focus Brands.
Learning while serving and networking for everyone's benefit.
Becoming the president of Cinnabon and dealing with the effects of the recession.
How Kat approached rebuilding the Cinnabon brand and tackling the challenges it faced
The three questions with which Kat began her process with the franchise.
Empowering the franchisees and systematizing and reinforcing the business.
Keeping the focus on people and building a culture of excitement and progress.
Mapping Kat's achievement at Cinnabon in terms of revenue.
The portfolio of brands under Kat's watch at Focus Brands currently.
The response from Focus Brands to the COVID crisis and how this played out across different brands.
Ep 07: As SVP and Head of Innovation for Brinker International, Wade Allen is Launching New Concepts and Leveraging Years of Investment to Survive and Thrive During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Episode 7
Wednesday, August 19, 2020 • Duration 41:09
We were always headed for a restaurant landscape defined by contactless payments, home delivery, and digital spaces. COVID has just accelerated it. While many were caught unawares, Wade Allen, Head of Innovation for Brinker International, has been transitioning his company for years. As a result, Brinker is not just surviving. It’s thriving during the pandemic. We start the conversation by talking about Wade’s career and how he became Brinker’s Head of Innovation. He speaks about helping brands pivot in a changing marketplace before we dive into a discussion on the newly-launched It’s Just Wings, a purely digital brand that uses Brinker’s existing kitchens to offer food through DoorDash.
Ep 06: CEO of T3, Ben Gaddis talks about how multi-location brands are navigating the COVID-19 crisis
Episode 6
Monday, March 30, 2020 • Duration 53:49
This episode marks the first in a new era of the Clicks-2-Bricks podcast where we’ll be focusing on how brick-and-mortar brands are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our first guest is Ben Gaddis, CEO of Austin-based T3 and the author of Embracing Irrationality. T3 is a brand consultancy whose main focus is to help brands in retail, restaurant and financial services spaces embrace the challenges of going digital. In our conversation with Ben today, we learn his perspectives on how brands should be responding to the COVID-19 crisis and the role agencies such as his can play in helping them navigate these uncharted waters. Ben weighs in strongly on the idea of localized marketing in the present climate. Now more than ever businesses should be hypersensitive to their customers’ needs, and willing to restructure their services in a matter of days, not weeks.
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