#24: Shake Shack CMO Jay Livingston | There’s More than One Way to do Things

In a special live recording from New York’s Advertising Week, the week’s episode features Shake Shack CMO Jay Livingston. Livingston, who has held top marketing roles at Bank of America and BarkBox, is emulating Shake Shack’s foundational, high-low strategy of elevating basic fare and democratizing fine dining on a national and global scale. It was a pattern set by founder, New York City restaurateur Danny Meyer, whose first Shake Shack was a cart in a park across from his Michelin-starred restaurant. Now, Shake Shack is well on its way to becoming a billion dollar burger brand. Seeding each restaurant in local chef and art cultures, Livingston upholds Shake Shack’s emphasis on quality ingredients and premium experiences. He’s also venturing toward a mass advertising test, morphing Instagram fame to TikTok and putting a virtual Shake Shack in Sims 4.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• It’s tempting to stick with what works, but dabble in what’s new.
• Great companies build marketing and product development side-by-side.
• Listen to what focus groups tell you, but don’t let them run the company.
• Think before you quit, you might be leaving a good network and foundation.
• Shake Shack’s new drive-throughs prove the adage, never say never.

Brought to you by Mekanism.