Clicks 2 Bricks Ep 89: Vicki Beswick is the Vice President of Marketing for Sbarro
With multiple formats including freestanding stores, mall locations, and convenience store co-locations, Vicki Beswick faces a fairly complex marketing challenge as the Vice President of Marketing for iconic pizza brand, Sbarro, especially now that the brand is leaning into e-commerce and delivery. Luckily, Vicki has a ton of pioneering e-commerce experience from her previous roles at Wendy’s, Express, and Bath & Body Works. She joins us on Clicks 2 Bricks today to tell the story of how the Sbarro family invented the original New York pizza slice almost 70 years ago and offer a glimpse behind the scenes at the fresh ingredients and small but mighty team that sets Sbarro apart from other players in the pizza-by-the-slice category. Tuning in, you’ll also learn how the brand supports its franchisees and builds off their success to grow the Sbarro footprint, why Vicki believes there are no stupid questions, her advice for aspiring marketers, and much more. How does Sbarro compete against the big three pizza brands? Keep listening to find out!
Key Points From This Episode:
- The surprising role of pizza in Vicki’s 25-year career journey!
- Background on the Sbarro brand, from the first location in Brooklyn in 1956 to present day.
- Unified marketing strategies that Sbarro employs across its locations.
- How Sbarro sets itself apart from other big pizza players with certified fresh ingredients.
- Benefits (and challenges) of leaning into e-commerce and third-party delivery.
- External partners Sbarro relies on to build and maintain their marketing tech stack.
- Insight into how Sbarro supports and communicates with their franchisees.
- What multi-location marketing strategies look like in the impulse pizza category.
- Vicki’s progression as a marketer and the career milestones that led her to this point.
- Real leaders want to teach you: tips for identifying and engaging with your mentors.
- Experiential advice for young marketers entering the arena in 2024.
- Career opportunities at Sbarro right now.
- Vicki’s take on influencer marketing, TikTok, and more in the lightning round!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: