Clicks 2 Bricks

In today’s conversation, we welcome Tony Mokry, who is the Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Cricket Wireless, the leading prepaid wireless carrier in the US and a division of AT&T. Tune in to hear us talk about some of the unique areas where Tony is investing in the brand, why authenticity is a key pillar and how this translates to the company’s thousands of authorized retailers. Listeners will learn what Cricket Wireless is and what it stands for, how Tony came to join the company, and how AT&T facilitated his changing career. Tony shares the details of Cricket’s cause marketing campaigns which align with the brand purpose, with the ads created by Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah as an example. You’ll hear how his role as CMO extends beyond just getting customers to sign up, and the relationship with Bark which addresses cyberbullying using keywords. Tony shares advice with listeners to embrace change and get uncomfortable in their jobs, in order to grow. We hope you join us to learn more!

The COVID 19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated the rate at which digital innovations are currently being integrated across industries. In today’s episode, we talk with Zipporah Allen, who joined Taco Bell as their Chief Digital Officer in 2019, just a few months before the start of the COVID-19 changed the world, about the success of their latest digital initiative and how her previous roles prepared her for the immense challenges that accompany a global pandemic. Zipporah has had a phenomenal career, from occupying multiple roles across marketing and strategy at McDonald’s to joining Yum! brands where she spent several years at Pizza Hut mastering the pizza category and digital innovation, before transitioning to Taco Bell. Tuning in, you'll hear about Taco Bell’s new subscription program, Taco Lovers Pass, how they developed it, why Zipporah is so proud of her team, and why digital is uniquely suited to delivering a remarkably personalized customer experience. We also delve into Zipporah’s dedication to multi-locational marketing, what drew her to the industry, and why she stayed. Be sure to tune in for this fascinating conversation on the power of brand identity, consumer engagement, the relationship between digital and analog, and much more!

Today’s episode is one you don't want to miss: our guest is Ellie Doty, Chief Marketing Officer for Burger King, previously CMO for Chili’s, and she comes from a number of marketing positions with KFC and Taco Bell. Our conversation with Ellie is all about the nostalgia-driven, visual identity refresh that she led for Burger King, along with her unique perspective on digital transformation and what digital actually means. We begin with Ellie's transition to her current role, including picking up the elegant logo journey already underway to see it through to the end of the line. From there, we get into the much-needed mental shift of how digital marketing is inseparable from marketing, Burger King's data capture and CRM journey, and the importance of keeping your finger on the pulse when it comes to trends. This fascinating discussion covers everything from the brand versus performance debate to driving online ordering, paid media advertising and local spending, and even Ellie's experience with influencer marketing! We also touch on some valuable advice for young marketers with their eye on the CMO prize and some quick thoughts of the customer decision journey. For all this and more from one of the top experts in the industry, be sure to tune in today!

Tackling the marketing for a restaurant chain during a pandemic is no small feat. Today’s guest Kieran Donahue took up the challenge when she became the Chief Marketing Officer for IHOP mid-COVID. While she is not solely responsible for the very impressive 40% growth that the brand recently announced, she did play a part in it. After a long career in hospitality with brands like Hilton and Marriott, Kieran joined this leading family dining brand to take on a new challenge in the restaurant industry. Today she joins us to discuss this transition, how she approached her new job, and what IHOP did pre-COVID that helped them survive the pandemic. She describes how she transferred some of the best practices from her experience in hospitality into her role at IHOP. She also talks about the importance of knowing your customers and how technology can be used to achieve this. To find out how IHOP is developing their brand and their tech stack in parallel, how they view their relationship with third parties, and insight into their new fast-casual concept Flip’d, tune in today!

Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Clicks 2 Bricks with your host, Robert Reed. Joining us in conversation today is Zack Oates, CEO, and co-founder of Ovation, an actionable guest feedback platform for multi-unit restaurants. He shares his thoughts on how asking for customer feedback can drive quantifiable downstream revenue. Listeners will learn the nuts and bolts of how Ovation works, how it came to be, and where they are directing their funding and efforts going forwards. Their focus is on creating a seamless experience for the guest, and Zack tells us how they are working to turn data into a more flexible experience. You’ll also hear how the Ovation service does more than offer a platform for customer feedback, including driving five-star online ratings. You’ll also hear about the integrations that Ovation has grown to include, and why they choose to share all the data even with customers who leave Ovation. Tune in to hear all this and more today! 

Labor shortage, supply chain issues, the challenges of third-party delivery.... these are all hot topics on everyone's lips in the last couple of years. Today our guest is Jonathan Maze, Editor-in-Chief of Restaurant Business Online, who's here to give us the run-down on all these issues, and more. We discuss everything from the accuracy of AI and voice-activated ordering, to keeping pace with the swiftly changing face of technology that serves restaurants – and the boom in investment in that area. Jonathon delves into the extensive list of pros and cons for third-party delivery services, and how they've changed the way restaurants do business, collect data, and facilitate (or hinder) the push for customer loyalty. Finally, he runs us through the incredible offerings of the upcoming FSTEC conference, and what we know will be prevalent themes there for the top executives. This conversation is truly fascinating and insightful, and listeners will find this too – press play now and join us!

If you're a little obsessed with Mexican food, like me, then no matter where you are in the U.S. you've probably heard of Puesto. With 120 different tequilas, 100 different mezcals, and fresh ingredients in all their mouthwatering – and most importantly, authentic – food, there's little surprise that this family-run restaurant is now in nine locations. But how does one market and manage a multi-locational restaurant business while staying true to your roots and all the offerings of Mexico City? In this episode, I'm talking to Alex Adler, co-founder, and taquero for Puesto, who says that they may be a multi-location business, but they are definitely not a chain. He talks us through all aspects of the business, from its inception in the family kitchen to digital feedback, and their journey with finding a coherent operating system. We get the rundown on the Puesto marketing and social media strategies, as well as delving into why certain social media platforms work better for this type of business. Adler also shares, with humility and a lot of passion, the special innovations that kept customers (and those in the industry) a little more connected to normality during COVID and drew them loyally into the Puesto community. Lastly, Adler shares some hard-won advice on when to pivot, and the crucial factor that got them where they are today – know what you want as a guest, and always putting that at the center of the experience. Press play and join in the conversation now!

Although hospitality, entertainment, and restaurants are different sectors, there are considerable overlaps, one of them being the fact that they are multi-location. After spending the beginning of his career in hospitality and entertainment, Vincent Szwajkowski moved to fast-casual dining and is now the CMO of Blaze Pizza. Vincent recently spoke on a panel at FSTEC about how CMOs today are using technology. In this episode, we hear more about Blaze, its footprint, and how it stands out in the saturated pizza market. We talk about the progression of Blaze's online ordering, which was expedited by the pandemic, and the challenges this presented them with. Blaze recently launched its own app, and Vincent stresses the importance of being ready for an undertaking of this size. It is not something that should be taken lightly because it will put considerable strain on everyone. Our conversation also touches on third-party apps and their role, what still has to happen at Blaze, and some advice from Vincent for aspiring CMO's. Tune in to hear it all!

The two brands that form the focus of today’s episode are close to my heart, not only because their food is absolutely delicious, but also because Papa Gino’s and D’Angelo were the places where I worked my first and second jobs. Deena McKinley’s career path started out seemingly a long way away from these iconic restaurants, but as you’ll hear today, a lot of the skills she developed as an English teacher, have been very useful in her role as CMO. In this show, Deena and I discuss how she and her team have reignited these long-time favorite eateries through combining their historical allure with technological advancements. Technology and marketing are completely intertwined these days and Deena has a wealth of knowledge and experience in this realm. Deena shares what her three-pronged marketing approach consists of, what she has achieved since becoming CMO, why she doesn’t see third-party delivery apps as a threat, and the importance of asking questions. All the talk of turkey sandwiches and cheeseburger subs will no doubt have your mouth watering, so make sure you have a Papa Gino’s or D’Angelo is close by when you listen to this! 

Everybody has a Krystal story. Alice Crowder’s Krystal story involves her dad fishing quarters out of his pocket to buy them Krystal’s, which were a quarter a piece at the time! Yours might be memories of all-nighters at university or midnight toasts at weddings. For the past 90 years, the Krystal brand has maintained its status in society, but there is a lot of innovation happening at the company, and Alice is one of the people at the helm. In today’s show, you will hear about how Krystal is making use of influencer marketing, the app they are releasing this week and other approaches that the second oldest quick service restaurant in the country uses to stay relevant after all these years. Alice’s personal career journey with Krystal is another interesting story which she shares, and her many years of experience in different sectors of the marketing field make her well-positioned to offer excellent advice to any budding CMO’s out there!