Brad Stevenson

CMOs have long served as chief dot connectors, and they can use the strength of their cross-functional and often cross-geographic relationships to help drive effective change. CMOs have always had accountability for the brand promise, and the challenge has been to deliver that brand promise across a customer journey owned by many other functions — from supply chain to customer care. The reality causes marketers to adapt as leaders and become strong integrators of experience across the organization. The nature of a CMO’s job requires strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration, preparing them uniquely as leaders for broader transformation efforts. #chiefdotconnector #transformation #leadership

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This was such a fun and informative Distill Ventures seminar I got to participate in moderated by Derek Brown. This is part of a series with topics Derek and DV have designed around all aspects of navigating the non-alcoholic category. 🍸🍹 People tend to lump what we are seeing with NA options into “the latest trend,” but really, this is unlike anything any of us have seen before, (mostly because we weren’t alive!) This isn’t like the tequila craze, or the bourbon boom; those were/are trends resulting from the masses RE-discovering, ( with a little help from celebrities and marketing 💰) a spirit, and then the world deep diving into them. Those options were always around, people just started paying more attention. With non-alcoholic spirits, what we are witnessing is the result of pure innovation! This is a BRAND NEW category (that didn’t even exist prior to 2015 ) JUST getting going. It’s like seeing the invention of gin in the 1500’s or vodka in the 1100’s! 🤯This is an entirely new spirit category and an option that I would guess ( based on everyday conversation) 1/3 people still don’t realize exists for them. If you haven’t checked these seminars out, definitely do! They have already covered some great topics, and will continue to do so. And a big thank you to Derek and Distill Ventures for creating this platform for education so that we can navigate this new category together, and watch as NA spirits make their mark on history! #nonalcoholic #spiritindustry #cocktails #menu #innovation

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Why does our company's direction change every 10 minutes, I wish my boss would make up their mind! Transformational change is incredibly difficult and leadership is faced with a constantly changing, and often conflicting landscape of priorities. Recognizing the headwinds of a retailer who primarily sold office products, the Executive Vice President over the business - to - business unit provided a master's class during my time with Staples. Joe Doody was responsible for over 20,000 associates in multiple business units including distribution, e commerce, office products, print solutions, furniture solutions, technology solutions and a fledgling but growing facilities solutions team. For well over a year, Joe made the priorities for his organization clear. The top three were going to be Facilities, Facilities and Facilities. He repeated this mantra at every opportunity and wasn't shy about communicating the mission to all of the other business units. This focus didn't mean that other things weren't going to get done, just that nothing would have a higher priority than the Facility Solutions initiative and that he would allow nothing to interfere or impede the growth of that business unit. Joe Doody didn't change his rallying cry in the face of a never ending stream of "flavors of the month" and his messaging broke down the barriers needed to unify the entire team. Ultimately the Facilities Solutions business unit became the growth engine for the company and changed an industry. His approach is a lesson I hope I've learned as I progressed through my leadership journey. Keep the team focused, provide the proper tools and most importantly, don't continually shift priorities and success can be achieved.

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🎉 Texas Roadhouse Inc. has just announced their impressive first-quarter results for 2024. The company reported a significant increase in revenue and net income compared to last year. Here are some highlights: ⭐️ Total Revenue: $1.32 billion, up from $1.17 billion in Q1 2023 ⭐️ Net Income: $113.2 million, a notable rise from $86.4 million last year ⭐️ Earnings per Share: $1.69, compared to $1.29 in Q1 2023 💥 The company also saw positive comparable restaurant sales growth, driven by strategic menu pricing and operational efficiencies. Despite facing challenges like wage and labor cost inflation, Texas Roadhouse managed to maintain a strong performance. For more details, check out https://lnkd.in/eaBr94xX #TexasRoadhouse #FinancialResults #Q12024 #InvestorNews #RestaurantIndustry

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Dear Struggling Enterprise Brands, At the NRA Show, we engaged with medium and large-size brands facing challenges in reclaiming their former glory. Many share a common struggle, witnessing a cycle of price increases, temporary sales spikes, and subsequent declines, wash, rinse, repeat, leading to uncertainty about the future with a byproduct of dwindling morale. It's disheartening to witness repetitive attempts at solutions like new leadership, menu changes, and location alterations without leveraging the valuable data at their disposal. Data they have been sitting on for years. The pressure to maintain profits amid rising costs can make every decision feel like a make-or-break situation... because in many cases it is. Fortunately, there's a solution. Machine Learning and Actionable Intelligence offer unparalleled speed and accuracy in decision-making, leveraging existing data to pave the way for smarter, data-driven strategies. By harnessing technology to analyze honest guest feedback found within transaction details, businesses can tailor location-specific solutions for sustainable growth. That's where the battles are won or lost. District Managers and Franchise Business Consultants hold the key to driving individual location performance. RedOnion.ai stands as the "Wizard Behind The Drapes" empowering them with insights to anticipate challenges and opportunities proactively. All before ever stepping a foot inside a location. Don't rely on guesswork with a diminishing profit pool for marketing efforts. Embrace data-driven strategies to address your brand's challenges effectively and join our esteemed client list to navigate the complexities of the industry with confidence. Here's a peak behind our drapes of how we do, what we do at Red Onion. WardO@RedOnion.ai Leader in Guest Behavior Analytics since 2014

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Interesting take on segmentation. I for one immediately lept to demographic segmentation, but there is great logic here. I have also heard this described as “modes”. Are you in business mode? Family mode? Friends mode? I can say that my needs for service are different in each of those modes.

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The big have gotten bigger, with those top 500 generating about $424 billion of the industry’s roughly $1 trillion in sales. The entire supply chain and incentive programs of foodservice needs to change or we will be a world of chains

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Wonderfully exciting news on the horizon for those who are tracking enterprise progression in the DFW area. There's more to come – this won't be the terminal location. A new wave of expansion is in the pipeline and set to alter the regional ecosystem. • Bringing this stage of progression to life - the franchisees. This troop of entrepreneurs are fueling the change, steering this voyage of expansive growth. As we look to the future, one glimpses a realm densely populated by breakthroughs and vast opportunities. • Scrutinizing the corporation in question, too, lifts the veil on a larger picture - a narrative of innovation, striving business ethos, and a solid record of endurance, especially notable in these challenging times. My forecast, constructed on the current elements of this trajectory, manifests these trends: 1/ Proliferation of Business: This won't be the final installment on the DFW map. The space teems with the promise of heightened economic activities, heralding a brighter future. 2/ Empowerment for Franchisees: The catalysts for this era, their role is undoubtedly pivotal. The franchising mode ensures the diffusion of authority and promotes partnership, enhancing the company's outreach. 3/ Boosting Local Economy: Delving deeper into the stratums of this exposition, one anticipates a dual boost to local entrepreneurship and employment, invariably fueling the region’s economic outlook. Now there are several implications to this scenario- amongst them, the shift towards a more decentralized organisation format, and the tangible evolution of tenacious, innovative, and resolute enterprise stakeholders. It opens a new dialogue on franchising as an effective expansion tool. While further quarters will unfurl the complete picture, these early intimations provide sufficient vigor to keep our anticipations heightened. Let's pay close attention to this unfolding narrative - heralding not just an epoch of business expansion, but also a shift in how we perceive growth, resilience, and opportunities. #DFWExpansion #BusinessGrowth #ResilientEnterprises

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McDonald’s is cranking up the heat on the discount wars next week, as they roll out a $5 meal deal promotion aimed to draw in value-conscious customers. With economic anxiety on the rise, and our recent data showing a notable pullback in consumer spending across dining, entertainment, and retail, will the move be enough to pull customers away from competitors? Thanks again Nation's Restaurant News for featuring my article! Curious to see which chains might feel the heat and which ones are better positioned to weather the storm? Click the link below for the full insights! #restaurants #discounting #customerexperience #value #nrn

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🎙Heard at #RLC2024 from Pete Cancro from Jersey Mike's Subs -- they have a $200M annual marketing budget. With 2720 stores that means the budget breaks down like this: - Per store per year: $73529.41 - Per store per month: $6127.45 - Per store per day: $201.45 Want to be a brand that's getting an offer for $8 billion to sale? You now know what you need to spend PER DAY on marketing ... #RLC #restaurantleadershipconference #restaurantbusiness #restauranttech #restaurantowners #restaurantmarketing #restaurantindustry #restaurantowner

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I fired my lawn service today. My lovely bride and I moved into a new house in late 2022. We've struggled to keep up the lawn to neighborhood standards (lawns are a competitive sport in Texas) and I've communicated my concerns to my lawn guy on a frequent basis. His responses are always the same. We're doing our job and working hard. What I could never get him to understand is that I don't want to pay for him to complete a task, I want to pay for a green lawn. It's the end result that I'm after not just the execution of steps. If there are additional services or something else I need to do, he needs to tell me but otherwise I'm holding him to the standard of having a lawn that looks as good as or better than my neighbors. Highlighting another story, the picture in this post is of a 1960's/70's Steelcase Tanker desk. Many years ago I committed to completing my degree, not because of career needs but because I owed it to my incredible parents who paid for me to play and party during the years I should have been focused on going to college. The desk is something I wanted to remind me of my father who taught me the value of work ethic. I have fond memories of going with him to his office on Saturdays where he would work a few hours before we'd go out and doing something fun. I can still picture him sitting in a large open office at that exact style desk where he would focus on his job in order to provide for his family. When I dedicated myself to go back to school I knew it would be nights and weekends for several years. I wanted to do the work at that same style desk as a reminder of what I owed him and my mother. We were living outside of Boulder CO at the time and I found two for sale at second hand stores. The first one had a great desk and a reasonable price but didn't deliver. I told the owner that I didn't want to buy a desk, I wanted to buy a desk in my home's basement office. It wasn't just the transaction but the end result I was looking for. The second place fully understood my need and had no issue with a delivery. In our daily work worlds, it is always important to remember why our customers buy our goods or services. They don't want the product itself, they want the end result that will come from the purchase. Merely fulfilling the tactical execution of a vendor / customer partnership isn't enough. As examples, an office doesn't buy hand sanitizer, they buy a healthy work environment. A restaurant patron doesn't buy a meal on a plate, they buy the experience; the taste, the presentation, the ambiance. Keep the "why" someone buys from your organization front of mind and you will build long term, loyal customers. And if anyone has a good lawn company in Keller, Texas please let me know.

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"I need Dr. Pepper." No. You probably don’t. Even if you are in Texas (but Texas is the only place in the world you could reasonably argue that you need it). Yes, it has a relatively good market share (although its market share in much of the USA, especially the Northeast, is actually small). But, if you don’t get a good deal from Dr. Pepper, then don’t serve it. Your beverage sales will be just fine. Dr. Pepper offers no infrastructure, very little account management support, no service capabilities, very little imaginative marketing, no culinary support, and they actually compete with you. Yes, they compete with you. The company that owns Dr. Pepper also owns Panera Bread, Einstein’s Bagels, Peet’s Coffee, and Pret A Manger. They are a major foodservice competitor of yours. Every time you buy a gallon of Dr. Pepper, you are fueling your competition’s profits and enabling them to compete with you for share of your target consumer’s foodservice expenditure.

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You may order sauce on the side but it's still the main attraction. 🎡 Don't take it from me! Peep this Nation's Restaurant News article highlighting the QSR sauce BOOM 💥 → According to Innova Market Insights, 39% of consumers are most likely to try new flavors through sauces, seasonings + toppings. → Technomic, Inc. reports that 34% of consumers consider what sauces are available before deciding on a place to eat. → And Datassential shows that more than half of consumers have purchased a new sauce or condiment from a restaurant in the past 3 months. In a foodservice climate starving for new traffic, sauce-centric LTOs featuring new + exciting flavors on familiar menu items (e.g. 🍗 + 🍟 + 🍔 + 🌮) can be your most operationally friendly + craveworthy solution. Something I know for sure: There is one midwesterner who will *always* drive through for a new ranch flavor extension. 🙋‍♀️ -- What's your go-to, gotta-have-it, will-go-out-of-your-way-for-it sauce? 👀👇

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I've seen several articles about how American Express has successfully gotten its cards into the hands of Gen Z despite higher annual fees. What's the draw? Creating value through curated rewards that appeal to that generation...not by reducing membership fees or other price discounts. We're seeing price wars return to foodservice, which I believe is one of the worst things that can happen to our industry at a time when its struggling with perceived value and relevancy. Discounts don't address either, certainly not for the long-term. I think AMEX approached it from the right direction. Rather than devaluing the card and related services, it focused on maintaining value through rewards that were meaningful and compelling. And all of this at a time when services like Venmo were predicted to kill off plastic. As it says in the WSJ article, Gen Z is willing to pay more than $600 in annual fees if the value is there. In particularly, the lodging segment should take note at a time when consumers are bombarded with more and more fees and additional charges while amenities and services continue to evaporate. Read more at both Business Insider (https://lnkd.in/eY9HhKBZ) and The Wall Street Journal (https://lnkd.in/e_B-9D2n) #creditcards #genz #consumerinsights #consumerbehavior #foodservice #foodandbeverageindustry #hospitality #value #restaurants

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To be clear branding and marketing is oxygen to the fire of all brands (that or the sales team or both) - it’s critical; but I think the word “marketing” in isolation implies media buying / creative / LTOs - a kind of higher level transactional function to the business. Obviously though the next phase (and perhaps what it always should have been but without the data access it we best effort)… the next phase is really data / quant / predictive behavior driving role much deeper than media / creative etc. Also to be fair most all the CMOs I know already do this in spades title aside. To that end though, along with evolving the approach to driving top line revenue / its logical then that titles like “Chief Brand / Innovation / Strategy / Revenue” type officer will be more logical with the nature of the future than simply “marketing”.

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Exciting news from Craveworthy Brands As many of you know, I love to hint at our next big moves. Some might question this approach, but I believe it’s crucial to show my commitment to pushing our team and our dreams to new heights. Our latest acquisition is a game-changer, bringing Taim and Hot Chicken Takeover into our family! This strategic move will supercharge growth for our beloved Soom Soom and The Budlong Southern Chicken providing them an extraordinary platform to thrive. Additionally, it accelerates the expansion for Sigri Indian BBQ, offering immediate opportunities for two to three new locations. We’re also setting the stage to launch Costeño Rojo, testing a few locations to refine our concept further. But it’s not just about growth—it’s about people. We’re thrilled to collaborate with the fantastic teams at Taim and Hot Chicken Takeover. Their passion and innovation are exactly what we need to reach new heights. I’m excited to see what we can achieve together with this incredible talent. Stay tuned. We’re just getting started! #CraveworthyBrands #BusinessGrowth #Acquisition #FoodIndustry #Leadership #Innovation #RestaurantBusiness #Teamwork #Entrepreneurship #BrandExpansion

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**If I had to give one peice of advice to a new brand ** No retail buyer will pass on a product that is in demand. In early stage beverage industry we would flood the parking lot of key chain accounts with cold drinks on hot days, we would catch people leaving the store not going in; the pitch was simple: “Stay safe in this heat; and Thank you for shopping at (store name)” 1. Who passes up a cold drink on a hot day? 2. We got the product into their car (not a trash can) 3. We built consumer association with a store we’re not even in. 4. We show a kind act that we cared about their safety. You know who took us into the store? The kids having to collect carts, they would grab a drink while in the parking lot and go inside and tell 2-3 friends that would then come out and grab a drink and take it into the store and next thing you know it would make it to the break room, a desk, at a register… but it wasn’t sold there YET.. Two things would happen; we would be asked to leave the parking lot (happened a lot but we’d be back) they would eventually tell us to speak to XYZ about getting our product in. And this is how we broke into retail pre sales force, call center and cold email, cold text era. A lot of times the store manager wouldn’t have the authority to bring the product in but they would send it up the chain; if 4-5 of your stores start making the request, it moved the dials. We landed smith, krogers, Safeway all through these style activations. Note* we would also send people in asking managers for the product. Yeah ok, maybe we sent in 25 a week asking for it in exchange for free product but that’s another program. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Activations win customers

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