Synq Solutions' Executing Innovation Blog

National Marketing Series: Execution

Doug Fergusson — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:33:41 +0000

A year has passed since publishing my first post on the subject of Local Marketing, and I thought it might be interesting to shift the discussion towards the execution of National Marketing Campaigns. National Campaigns are familiar activities for most QSRs and retailers; these promotional activities typically involve a series of marketing tactics including media (TV, radio, and print), direct to consumer marketing, and on-premise point-of-purchase (POP) signage.

Every marketing organization is challenged with coordinating all of these elements into a well-orchestrated campaign that fits each retail location, works for every market, and is executed simultaneously. It is because of these challenges that opportunities exist for improvement; I don’t think this is a big surprise to anyone. However, identifying and implementing improvements has been difficult for most companies.

Some of these issues and the dynamics of POP program execution were covered in the blog titled “Synergy of Services.” I am planning to delve into the details of National Marketing campaign execution in my next few blog posts to show you both the obstacles, as well as the benefits, of making significant changes to your approach towards campaign execution. In the mean time, if you have a particular challenge that you would like me to tackle, send me a note at blog@synqsolutions.com.

Editor of QSR Magazine Reveals Highlights of the 2010 Dine America Conference

Glenn Haertel — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:33:56 +0000

The theme of this year’s Dine America executive conference is “Successful Strategies for the New Decade.” I spoke with the magazine’s editor, Blair Chancey, about the event and what attendees can look forward to. Coming out of a recession, she said people want real-life best practices and takeaways that will propel them into the next decade with a positive outlook. Here are some excerpts from our conversation.

Why is this year’s theme so important for the QSR industry?

What trends will be covered at this year’s conference?

How are women changing the workplace?

What is the so-called “silver tsunami”?

Are you attending this year’s conference? What are you looking forward to discussing?

CFA Meets with Political Leaders to Discuss Small Business Issues

Glenn Haertel — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:33:33 +0000

I recently attended the CFA (Coalition of Franchisee Associations) Forum on Capitol Hill. Several of our client franchisee associations are members of this coalition, and we attended the event to demonstrate our full support. While in Washington, we packed in meetings with congressional members of the Financial Services, Energy and Commerce, and Budget and Ways and Means committees to speak on issues of the new Health Care legislation, the Credit Card Interchange Fee legislation, the Employee Free Choice Act and Climate Policy.

It was a very educational experience to see how things really operate on Capitol Hill. Hopefully the efforts of the CFA will enable our clients and the rest of small businesses to operate without legislative burdens that threaten their livelihood.

For more information on the CFA efforts, visit www.thecfainc.com.

Local Marketing Webinar Series, Part 7

Glenn Haertel — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:25:24 +0000

So you’re about to jump on board with Local Marketing, but you may still have some concerns. In our June 24 webinar, “How to Execute a Successful Local Marketing Campaign,” CKE’s Brad Haley and Synq’s Doug Fergusson talked about best practices that would help ensure any company’s success.

In the first audio clip from our webinar, Doug touches on planning, technology, funding and education:

In this second clip, Brad talks about the creative process, analyzing results and having an effective production and distribution partner:

Tell us what success you’ve had with Local Marketing. We’d like to hear from you.

Local Marketing Webinar Series, Part 6

Glenn Haertel — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:48:52 +0000

In our June 24 webinar “How to Execute a Successful Local Marketing Campaign,” we discovered that viewers had several questions concerning campaign development. In my post today, I’m including audio clips from CKE’s Brad Haley that feature his thoughts on how long a Local Marketing campaign should last.

Listen here:

In this second audio clip from the webinar, Brad answers the question, “What are the top, low-cost LRM tactics that all franchisees should execute?”

Listen here:

Tell us about your favorite, low-cost LRM initiatives.