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Score 81 - Account in Jeopardy: McAlister's Deli hires first CMO amid focus on local marketing

reportedly lead, develop and executive marketing, as well as strengthen brand position, menu innovation and the digital guest experience. She most recently served as president and founder of BrandMark Group, though she also brings experience as chief strategy & brand officer of California Pizza Kitchen, global marketing SVP of IHOP and global CMO of Burger King.

The brand also hired Carrie Scroggins, former marketing director at Southern Rock, as marketing director in May. (Scroggins is based in TN, so she will not show up in Winmo. We believe her email is cscoggins@mcalistersdeli.com.) It promoted Justin Krivanek from strategic initiatives director to field marketing director (December).

Lower-level shifts include the promotion of Lindsay Hindi from off premise marketing manager to senior off premise marketing manager (February), the promotion of Michele Morris from social media manager to social & digital media manager (August) and the hire of Angie Champsaur, former associate public relations and social media manager, to PR manager (August).

This leadership team will likely review agency relationships, so agencies and martechs with restaurant experience should reach out. You'll have the best of luck with creative and media work since The Ramey Agency.

Note: Agencies and martechs should also try to secure work across the rest of the Focus Brands portfolio. The company just hired its first global CMO and rebranded Schlotzsky's (more Vulnerable Account Index.

Focus pitches on helping McAlister's with its expansion plans (e.g., it is looking to open a location in Terra Haute, Indiana) and on differentiating it from competitors like Jason's Deli, Firehouse Subs and Newk's Eatery.

Keep in mind the brand is already trying to stay top-of-mind with menu innovation (e.g., it has been testing a teacher contest).

Since McAlister's has a focus on the local community, it relies more heavily on local marketing instead of national marketing. In fact, its national efforts have seen decreases (see spend below). We may see those decreases reverse themselves, but in the meantime, I would focus on local marketing.

With that in mind, sellers near McAlister's locations (and the locations it wishes to expand to) will have the advantage when going after revenue. McAlister's primarily targets millennials based upon its recent social media post. It holds planning conversations in Q3 and buying conversations in Q2.

Adbeat reports digital display over the last 12 months totaled $8.6k, a significant decrease from the $26k spent during the 12 months prior. Ads are placed primarily via Google (71%) and Turn (27%) onto sites like johnsoncitypress.com, rolltide.com, timesnews.net, wbir.com and yellowpages.com.

McAlister's has also been known to use outdoor, print, spot TV, social media, earned media, experiential and local sponsorships.