Fast-Casual Digital Opps: Captain D's promotes CMO amid spend decreases (Score 47)

Captain D's promoted Bindi Menon from national marketing VP to CMO in June 2021. Menon joined Captain D's in 2010 and has worked her way up through its marketing ranks. She will now be responsible for product innovation, customer insights, digital and social media. Menon is replacing Chris Kuehn and will report to CEO Philip Greifeld. 

Per Pathmatics, Captain D's earned 1.4m impressions YTD through Facebook ads placed directly onto facebook.com. It spent around $10.8k on digital display ads YTD, down 19% from $13.4k spent in this channel during the same time period of 2020. Full-year spend increased 11% from $50.8k in 2019 to $56.5 in 2020. 

According to iSpot, Captain D's has not allocated any budget towards national TV ads so far this year. It spent around $2.8m in 2020 during programming such as "Mom," "Friends," "American Pickers," "Two and a Half Men" and "NCIS: Los Angeles." It has been decreasing spend in this channel since spending around $8.7m in 2019. 

Sellers-- Captain D's seems to be targeting Gen-Xers and millennials. It is traditionally a big national TV spender, but it has not been investing in the channel as much recently. It also invests in OOH and print ads, per Kantar. Start contacting the new CMO soon to see if she plans on ramping up spend during H2. 

Agency & martech readers-- I believe Captain D's currently works with creative AOR Merkley + Partners and media AOR Horizon Media. It also works with Fish Consulting on PR. Promoted CMOs are less likely to review their company's agency roster than outside hires, but you should still reach out and pitch your services.