Sales Lead: Pizza Hut (PH) just launched a limited-edition grilled sirloin steak menu option. The brand's leaders attribute a recent same-store sales increase (8%), its strongest results in two years, to new products such as its new melt sandwiches and big NY pizza. PH has also ramped up its partnerships with third-party aggregators that help with delivery services. The brand will likely: Launch a new campaign promoting the new product Shift strategy Ramp up spend more...

Sales Lead: The Glenlivet is leaning on the love of game nights with its recent launch of a limited-edition game night kit. The product was made through a partnership with Jonathan Adler. Adler is promoting the set on his owned social channels, and The Glenlivet is doing the same. The brand has also teamed up with other influencers. ​​​​​​​This effort is part of a larger "Break From The Ordinary" campaign. The brand will likely: ​​​​​​​Continue investing in c...

Sales Lead: Front is looking for a new, well, marketing frontman since Jon Borgese departed in February 2023. Borgese joined the company in September 2021 as its global marketing SVP and now serves as the CMO at Showpad. This departure closely follows a June 2022 Series D funding round, which raised $65m. So far, Front has raised $203.6m in funding. The company will likely: Need additional marketing assistance in his absence Implement strategy shifts Return ...

Sales Lead: Jessica Manna became the new CMO at GO Mortgage (GM) in April 2023. She now oversees all marketing strategies and initiatives, which include areas such as digital marketing, brand positioning, and messaging. Manna joined from Fairway Independent Mortgage, where she was the president of digital strategy and innovation. With more than 20 years of mortgage marketing and branding expertise, she will now focus on promoting GM's brand and driving business growth. Manna succe...

Sales Lead: Liquid I.V. has started adjusting its brand messaging to reach a broader audience of Gen-Z and millennials. The company is starting to rely more on relevance and authenticity with influencer marketing. Current influencer partners include Rickey Thompson and Leilani Green. The campaign rolled out across the following channels: streaming services such as Peacock, Hulu, and Amazon Fire TV; podcast audio reads on The Ryen Russillo Show, The Bill Simmons Podcast, ...

Media Sales Lead: Wilson Sporting Goods recently opened its first brick-and-mortar store on the West Coast in Santa Monica, CA. The store has an in-store playtest area with a basketball hoop, hitting wall, and on-site racquet stringing. It also offers product rentals across tennis, pickleball, basketball, football, and volleyball. Wilson also has two locations in Chicago and three in Manhattan. The company's DMs hope physical stores will help it improve sales, which have reportedly been decli...

Sales Lead: In February 2023, Jon Borgese became the CMO at Showpad. Borgese joined from Front, where he was the marketing frontman (global marketing SVP). He seems to be Showpad's first CMO since Theresa O'Neil's departure in November 2019. The company will likely: Shift strategy Return to higher spend Seek new agency partners Target demographic:  Business DMs Additional recent leadership shifts: The past year's hires also include Meliss...

Sales lead: These appointments will likely lead to spend & agency roster shifts.  Wheels Up (WU) named Kristen Lauria chief customer & marketing officer, effective May 15th, 2023. Lauria joins from McKinsey & Company, where she served as a senior advisor.  She is responsible for brand, creative, acquisition, retention, and experience.  The company also hired David Godsman as its first-ever chief digital officer, effective June 1st, 2023. Godsman most recently se...

Sales lead: Reach out now to offer last-minute campaign ad space.  Geico just launched a new campaign featuring famous actor Will Arnett.  It includes four spots that each have 30- and 15-second versions.  The spots will be supported across broadcast TV, CTV, Twitter, and TikTok.  This is the company's first campaign since naming Mediabrands its media AOR in February.  It also worked with creative AOR The Martin Agency.  Target demographic: Millennial & Gen-X men ...

Sales lead: Reach out if you can offer influencer management services or help the league reach Gen-Zers.  The National Football League (NFL) partnered with Youtube last year by giving it the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket.  The league is now working with influencers to promote the service to Gen-Zers.  The NFL is also working on offering more ways for fans to watch games as younger consumers do not have cable.  We told you about the NFL's new media AOR in April.  Target demograp...