Case Studies

In the early 1980s, I was Vice President of International Development for Sara Lee.  I spent three out of every four weeks traveling the globe to develop and promote Sara Lee branded products.  Geographies included: Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Japan, Australia, Singapore, and South Africa.  Production facilities were located in Canada, England, and Australia with export programs to other countries.  This development involved many of the legendary Sara Lee baked goods in both supermarkets and foodservice (catering).  In all, Sara Lee brands penetrated over 40 countries and sales surpassed $100 million.

During the late 1980s, Burger King was still enjoying the success of the iconic "Have It Your Way" campaign, but McDonald's, Wendy's, and Hardee's had begun to counter attack.  As Chief Marketing Officer, I led a talented team of internal and external professionals to identify and develop three new market segments:  Kids, African-Americans, and Working Women.  The Kids Program was a comprehensive and fully-integrated program involving new products, menus, packaging, promotion, media, and advertising.  The African-American segment was engaged with focused community programs, as well as targeted media and creative developed by ethnic market agencies.  The Working Women segment took more of a menu/product approach with major launches of chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, and salads.  Positive same store sales were re-established to take Burger King past the $5 billion sales mark for the first time.    

In the early 1990s, Long John Silver's (LJS) had been taken private by Castle Harlan, a private equity firm.  Senior Management were significant shareholders in the new entity.  Since its founding in 1969, Long John's was somewhat of a hybrid concept, falling between the casual diners, like Red Lobster, and fast food fish sandwiches from places like McDonald's.  One factor was working against Long John's in this hybrid positioning; namely LJS was not utilized for takeout, especially at the drive-thru window, the fastest-growing industry channel.  We undertook a comprehensive program, involving packaging, advertising, merchandising, and even facility re-configuration to boost the percent of off-premise sales from a low 30% to over 55%.

In the mid-1990s, Domino's had "hit the wall."  Their revolutionary "30 Minute Guarantee" had been withdrawn due to legal exposure.  Little Caesars was pounding away at low price points, Pizza Hut was expanding their own "Delco" delivery facilities, and Papa John's was expanding their quality position.  Domino's sales were in free-fall.  The founder, Tom Monaghan, was resistant to product line expansion, fearing it would compromise service times.  The consumer research that I sponsored as Chief Marketing Officer, indicated that there was significant consumer demand for two new pizza formats:  Thin Crust and Deep Dish.  This was classic market segmentation.  Carefully testing these two new pizza styles for operational feasibility, we launched both within a two year period.  Packaging and advertising gave each new style its own identity to avoid any consumer confusion.  A third product, a non-pizza product, was an even bigger leap, but a bigger success.  Buffalo Wings, long a regional staple, were beginning to show up in local pizza places.  With an extensive and regionally deployed matrix of test markets, we proved that Buffalo Wings were a great add-on to a pizza, without any cannibalization.  Domino's was "first to market" nationally and saw sales of Wings account for $400 million, representing over 20% of Domino's sales in the year following introduction.

Following the double-whammy of the "Dot-Com Crash" and 9/11 Attacks in the early 2000s, travel in the US fell precipitously.  As a pioneer in high-end steak houses after its founding by Ruth Fertel in New Orleans in 1965, Ruth's Chris depended on the travel market, especially expense-account business travel, for over one-third of its sales.  Fortunately, the emergence of new digital businesses provided a catalyst for turnaround.  As Chief Marketing Officer, I noted with interest the expansion of a West Coast startup called OpenTable, an application for making digital reservations and table management.  Some were cynical that the over-50 age demographic that favored Ruth's Chris would adopt this new digital behavior.  An initial wave of market tests confirmed that they would embrace this new technology.  A new Ruth's Chris Website was designed that offered customers a much easier way to make reservations and order gift cards.  Within eighteen months, online reservations made via the Website accounted for a staggering 40% of all reservations, and Ruth's  Chris became a Top 10 OpenTable destination.  Some saw this as a key factor in Ruth's Chris highly successful IPO in 2005, sponsored by its private equity owner, Madison Dearborn.

The Mortgage Crisis of 2008 and its impact on unemployment hit especially hard in lower socio-economic groups.  Immigration tensions in the Southwest further compromised the Hispanic demographic group that had long been a heavy-user group of Church's Chicken.  With over two-thirds of its sales accounted for by African-Americans and Hispanics, the "perfect storm" hit Church's especially hard.  While Church's was still a great value, other fast food chains were dropping prices and emphasizing "dollar menus." In addition, supermarkets began offering prepared fried or roasted chicken, thereby squeezing Church's traditional segment.  An innovative consumer research study, employing cultural ethnographic techniques, was undertaken that provided a break-through platform for advertising to the homemaker as archetypal "provider."  Fried Chicken meals with wholesome sides fit uniquely into this positioning among all the key socio-economic and ethnic groups.  Combined with this traditional TV campaign, a viral social media campaign in the form of an original music contest on YouTube brought younger consumers to the Brand for the first time.  Positive same-store-sales of 3% reversed a negative trend of 12% without having to rely on deep discounts.

In 2011, Friendly's Ice Cream celebrated its 77th Anniversary.  Sadly, industry and economic pressures had forced the company to file for bankruptcy reorganization in the same year.  We recognized that consumers were not going to return to "the same old Friendly's," no matter how fond their childhood memories.  An Attitude & Usage Study was fielded together with a T.U.R.F. Menu Analysis to optimize what had become an unwieldy menu.  Facilities, menu graphics, uniforms, tableware, and advertising had become dated.  Imaginative design and integration of all concept elements was an opportunity to re-engage consumer awareness and enthusiasm for this "timeless" concept.  Within twelve months, ten pilot Friendly's restaurants were redesigned in an inviting new look, and the menu and food presentations were dramatically enhanced.  Company same-store-sales in 2012 turned positive for the first time in ten years.

My alma mater, Yale University, has long been known for leadership in environmental science through its School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.  While young people are typically at the forefront of environmental causes, in this particular case, it is the "Vintage Class of 1964" that has adopted sustainability themes as its own.  Using Website communications tools, not altogether ubiquitous among Luddite generations, my class (for which I am the Class Secretary or "Blogger in Chief") has asserted tremendous leadership and significant financial support for environmental themes.  Initiatives range from authorship of highly-received publications to underwriting of the first LEED Building on the Yale campus to sponsorship of summer interns for a local community not-for-profit that fosters community-based land stewardship, promotes environmental education, and advances the practice of urban forestry.  The Association of Yale Alumni recognized the Class of 1964 for this ongoing work in 2011 with an Award of Excellence.