Director of Marketing

The Director of Marketing will be responsible for leading strategic marketing initiatives for the Lou Malnati’s brand to drive traffic, loyalty and brand growth. This role will work cross-functionally and with external partners to develop and execute national marketing calendars, inclusive of campaigns, menu innovation, and promotions. This role will lead the marketing planning process, from identifying business opportunities, to developing strategic campaign ideas, to executing cross-channel marketing plans. The Director of Marketing should have a deep understanding of lifecycle marketing and how loyalty can drive the business.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

​​Steward of the brand that supports our brand strategy and, in partnership with Operations, ensures delivery across all guest touchpoints in pursuit of business goals.​

Responsible for developing and executing marketing programs and promotions in support of yearly strategy across a variety of channels including but not limited to loyalty and mobile app, events, PR, partnerships, digital, print, direct mail.

Lead campaign development and cross functional teams from ideation and briefing to execution across owned, paid, and earned channels.

Optimize budget across all marketing channels for long term brand development in Chicagoland and other markets.

Create and drive digital programs to optimize ROI and our customer acquisition-based goal for each digital channel, with a strong focus on the loyalty program.

Partner with cross-functional departments including finance, operations, IT, and procurement to manage menu strategy (pricing/discount strategy, menu innovation, LTOs, etc.).

Own marketing analysis, hypothesis, testing and execution across full digital stack, inclusive of app and online ordering.

Report on key metrics, analyzing and interpreting results and providing actionable insights based on available data.

Refine customer segmentations across Lou Malnati’s with plans to optimize, engage, measure and grow core customer segments.

Own the strategy of our loyalty program to drive both frequency and activation programs, partner with lifecycle manager on customer journey.

Understand the competitive market landscape, consumer target mindset, economic trends and business needs to inform relevant marketing strategy & execution.

Serve as the ultimate brand ambassador to our guests and internal teams, enthusiastically representing Lou Malnati’s brand values and sharing our story to create a sense of community.

Proven track record in developing and producing marketing programs across a variety of audiences and consumer touch points (in-store, media, etc.). Includes writing strategic plans, writing and evaluating creative briefs, overseeing creative and production development schedules and budgets, managing teams to deliver against objectives.

Deep understanding of and passion for brands and food.

Experience driving results across the digital landscape (email, mobile, video, SEO, website, digital marketing)

Confident in using marketing technology and data to drive strategy and execution – CDP, CMP, ESP.

Strong eye for design and copy writing, and ability to create content on the fly.

Strong business acumen with a track record of developing insight-driven campaigns that deliver business results.

Strong leadership skills and proven track record of developing meaningful and lasting relationships that drive results (guest, operations & cross-functionally).

Strong balance between left and right brain – creative, resourceful, curious and capable of digging into data to identify opportunities and assess impact of sales and initiatives.

Ability to toggle between strategy and execution daily; not afraid to roll up their sleeves to get the job done.

Strong organizational skills with high detail orientation and the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.

Confident, outgoing and professional personality who has a guest-centric and empathetic mindset.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
10 years’ experience in a related marketing role, ideally in multi-unit restaurants or hospitality.
Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred.
Experience with leading CRM strategies and/or loyalty space.