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Food Network's former marketing maven offers best branding strategies at October Fast Casual Executive Summit

As the former marketing and branding executive for food media powerhouses like Food Network and the Cooking Channel, Susie Fogelson has a lot to share with restaurant leadership about the art of selling their brands today. She will do just that at the upcoming Fast Casual Executive Summit, Oct. 7-9 in Seattle.

August 15, 2018

From social media and the infinite assortment on online venues to traditional marketing and branding strategies, promoting your brand today is a very complex business. The upcoming Fast Casual Executive Summit, Oct. 7-9 in Seattle has you covered, though, with a comprehensive session on the subject, featuring former Food Network and Cooking Channel marketing maven, Susie Fogelson.

"How to Execute Winning Marketing Campaigns," will give operators inside information on how to build the best strategy today to boost their brands' positive marketing measurements.  

"Without social media, many restaurants have limited platforms that offer scale and storytelling opportunities," said Fogelson,  a judge on "Next Food Network Star," founder of F&Co and one of the session's panelists. "QSR, fast casual and casual dining are often focused on the LTO strategy that creates a quick fix that can spike sales but leaves consumers with little loyalty for the brand.  

One of the biggest mistakes restaurants make, she said, is forgetting that they are brands first. 

"When a chain is primarily offer-driven, the voice, tone and manner of the brand is diluted or worse yet, it becomes synonymous with the offer. Think '$5 Footlongs,'" Fogelson said. "Honing in on a unique and ownable point of view from which all communication emanates is key."

By way of example, she said the Arby's brand gets this idea right. 

"Speaking a savory language that celebrates both the food and the fans of their type of food, Arby's has the meats, and they invite you to indulge. Their offers are secondary to their loving descriptions of delectable sandwiches. They fully embrace who they are and what they and their consumers love."

Other panelists include:
• Rachel Layton, Taziki's Mediterranean Café vice president of marketing and growth
• Linda Veatch, Fuzzy's Taco Shop vice president of marketing
• Billie Jo Waara, Cici's Pizza chief marketing officer
• Melissa Marquis, GFX International vice president of business development

Register here for the Summit.
 

Photo: iStock