10 Marketers to Know: Heather Neary

Auntie Anne's didn't accidentally earn the title "World's Largest Soft Pretzel Franchise." The 1,200 unit brand, a subsidiary of FOCUS Brands since 2010, dominates the market with a rock-solid product and a variety of build outs options, boasting $441.4 million in sales in 2011. Keeping the pretzel business interesting is Chief Marketing Officer Heather Neary. After joining the Auntie Anne's in 2005, sales have more than doubled to their present figure. Innovative programs such as a recently-implemented mobile ad campaign have kept the pretzel brand a step ahead of competitors and maintaining an impressive track record of same-store sales growth. We asked Neary about her background, how marketing is evolving and what trends to watch for in the coming years. 1851: How did you get into marketing? Neary: My first job out of college was in the publishing world. I was the editor of an e-business magazine during the boom of the dot-com days. While I liked what I was doing, I was more inclined to be challenged on a different level. A relocation from California to New York was just what I needed to tiptoe into the world of marketing. I took a position as a marketing assistant and instantly loved the fast-paced, never-know-what-the-day-might-hold work. How important do you feel the consumer relationship is to franchise development? The consumer relationship is absolutely critical to franchise development because we rely on word-of-mouth endorsements. If a consumer likes our product and speaks favorably about their experiences with our brand, they will be more inclined to consider owning an Auntie Anne’s store as a potential career. Many of our franchise partners became involved in our brand because they really loved the taste of a fresh, hot, golden brown pretzel. Many franchise partners were our guests who became our franchise partners! How important is social media for your brand? Since 2009, social media has been an integral part of our communications network with consumers. We recognize that consumers' comments are critical to shaping the brand. With this in mind, Auntie Anne's seeks to effectively engage fans and followers and turn them into ready brand advocates. Our Facebook wall serves as a forum for consumers' nostalgia, and we consistently "like" comments and reply to wall posts from enthusiastic fans who offer flavor suggestions, request more store locations or share information about their favorite Auntie Anne's snacks. Our pretzel lovers appreciate that we take the time to engage with them on a one-to-one basis. Also, by turning negative comments into an opportunity to engage with that follower, our brand may gain an unlikely brand advocate who appreciates the personal attention. Do you have any tips for franchisees when it comes to local store marketing? The most important local marketing tip is to get involved in your community, in your mall, in your venue and become the go-to person for whatever the request may be. If you’re in a mall or transportation center (as many of our stores are), make sure you’re the person the venue manager thinks about when he or she needs a catered lunch or snacks. Local store marketing also boils down to service. Your employees, your crewmembers, are your front-line marketers, and they have a significant impact on the marketing of your store. If they’re friendly, accommodating, service-minded, and passionate about what they’re doing,  your customers will leave your store with a smile on their face and will speak about your store fondly to others. If your crew isn’t able to deliver a top-notch experience every time, that will be broadcast, too. Do you feel advertising has shifted? Do you recommend a shift in budget towards digital? Advertising has certainly shifted because there are many more mediums for consumers to hear a message from your brand. Whether it’s the shift from three major television networks to multiple cable networks to DVR, or a shift from reading a newspaper to reading your daily headlines online, consumers are interacting with brands differently today than they were even five years ago. Auntie Anne’s is definitely an impulse purchase. We know that most of our guests don’t come to the mall *just* to get a pretzel. They come to the mall to get their kids a new pair of sneakers, then stop by their Auntie Anne’s Pretzel store for their favorite Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Nuggets. That being said, we don’t do engage in a lot of traditional advertising, but we have found a lot of value in advertising in the digital space. Whether it’s through Facebook or through mobile advertising, we want to be where the conversation is happening. If our guests are in the digital space, it’s important that we’re there for them.