Since 1953, Sonic Drive-In has grown to become the largest drive-in chain in the United States. Today, we have 3,500+ stores across 47 states and generate $5.5bn in system sales. As we continue to innovate and grow, we are adding a new position to the Sonic Marketing leadership team, VP of Brand Experience. If you love building great brand experiences and connecting with consumers, and driving strategic growth at scale, then we’d love to speak with you.

This leader will lead a team responsible for the Sonic brand experience strategy across the end-to-end consumer journey and strategic marketing activities. This leader will work closely with the chief marketing officer to develop the annual strategic marketing plan, including brand positioning, business challenges and imperatives, and strategic go-to-market plans. The VP Brand Experience role was created to oversee the execution of brand plans that deliver against topline goals. This leader will work cross-functionally with internal and external stakeholders, and agency partners to maximize brand performance and ensure continuity across digital and physical touchpoints. This leader will serve as the connective point between Sonic and Inspire’s Commercial Group leaders in Digital Retail, Customer Marketing, and Consumer Insights. They will set the annual calendar and own key workstreams such as the annual marketing calendar, promo/offer strategy and major sponsorships & partnerships

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborates with Sonic Brand Senior Management and Commercial Group teams to develop annual and long-range strategy
• Support KPI tracking and ensure performance is monitored and addressed across activities and teams
• Ensure activities are standardized at collaboration points with shared services
• Fosters ongoing Franchisee engagement of initiatives and marketing strategy, as well as is the Executive Leader of the Brand budgets
• Responsible for the development and maintenance of the owned national/open offer and promotional strategy by determining the promotional weight toward each product and segment opportunity
• Responsible for development and adoption of growth opportunities across the full brand experience
• Direct brand calendar strategy, utilizing cross-functional inputs (e.g., Limited Time Product Offerings, ops/marketing initiatives) Manage ad fund and commercial group allocations

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, economics, or related field required. MBA or similar graduate degree preferred
• 15+ years of experience in Strategy, Marketing, Research, Data Analytics, Consulting, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in brand leadership role, managing people and processes
• Strategically-minded marketer with strong business acumen, including P&L fluency – a general manager mindset
• Deep understanding of brand DNA, including but not limited to market size, competitive positioning, target consumer segments
• Creative thinker and conceptual problem-solver who can unlock growth opportunities across the brand experience
• Strong communication skills and ability to speak and write concisely and effectively, adapting messages to a range of audiences
• Self-starter and entrepreneurial leader who performs in a lean, fast-paced environment
• Thrives in a collaborative, matrixed, and cross-functional organization with strong ability to influence
• Ability to develop and mentor others
• High EQ, internally and with Franchisees

 

Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,000 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide.

We’re made up of some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands, but we’re much more than just a restaurant company. We’re a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table. We know that food is much more than a staple—it’s an experience. At Inspire, that’s our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.