6 Brands Making Big Marketing Investments

Scoring deals is all about timing- pitching to brands and companies when they’re ready to spend. Finding that golden window of opportunity isn’t easy, particularly with so much competition. 

Proactive prospecting requires you and your sales team to be aware of shifts that suggest opportunity. When a brand bolsters it’s marketing team and sees spikes in spend to support these efforts, expansion is on the horizon. This creates a need for assistance in those expansion efforts, creating opportunity and available revenue. 

How can Winmo help? Winmo tracks these changes so that you don’t have to. Our team of in-house researchers provides daily reports on brands making big marketing investments so that you can spend less time prospecting and more time selling. 

The following brands are ramping up marketing investments now: 

• Athleta 
• Chewy 
• Bass Pro Shops 
• Norwegian Cruises 
• Papa John’s 
• Firestone Tires 

1. Athleta Names CMO to Prepare for Growth, Launches Campaign 

Athleta promoted Sheila Shekar Pollak to CMO, effective October, to replace incumbent Andrea Mallard. Prior to serving as the company’s CMO, Pollak’s most recent position was VP of Marketing. 

Several other promotions followed this shift in leadership in an attempt to prepare Athleta for growth since GAP will need to majorly leverage the brand to stay afloat. Athleta is the only non-struggling brand under its portfolio and will focus on new store openings as well as a heavier focus on marketing with new personnel in place. 

Agency and Martech Opportunity: Changes in leadership are the number one new business trigger, so agency and martech readers should reach out for work.  Rise Interactive is on digital, YARD is on creative and PHD is on media, so expect those agencies among your competition. Focus pitches helping Athleta stay top-of-mind amid competition like Lululemon, so it can take advantage of the growing athleisure market. Our in-house team reported on this opportunity in April, with a 9-12 month window for agency shifts. 

Media Seller Opportunity: Sellers are encouraged to focus on planning period Q1 and buying period Q4. Athleta targets women, especially millennials because of its purpose-driven nature. The majority of Athleta’s budgets are currently allocated to digital, though it also uses print, partnerships and experiential.

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2. Chewy Announces Focus on Pharmacy, Customer Experience after IPO 

Online pet retailer Chewy just went public and according to execs in the first earnings call, the company’s primary focuses include promoting pet health and preventative care. The company just recently opened a pharmacy and launched My Prescriptions in an effort to support these goals. 

Chewy also plans to improve the customer experience through product and tech initiatives such as their mobile app. Users now have the ability to receive push notifications, and Chewy plans to continue to increase personalization and security efforts. 

Chewy plans to begin investing more in brand marketing, and currently uses data-driven strategies across channels. These efforts have seen spend increases, which are expected to continue. Recent IPO funding will likely be used for operating expenses, which includes marketing. 

Media Seller Opportunity: Since spend is going up and expected to continue doing so, sellers should reach out. The company does not have a top spending period but instead spends highly throughout the year. It uses an omnichannel strategy to reach a wide audience, but those with high reach among millennials will likely have the advantage.

Agency and Martech Opportunity: With increased funding, Chewy expanded its marketing team recently as well. The company may bring on agencies to support large growth goals, so those with e-commerce experience in particular are encouraged to reach out. Focus pitches on supporting the company’s new spend strategies. 

Request a Demo for Access to Chewy Decision-Maker Contact Info

3. Bass Pro Shops Hires New CMO 

Bass Pro Shops has appointed a new CMO, Jamie Sohosky. Her start date is to be determined, she is currently serving as the VP of marketing of Walmart, one of several VP titles she has held. 

In the new role, Sohosky plans to lead omnichannel marketing strategies to optimize customer interaction with digital, social media, promotions, events, sponsorships, partnerships and other channels. 

Media Seller Opportunity: According to Adbeat, digital display spend for the past year has increased $40K. Bass Pro Shops spends throughout the year, but historically Q1 and Q3 have seen the highest spend. Spend in the past has also increased throughout the year, reaching its peak in Q4 likely due to the Hockey World Cup in November. Most of their stores are found throughout the Southeast, Northeast, and eastern side of the Midwest. Sellers are encouraged to reach out now for Q4 ad space. 

Agency and Martech Opportunity: With Sohosky’s new leadership, look out for an agency or creative review within the next 12-18 months. Competition will include current AORs for media buying and planning are Buntin for the brand Tracker Boats & out-of-home media and Spark Foundry for TV, radio, digital and search. Kuhl Swaine is still the AOR for creative and social. 

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4. Norwegian Cruises Possibly Moved Media Account, Creative Next?

Our in-house team of researchers received news that Norwegian Cruise Lines has moved media from Omnicom’s OMD, who has been on the account since summer of 2015. 

Media Seller Opportunity: For the first six months of 2019, iSpot reports that the cruise line has spend $19 million on national TV ads, spread out throughout the year in five roughly 25-day flights. This is a significant increase over the spend throughout the same period last year, which reached $1 million. Top shows suggest the target demographic consists of Boomers. 

Agency and Martech Opportunity: While the status of the cruise line’s media account is unknown, BBDO was hired as creative AOR around the same time OMD won media work. A creative review is likely to launch within 12-15 months, so don’t hesitate to begin reaching out to decision makers. 

Request a Demo for Access to Norwegian Cruises Decision-Maker Contact Info

5. Papa John’s to Invest $80M in Marketing, Focus on Brand-Building 

Papa John’s continues to struggle as same-store sales decreased by 6.9% in Q1, causing them to evaluate marketing strategies in place. According to an earnings call, Papa John’s plans to focus on limited time products, loyalty and promotion more highly on it’s ingredients, and continue to roll out the Loyalty Program moving forward. 

According to reports, Papa John’s also plans to invest an additional $80 million into marketing in Q3. Majority of these funds will go toward the national marketing fund and support the brand. Future brand initiatives include Shaw, who recently became a board member and brand ambassador. 

Media Seller Opportunity: With lots of marketing investments on the horizon, sellers are encouraged to reach out for revenue. Try to join planning conversations in Q1 and buying conversations in Q4, which also typically see spikes in spend. The target demographic consists of mostly male millennials. Papa John’s typically works through outdoor, print and radio channels. 

Agency and Martech Opportunity: Endeavor Global Marketing picked up creative in August, Havas Media Group picked up media in October, and Powell Tate picked up PR in August as well. However, agency shifts are not out of the question considering the brand’s recent struggles and the hire of Brandon Rhoten as the new CMO in April. Focus pitches on helping Papa John’s reverse struggles and bolster the brand. 

Request a Demo for Access to Papa John’s Decision-Maker Contact Info

6. Firestone Tires Launches Campaign, Aims to Widen Target Demo 

Firestone, the brand owned by Bridgestone Americas, launched a campaign called “Try ‘Em Yourself” in order to promote the brand’s 90 day buy and try guarantee. The digital video series began running in early June. 

Media Seller Opportunity: There may still be time to secure last-minute revenue for the campaign, so sellers are encouraged to reach out. Then, look out for planning period Q4 and buying period Q3. Firestone typically targets men, but has recently attempted to expand its demographic to millennial and Gen-Z. 

Agency and Martech Opportunity: After shuffling it’s marketing leadership, Bridgestone is likely to to make agency changes within the coming 12-18 months. Competition will most likely include Periscope on creative and media and Levelwing on social. 

Request a Demo for Access to Firestone Tires Decision-Maker Contact Info