- Business Strategy and Planning
- Analyzes category trends, business performance, and consumer insights to identify business opportunities, informing brand strategy and planning
- Analyzes key initiative performance to evaluate results and drive recommendations
- Menu Strategy
- Develop formal strategic insights and recommendations for Auntie Anne’s menu innovation by leveraging trend data, custom research, internal foundational tools, competitive assessments, and financial information
- Steward all ideas through each stage of the innovation funnel: landscape assessment, ideation, innovation briefing, idea screener, sensory test, operations test, market test, and launch
- Coordinate all testing plans directly with vendors and internal teams (including research vendors, go-to-market brand lead, and Operations/Field team)
- Analyze item-level P&Ls to understand food cost, margin, and overall profitability of various menu changes and recommendations
- Lead annual menu-change process for permanent items, including in-depth analysis of menu performance, recommendations for change, menu design and layout
- Develop working relationships with culinary, operations and supply chain to translate into effective ways of working on innovation
- Establish and maintain trust and credibility with franchisees, vendors, and marketing associates
- Insights
- Use qualitative and quantitative research to uncover insights on customers and competition to lead to actionable recommendations
- Partner with Research & Insight group and Business Intelligence team to leverage existing and acquire new insights
- Stay up to date on latest research innovative approaches, data sources, as well as consumer trends and needs.
The Innovation and Menu Manager will lead the support of successful menu strategy, ideation, development, and testing of new menu items and promotional Limited Time Offering menu items. The Manager of Menu & Innovation must be a strategic partner to the culinary and brand team, providing the team strategic thought leadership for our future menu by leveraging consumer insights, macro trend data, competitive assessments, and financial analyses – weaving all these inputs into recommendations for LTOs, new items, and core menu innovation. This role also requires strong analytical skills, as the Manager of Menu & Innovation will continuously lead in-depth analysis of our LTO performance, as well as analyze data to find opportunities within our existing menu. Finally, the Manager of Menu & Innovation must demonstrate strong project management skills, leading the brand’s innovation process, stewarding all ideas through stages & gates, and collaborating cross-functionally to execute ideas.
- Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, data science/ IT, communications, business, advertising, or other related field of study preferred
- 4-5+ years in Business or Marketing, Business Administration, Consumer Insights and/or Analytics, or related field
- 2-4 years experience leveraging primary research, performance data, and consumer insights into actionable business plans and initiatives
- Versed in all areas of brand marketing: Research, Brand, Innovation, Menu/Product Development, Insights & Planning, and Marketing Operations
- Understanding of marketing analytics including targeting, positioning, menu management, pricing and marketing product mix
- Working knowledge of how data and analytics shape brand strategy – ability to turn data into insights
- Ability to lead cross-functional teams through influence and form collaborative, cross-functional relationships
- Ability to jump from the creative side of marketing to the analytical side
- Ability to communicate complex concepts in clear concise language; to demonstrate active listening while engaging others; and to establish, implement, and clearly communicate strategies that align with business needs and objectives to gain buy-in from stakeholder
- Ability to work directly with culinary teams and translate their ideas into a cohesive menu strategy
- Ability to develop and maintain positive business relationships (e.g, senior management, stakeholders, other departments, etc.) and foster an environment of mutual respect, understanding, trust, and support
- Ability to anticipate and respond to the needs of stakeholders (e.g, internal and external customers, etc.) in a timely manner
- Project Management skills – ability to manage details and multiple partners
- Ability to adapt and adjust planned work through analyzing work demands, competing priorities, and tight deadlines; and to understand the most effective and efficient means to accomplish
- May be required to travel up to 25% of the time
