Panera's Drayton Martin on Brand Building, Managing Change and Purpose Marketing

John Paquin Panera Bread has a rich history of firsts starting with having created the quotfast casualquot category How has the category evolved since particularly during COVID and how has Panera Bread managed to stay out ahead of that change or even perhaps drive itDrayton Martin At Panera we are fanatical about the guest experience We ask ourselves how can we make the experience a great one And then how can we make great even better Focusing on our guest pushes us to constantly look ahead whether its in our brand work our bakerycafe design contactless experiences our digital offerings it all comes back to innovating for the guest experience When it comes to elevating the guest experience we believe in the familiar made fantastic So taking what guests know and generously adding something more to make it fantastic For example every restaurant has an array of beverages But Panera offers so much more exclusive access to unlimited beverages as part of our Unlimited Sip ClubInvite job candidates to apply live during the Media and Advertising Communityamp8217s Black Talent Outreach Week at MediaVillagecom and AdvancingDiversityorg October 1720 Apply for jobssubmit your resume hereamp160Paquin How do you think of the competitive landscape for Panera Who do you see as your competition How has that changed during COVID and do you see those changes as transitory or permanentMartin Our guest defines the competition for us wherever they are when they aren39t with us is our competition For Panera we try not to get distracted by what others are doing instead by keeping a laser focus on what our guests want and need we stay true to what we39re here to do for them and that39s creating phenomenal experiencesPaquin What was the single biggest lesson learned from your Dunkin39 experience that you carried with you to Panera BreadMartin You must own who you are as a brand In identifying what is most essential to the brand and focusing everything on that you bring what is most powerful about the brand to lifePaquin You were a driver of enormous change at Dunkin39 Beyond the obvious how are the two brands similardifferent How about the categories What from your past were you able to apply and what was your learning curve lie for the quotfast casualquot segmentMartin Both are storied brands with deep connections with their guests and their communities Each inspire rituals and routines that become touchstones for guests Where and when they compete are starkly different Dunkin39 is a beverageforward brand focusing primarily on the breakfast daypart Panera serves delicious food you feel great about eating across all meal occasions So the expansive dayparts and meal types are quite different because the routines and needs at each meal occasion are quite distinct As far as learning curve my primary obsession was immersing myself in Panera and the role it plays in culturePaquin Panera Bread is a strong wellestablished brand with a dedicated following and powerful equity Yet you must certainly have come on board with a mandate for evolution if not change How did you decide what to keep and what to leave behindMartin We keep a laser focus in staying true to who we are Panera is a brand with so many compelling commitments so it was key to evaluate it all to identify which were the most valuable true cornerstones to our brand Our Consumer Insights practice is bestinclass so there was robust research that guided our decisionsPaquin With Panera39s strong equity built on so many industry quotfirstsquot focus on health sustainability responsibility to society would you call Panera Bread a quotpurposequot brand How would you describe your Brand PurposeMartin Panera is driven by our purpose to create a healthier and happier world Healthy because of our commitment to clean quality ingredients unlocking the potential of our associates donating our unsold baked goods to help our neighbors in need and focusing on making a positive impact on the climate Happier because of what our delicious craveable meals help to facilitate among our guests memories experiences and fulfillment in the moment and longterm Everything we do ties back to our purpose and we were proud to be recognized this year on the Purpose Power Index as the only restaurant on its list of the 2022 top purposedriven brandsPaquin And finally we have to ask are you losing quotbreadquotMartin Definitely not Bread is our last name We are doubling down on bread Our heritage as a bakery inspires so much of our craft Our bread bowl will always be fullClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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Panera's Drayton Martin on Brand Building, Managing Change and Purpose Marketing

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"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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Panera's Drayton Martin on Brand Building, Managing Change and Purpose Marketing

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"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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