Richardmendell.online

Richard P. Mendell Proven Consumer Focused Strategies and Execution Brand Marketing - Packaging Innovation - Digital Signage - Print Communication and Production - Mentoring & Coaching 1700 Apache Trail, Edmond, OK 73003 (405) 330-3026(h) - (405) 471-9757(c) rmendell@gmail.com Summary of Qualifications • More Than 10 Years of Restaurant Marketing Experience • Expert in Digital Signage Network Creation and Programming • Sought Out Innovator in Retail Zone Communication • In Excess of $10 Million Dollars Career Savings With Process Reengineering • Adept At Forming and Working Within Cross-Functional Teams Professional Experience Sonic Drive-Ins Oklahoma City, OK 2007 – 2009 Director of Consumer Engagement/Director of Marketing Channels Led the on-lot messaging strategy including POP, Digital Signage, Packaging, Print and Outdoor for the successful and rapidly growing drive-in chain. Within the role, took responsibility for a range of functions including: • The strategic development of and execution of the 1100 unit plus digital signage network that allows real-time changes to on-screen content while allowing message customization on the corporate, local and franchisee level. • Developed and implemented, for the first time in the 50 year plus history of the brand, a centralized database of drive-ins tracking attributes that are important to marketing planning, such as stall count, signage restrictions and local menu customization. • Successfully planned, designed and launched new packaging for Tots/Fries, small sandwiches, sampling programs, salads and Popcorn Chicken. • A complete redesign of store level marketing communications, with most materials moving to online distribution. This change has resulted in a cost savings of more than $10,000 a month. • For the first time in the history of the brand, brought in an outside research organization to challenge preconceptions and assumptions about how consumers use the brand with empirical research, the learnings from which are being used to transform the entire on-lot messaging strategy. • Partnering with key production partners, engineered minor changes in process, sizes and materials to deliver more than $500K in savings while raw materials costs have increased nearly 20% versus year ago costs. Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust (Subway® Restaurants) Milford, CT 2006 – 2007 Senior Manager, In-Store (Customer) Experience Responsible, both strategically and tactically, for creating a customer experience that drives sales, transactions and profitability for the more than 28,000 Subway Restaurants and their franchisees worldwide. Within this role: • Led the multi-organizational and cross functional 2007 Subway Menu Team which created and deployed new menuboards for more than 23,000 store locations in 5 countries (US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand), resulting in both record same-store sales levels and record growth in beverage and side unit volumes. • Working directly with internal the research team and both outside consultants and syndicated market research sources, determined unmet consumer needs and trends. Partnering with these same groups, as well as the internal Analytics team, determined the efficacy of innovations and changes before launching new menus. This was the first time this kind of systematic approach had been used at Subway. • Faced with a franchisee community generally unwilling or unable to pay for costly marketing innovations, developed and successfully launched a program to install and operate an in-store digital signage network at no cost to franchisees, the franchisor or the advertising co-op. Revenue generated from selling advertising on one of two in-store LCD screens funds the entire program. CKE Restaurants, Inc. (Carl’s Jr.®) Carpinteria, CA 2001 –2005 Merchandising (Brand) Manager While at the innovative 1000 restaurant Carl’s Jr. brand, led key promotions all the way from strategic ideation to in-store execution. Key achievements included: • Worked with both internal and external consumer research partners to plan and execute all efforts in a way that was strategically designed to consistently reach, inform and entertain the core demographic (18-24 males) for the brand, while remaining accessible for users outside that core group. • Led cross-functional teams, including Operations, R&D, Logistics and Training staff, in addition to marketing, to drive new menu items through their life cycle, from ideation and planning, onto product development, testing and, finally, system wide launch for, among many, the following products: o The Six Dollar Burger® & Low-Carb Six Dollar Burger™ o Pastrami Burger o The Breakfast Burger™ o Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes & Malts™ o Channel Islands Roasting Company® Coffee • Led the creation of a new menu system from strategic planning to in-store implementation. By re-focusing the chain’s menus to complement the overall brand strategy, optimize menu mix and drive highly profitable beverage sales, store level profitability increased to such an extent that the ROI was less than 3 months for most stores. At the same time, operational throughput was improved and waste decreased, further decreasing the ROI time frame. • Created and implemented completely new systems for the production, fulfillment and billing of Point of Purchase materials which delivered millions in cost savings to both franchisees and the corporation while improving service to operators in the field. Pepsico/Tricon Global Restaurants/Yum Brands (Taco Bell Corp.) Irvine, CA 1996 – 2001 Merchandising Systems Analyst Implemented National, Regional & Test Marketing Programs for the Taco Bell brand. Work included: • Successfully deployed a new and troubled menu system by creating a system to identify and correct manufacturer defects before hardware was delivered to stores, saving the company millions of dollars in lost time, wasted production and vendor lawsuits. • Recognized with a “Taco Bell Way” award for creating and implementing a completely new franchise POP subscription system that successfully decreased costs while improving order accuracy. • Led a strategic analysis of POP usage & efficacy which changed the way the brand used POP in promotional modules. EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts in Political Science – California State University, Long Beach 42 menus menu innovaton mqsr hqsr qsr qsmr qshr international