Smashburger’s CMO on righting the brand’s course with a new visual identity

Burger chains like Shake Shack, Smashburger and 5 Guys mainly cook dinner their patties the identical method, however solely certainly one of these manufacturers named itself after the tactic. Based in 2007, Smashburger took its identify from the evocatively-dubbed method and has greater than 200 places throughout the U.S. and Canada. However after making investments and choices geared to the challenges of the pandemic period, the chain discovered itself ill-prepared for long-term development.

Smashburger this yr hit the reset button within the C-suite, hiring Starbucks veteran Denise Nelsen as CEO and former Qdoba government Jim Sullivan as chief growth officer. The chain additionally employed as CMO Thomas Prather, an government who had spent greater than a decade in varied roles at Starbucks, who has been onerous at work righting the course for a model he says was “adrift” in recent times.

“Our model wasn’t well-known,” Prather mentioned. “We might have 20 completely different logos out within the market, so even in the event you appreciated Smashburger, you did not know if it was a mom-and-pop or if it was a [chain].”

The corporate additionally had let its menu develop and wasn’t reinforcing its worth proposition as “burger specialists,” and — like many chains within the post-COVID interval — was struggling to stability the wants of being a fast-casual with a dine-in expertise that can be optimized for supply and on-line ordering. A lot of the work that wanted to be achieved fell beneath the purview of Prather, who started just a few months earlier than his appointment was formally introduced in Could.

“I am two months in, I am going to a management convention with 200 folks, and I say that the model has to get its swagger again, and that was my job — to assist them get the swagger again,” he recalled.

Revamped and rebranded

To reset Smashburger with a deal with development, the chain’s new C-suite shortly narrowed in on two foundational areas: a brand new menu and a brand new model identification. Lately, hen sandwiches and wings had begun to take up extra actual property on the chain’s menus; the chain has now streamlined its menu to strengthen fairness round its namesake merchandise.

The launch of the brand new menu in mid-September coincided with the brand new model identification that was created in collaboration with X&O, the company that additionally labored with the chain on current model analysis. As a brand new CMO, Prather discovered the rebrand concurrently “exhilarating and terrifying.”

“We had been capable of transfer actually quick with [X&O] as a result of that they had that background with us and [knew] what we had been making an attempt to perform,” Prather mentioned. “Getting that by the system into trademark filings and stuff in document time was cool, however once more, ridiculously scary.”

The fashion of the rebrand is daring and up to date, with a easy palette of darkish orange and burgundy complimented by cream and black. For the brand, the bottom of “S” stands in for the load of the smasher and it sits on a stylized model of an irregular circle to characterize the patty that enables the chain to indicate up in “arresting and disruptive” methods.

“We needed to create an icon that — sooner or later, 20 years from now — all we have now to do is put that icon up and folks know that it is Smashburger,” Prather mentioned. “We all know we’re not going to get there straight away.”

The rebranded brand can be supposed to assist the model stand out on third-party aggregator apps which have turn into a key channel for meals ordering and supply, however tend to (no pun supposed) flatten the model expertise. Smashburger is working to make the model seen on aggregators by a mix of gives and sponsored listings.

“We wish to meet the shopper the place they’re. Aggregators are nonetheless an vital a part of our enterprise mannequin, they usually’re vital for attain, as nicely,” the exec mentioned.

Filling the funnel

Aggregators may be useful to introduce the model to new customers, however Smashburger is working to maneuver these prospects into its digital ecosystem by its app and loyalty program. The chain launched a brand new app two weeks after the menu and rebrand launch and is providing a free basic burger by the tip of the yr for customers that obtain and join.

“It is producing what we needed to generate… Getting that digital ecosystem transferring is certainly one of my high three [priorities]” alongside growing model visibility and menu innovation, Prather defined.

Smashburger can be working to stability lower-funnel efforts which can be extra optimized for conversion, on-line ordering and getting folks onto the app with always-on digital performs that look to drive consciousness that’s not reliant on new merchandise or limited-time gives.

“We put money into the underside of the funnel, however we do not have sufficient folks on the high of the funnel to make the underside of the funnel ship the appropriate income for us,” Prather mentioned. “We’ll see if having bursts of activations retains the model high of thoughts or provides the model alternative for some visibility and getting within the dialog is a greater method.”

In type, Smashburger on Nov. 20 launched an out-of-home effort in New York, Denver and Houston that inspired customers to gather spare change and improve their burgers over conventional quick meals choices. The activation — staged outdoors of McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s places — featured three-dimensional sculptures crafted solely from cash and is an instance of the kind of activations Prather desires Smashburger to run to interrupt by within the class.

“The thrilling factor is we’re a 17-year-old model that looks like we’re again on day one,” Prather mentioned. “Now we have a fantastic basis to develop from, and it is about making some choices that get us seen by the shopper and get them fascinated by us, as a result of the product will ship.”