Russell J. Weiner is Chief Advertising Officer for Domino’s Pizza. Previously Pepsi’s Vice President of Advertising, Colas, Weiner has been named one in every of Brandweek’s High 10 Entrepreneurs of the Subsequent Era. Domino’s has 5,047 U.S.-based shops and three,726 worldwide areas. The corporate’s development in recent times has come abroad, whereas home shops have struggled.
PT: Are you able to evaluate and distinction what it’s prefer to work for Domino’s and Pepsi?
RW: They’re very totally different. Once you work for an organization with quite a lot of manufacturers versus an organization that’s singularly centered on one model … the whole lot we do after we get up each single day is deal with Domino’s Pizza. However there actually are quite a lot of similarities if you consider it. The family penetration of soda may be very excessive, and the family penetration of pizza may be very excessive. In a approach, every firm makes its enterprise attempting to insulate losses in sure areas of the enterprise and attempting to develop in others. I believe 2009 will likely be an excellent 12 months for Domino’s.
PT: What attracted you to Domino’s?
RW: Domino’s is likely one of the few QSR manufacturers that’s an actual thrilling model. I take into account myself a model man. I get actual excited in regards to the manufacturers I work on. There’s one thing in regards to the Domino’s model and the 49 years it’s been round. I’m getting right into a model with a wealthy historical past and that’s lucky sufficient to work with one of many premier advert businesses.
PT: You’ve most likely seemed again at Domino’s previous advertising efforts, each good and unhealthy. Fudgems wasn’t a excessive level. What measures will you are taking to make sure one thing like that isn’t repeated in your watch?
RW: We’re going to be very data-focused right here. We’re not going to place out a foul product — and I’m not saying it was a foul product; I wasn’t right here then — as a result of we gained’t launch a product if the information doesn’t help it. I’m an actual stickler in relation to analysis. We’re going to deal with the whole lot going ahead as if it’s a everlasting menu product.
PT: You most likely can’t disclose any product launches in the meanwhile, however is there something you suppose goes to do notably effectively that you may speak about?
RW: I really feel assured the whole lot we’re going to do in 2009 goes to do effectively. We’re doing among the similar sort of considering that was achieved behind sandwiches … incremental gadgets to drive gross sales.
PT: Do you work together with franchisees a lot to get their enter on promoting initiatives?
RW: The very best a part of my job is speaking with the franchisees. I really feel like I’ve the right job. I’m within the company atmosphere, however each day I speak to a small- or medium- sized enterprise proprietor. I’m an emotional man, and I actually take pleasure in speaking to the franchisees about their companies and listening to what they suppose will work. I’ll not at all times lend a hand as them, however I by no means disagree with them as a result of we’re all companions on this collectively. In the event that they don’t do effectively, we don’t do effectively. If we don’t do effectively, they don’t do effectively.
