Ep 78: Brad Haley is the Chief Marketing Officer for Dave’s Hot Chicken

Sep 6

We’ve heard many rags-to-riches stories from startups all across the country, but few compare to the near-instant success of the fast-growing food brand, Dave’s Hot Chicken. Its CMO, Brad Haley, joins us once again after his previous appearance on the show as the CMO of IHOP. After finding out an interesting fact about Brad that many didn’t know, our guest then walks us through the story of Dave’s Hot Chicken, what initially attracted him to the brand, Drake and other big-name investors of the company, and how he approaches this role differently compared to his previous jobs. Dave’s Hot Chicken was born in the social-digital age, and our guest explains how Instagram has been key to its success, why cultural impact matters more than sales, adapting to the digital age as a marketer, and everything you need to know if you are a new marketer with CMO aspirations. Few are as accomplished as Dave when it comes to successfully implementing game-changing campaigns, and after summating the current state of marketing, Dave explains why the Jack in the Box campaign stands out from all the rest in his remarkable career. If you’d like to hear more about working with Dave’s Hot Chicken and perhaps becoming a franchisee of your own, then be sure to tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

Welcoming Brad Haley back to the show, this time as CMO for Dave’s Hot Chicken.
Brad’s love for comics and how he’s shared this love with his son.
The story of Dave’s Hot Chicken.
How Brad ended up joining Dave’s Hot Chicken; what attracted him to the brand.
Some of the key players and high-profile investors of Dave’s Hot Chicken.
How Dave’s approach to his current role differs from the companies he previously worked at.
The relationship between Dave’s Hot Chicken and Instagram.
Why Brad is still focused on big, culturally impactful campaigns, even at a local chain.
Exploring Dave’s Hot Chicken’s social reach and impact.
Why Brad singles out Jack in The Box as the standout campaign from his glittering career.
His summation of the current state of marketing.
Why he’s focused more on impacting culture than driving sales.
The advantages of being digitally native, and adapting to the digital age as a marketer.
Assessing the guidelines and marketing responsibilities of a Dave’s Hot Chicken franchise.
Why search optimization remains a priority for Brad and his team.
The current state of Dave’s Hot Chicken’s workforce, and future job opportunities.
His advice to entry-level marketers who have CMO aspirations.
Today’s rapid-fire topics: AI-powered marketing, Generation Z, and influencer marketing.