Ep 58: Brandon Coleman is Chief Marketing Officer for Dave & Buster's
The pandemic sent so many businesses spiraling, but our guest today is one of the admirable few who managed to turn it into a unique opportunity for growth and creativity! Brandon Coleman is the Chief Marketing Officer for Dave & Buster’s, and he took the helm of this iconic entertainment brand a mere two weeks before the pandemic struck. Brandon successfully reset and rebuilt an entire marketing tech stack through the thick of it and pivoted to a significant off-premise component, complete with virtual brands. In this episode, we learn about Brandon’s journey of keeping Dave & Buster’s afloat, the brand’s unique model for driving profitability, and their goal to achieve a one-to-one customer relationship at scale. We also take a deep dive into how Brandon filters, vets, and chooses his tech partners. Tune in to hear all this and so much more, including Brandon’s take on the implementation of new tech and information about a new MarTech job opening at Dave & Buster’s!
Key Points From This Episode:
Dave & Buster’s value proposition: fun.
The company’s elective hybrid schedule: three days in-office, two days remote.
A fun fact about our guest, Brandon Coleman, CMO of Dave & Buster’s.
The history of Dave & Buster’s and the franchise’s impressive footprint.
Dave & Buster’s pivot to off-premise business during the pandemic.
Dave & Buster’s unique model for driving profitability.
The flexible approach Dave & Buster’s took to serving its guests throughout the pandemic.
How they promote their virtual brands.
How Brandon took the opportunity to establish a new tech stack during the pandemic!
The new MarTech functions born of the pandemic.
Why Dave & Buster’s is moving towards a customer-empowered data privacy set.
The tremendous results of look-alike targeting.
The goal to function as a single owner-operator, at scale.
What to look for and what to avoid in a tech partner.
The dos and don’ts of implementing new tech.
Brandon’s advice for his younger self.
Dave & Buster’s MarTech job opening!
The power of influencer marketing.
Brandon’s take on Google and TikTok.
Tweetables:
“Our value proposition is fun and it's awesome to see that woven into the culture even here in the office.” — Brandon Coleman [0:03:01]
“With Dave & Buster’s, we have this unique value proposition and also the unique model for driving profitability, in that we have this entertainment, combined with the food and beverage.” — Brandon Coleman [0:09:56]
“A good approach is a balanced approach, and I think that will create a balanced marketer of the future.” — Brandon Coleman [0:20:08]
“The partners that we've had the best relationships with are the ones that we can find a shared purpose, and that are looking out for our business at all times.” — Brandon Coleman [0:29:21]