Ep 97: Maria Hokanson EVP, Marketing, U.S. and Canada for Dairy Queen

May 1

In 2025, Dairy Queen turns 85 and in its eight-plus decades, it has evolved from being a simple soft-serve ice cream company to becoming one of the biggest QSR and burger brands in America! Dairy Queen’s philosophy is one of emotional connection, and bringing us closer to the brand today is its Executive Vice President of Marketing, Maria Hokanson. Maria walks us through Dairy Queen’s origins and history, what sets it apart from other brands in the space, what it aims to achieve in today’s climate, and how the way it has evolved since its inception has both highlighted and strengthened each of its core values. Then, we dive deeper into the brand by assessing its relationship with its franchisees, how it connects with its younger audience, its many store locations and remarkable brand reach, and how it uses old-school methods to make the most of modern technologies. Maria also explains the challenges of her work and how she overcomes them, how Dairy Queen uses AI for marketing, why she thinks that marketers deserve more respect, and her advice to anyone looking to follow a similar career path as hers.

Key Points From This Episode:

Introducing Maria Hokanson as she walks us through Dairy Queen’s office setup.
Danger girl and danger boy.
The history of the Dairy Queen brand, what sets it apart, and what it stands for today.
How Dairy Queen has evolved to keep up with, and embrace, the times.
The way the brand speaks to its younger consumers.
Dairy Queen’s store locations and brand reach.
Its marketing relationship with its franchisees, and how it gets involved in communities.
New age technologies versus old school methods, and everything in between.
The challenges that Maria experiences in her work and how she overcomes them.
Marketing adjustments that she’s made in 2024.
Everything you need to know about Dairy Queen and AI.
Why Maria believes that the role of marketing is being undervalued by the industry.
Her professional journey with Dairy Queen, and current job vacancies at the company.
TikTok, ROI, influencer marketing, and Zena Srivatsa Arnold/Sephora.