Ep 57: Tana Davila is the Chief Marketing Officer for P.F. Chang's
So much is constantly changing in the world of marketing, and this is not only down to the tumult of the last two years. On the show today, we have a fascinating chat with Tana Davila, the CMO of P.F. Chang's, in which she shares her reflections on her career thus far and the most important progressive steps she has witnessed in her time in the industry. P.F. Chang's is a brand that has evolved immensely during its lifetime, starting as a sit-down Chinese restaurant chain, and now positioning itself as an omnichannel Asian culinary brand. Tana explains the idea of polished casual and how their digital transformation has led their forward motion. We also get some insight from our guest about how she worked her way up in the company, and what she believes has served her best on this journey. Other important topics covered in our conversation include the most recent Olo Beyond4 Conference, technology partnerships, and advice for young marketers, so be sure not to miss this great episode!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tana's early years in Switzerland and her passion for skiing!
A breakdown of P.F. Chang's current business model and important numbers.
Charting the brand's transformation before and during the pandemic.
Tana reflects on some of the highlights from the recent Olo Beyond4 Conference!
The vision at P.F. Chang's for the integration of new technologies and their services.
Thoughts on the important partnerships that P.F. Chang's has with third-party platforms.
What it takes to be a good tech partner according to Tana.
The increasing integration of marketing and IT in the space.
Driving traffic, conversions, and the funnel; Tana weighs in on how she thinks about their marketing strategy.
The marketing channels that P.F. Chang's is currently prioritizing.
The evolution of the local marketing strategy at P.F. Chang's during Tana's time at the company.
Lines of communication between corporate and local marketers at P.F. Chang's.
An overview of Tana's career, educational background, and her ascent at P.F. Chang's.
Reasons that learning about consumer-packaged goods branding can be so beneficial.
Advice for aspiring marketing professionals and making the most of learning opportunities.
How P.F. Chang's integrates mentoring into the business.
Quick thoughts on loyalty programs, Facebook, and influencer marketing.
Some ideas from Tana for who she would like to see on this show!
Tweetables:
“There has just been an evolution. For me personally, this has been a brand transformation project. It's been really the opportunity of a lifetime.” — Tana Davila [0:04:29]
“We make our food from scratch, and so that has been a core foundational element, and there's obviously a market demand for higher quality Asian food and I think that is our opportunity to continue to grow the business.” — Tana Davila [0:07:09]
“We want to allow people to use the brand however they want to use the brand.” — Tana Davila [0:13:21]
“From a pure brand perspective, we've tried to eliminate discounting, and really get out of the casual dining price wars world. I think we've been actually very successful at that.” — Tana Davila [0:15:00]