As the burger wars continue to rage, and new and existing entrants attempt to steal marketshare and consumer dollars one fry at a time, Sarah Beech is constantly thinking what a fast food restaurant can be and the diverse tastes it can satisfy.
As regional marketing manager at Burger King Canada, a position she has held since October 2013, Beech executes and evaluates strategic marketing plans for both corporate and franchise restaurants to increase consumer visits, generate sales and increase profits in Ontario and Manitoba.
It is, as she says, her job to ensure Burger King remains competitive and top of mind with Canadian consumers. And it’s a job she does incredibly well.
Tracy Chin-Sam, associate marketing director at Burger King Canada, says Beech, who has approximately 120 restaurants in her portfolio, is proactive and incredibly efficient in what she does.
“She’s a strategic thinker and always thinking about what the competition is doing in the marketplace as well as understanding the consumers in her region,” says Chin-Sam.
One of the most interesting things about working on the Burger King brand, says Beech, is engaging with and learning more about consumers. For instance, through consumer research and data, Beech and her team introduced the Angry Whopper and Buffalo chicken strips for those looking for spicier options on the menu.
Beech is equally as excited by her work with local communities on behalf of the Burger King brand, allowing her to marry her passion for marketing with her desire to do good. Beech recently worked on a sponsorship deal with the Regent Park Film festival, a free of charge community film festival in Toronto that showcases local and international independent works relevant to inner-city communities. Burger King will be providing lunch to festival volunteers. Beech is also in the midst of launching the Canadian arm of a national bursary program called the Burger King McLamore Foundation that helps students offset the costs of post secondary education.
“We’re very particular about who it is we decide to partner with and how we partner with them,” says Beech of the chains charitable affiliations. “It comes down to level of engagement, level of request and what we’re able to accommodate in terms of budget.”
Just as important as the relationship with its diners and local communities, is the partnerships between Burger King and its franchisees. It’s sometimes a delicate balance that requires open and honest engagement and a proactive approach, says Beech.
“If there’s not transparent and frequent communication you can end up going in opposite directions, so ensuring you have everyone in the boat rowing in the same direction is really important,” she says.
Time management is extremely important when trying to assess the different needs of restaurants in sometimes very different parts of the province. The marketing opportunities in Toronto, for instance, are different than those in Windsor or Waterloo.
“It’s really understanding what the plan is for that particular program and that particular period and how it’s going to benefit everyone equitably rather than go off script for the short term gain… and what the long term benefits will be not only for the restaurant, but the franchise and the brand,” she says.
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