Dunkin' Donuts fills CMO role with agency vet

Dive Brief:

Dunkin' Donuts has named Tony Weisman its new U.S. chief marketing officer, per a company news release.
Weisman most recently served as the North American CEO of Publicis' DigitasLBi agency, where he led the Dunkin' Donuts account for six years. He will also serve on the Dunkin' Brands leadership team to position the company as a leading coffee brand, the release said.
Dunkin's CMO spot had been open since mid-2016 when Chief Global Customer and Marketing Officer John Costello retired, according to Ad Age. Starting later this month, Weisman will handle product innovation, field marketing, consumer insights and advertising, as well as the brand's digital and consumer packaged goods (CPG) initiatives.

Dive Insight:

Massachusetts-based Dunkin' Donuts is clearly realigning its executive structure to strengthen current marketing initiatives. One of the more significant efforts Weisman might initially steer is a rebrand: The coffee giant is considering changing its name to just "Dunkin'," with a single storefront in Pasadena, CA, already adopting the shorter moniker.

This change would better position the brand as a coffee destination to compete with the likes of Starbucks, according to CBS, and would also more closely align with its most well-known marketing campaign and slogan, "America Runs on Dunkin'." A final decision about the rebranding would happen late next year when the chain begins redesigning its 8,500 stores in the U.S.

Given Weisman's previous role as CEO of DigitasLBi and work with Dunkin', he comes to the coffee giant with a deeper understanding of its marketing priorities. Dunkin' spent $150 million on measured media in 2016, according to Ad Age.

More broadly, QSR chains have spent several years revamping their go-to market strategies to put a stronger emphasis on digital technology as a way to better connect with young on-the-go consumers. Dunkin' Donuts has been one of the leaders on this front, launching a successful digital loyalty program and being active with chatbots and consumer engagement across a number of different platforms, including iMessage, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook Messenger.