Steve's breakdown: Media companies tent to defend their accounts but MediaCom is not. That means agencies should approach with caution.

NEW YORK, NY: Swedish clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz has launched a U.S. media review, per sources.

The company spends close to $25 million annually on U.S. ads, according to Nielsen.

The incumbent is WPP Group's MediaCom, which has elected not to defend, sources said. A list of contenders was not immediately available.

MediaCom declined to comment, referring queries to the client. An H&M rep did not return a call.

The retailer entered the U.S. market in 2000 and now has over 200 stores. H&M reported worldwide sales of roughly $1.4 billion in 2010. 

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/account-activity/e3i6c8550a4e356a5a21250119651f1d785

Steve's breakdown: With so many agencies trying to get into the "green" business, I'm compelled to post these news items. If anything, they should be doing corporate advertising.

SAN RAMON, CA: Phoenix Solar today announced the formation of its North American executive leadership team, now positioned to leverage the company's global market leadership and proven expertise at delivering solar PV power plants and long-term Operations services. Since 1999, Phoenix Solar has installed solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants generating over 650 MWp globally and is operating over 180 MWp under long-term contracts.  

Phoenix Solar AG previously announced its entry into the North American market with Phoenix Solar Inc. in August 2010. The Company's North American headquarters is located at the Bishop Ranch office park in San Ramon, California.  Paul J. Caudill, with over 30 years of power generation and renewable energy industry experience, was appointed by the Board of Directors to serve as Chief Executive Officer and President.  Mr. Caudill comes to Phoenix Solar from a leading global solar industry company, where he served as head of Global Operations.  

Stated Mr. Caudill, "Phoenix Solar is fortunate to have been able to attract a world-class North American leadership team with a keen understanding of what it takes to design, finance, construct, operate and maintain commercial and large-scale PV power plants. The team shares a consensus view that our business success will almost entirely be determined by how we meet the needs of each and every customer for our solar power plant services."

Mr. Caudill continued, "Because we don't manufacture solar cells or modules, we are technology-neutral.  Our team's goal inNorth America, as it has been for over 11 years on a global scale, is to meet the unique design, budget and technical requirements of each of our customers by providing solar power plants with the optimum price-to-performance ratio."

Phoenix Solar's North American leadership team includes:

• Paul J. Caudill, Chief Executive Officer & President, is a proven senior executive with leadership experience in conventional utility-scale power generation, transmission, and distribution. A significant portion of his professional training and work experience is founded in the U.S. commercial nuclear power generation business. Paul began his career in project management and project controls with Bechtel Power Corporation, one of the world's most successful engineering, procurement and construction companies.  He holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor's degree in Business and Public Management from theUniversity of Arizona.
• Peter Beucke, Chief Operating Officer, is a licensed architect, real estate broker and contractor with over 25 years of design, engineering, and construction experience.  Prior to joining Phoenix Solar, he served as the Director of Global Design Engineering for a solar industry leader.  In this role, Mr. Beucke was deeply involved in the design and construction of some of the world's largest roof and ground-mounted solar plants in the U.S. and Europe.  Mr. Beucke has previous experience as Senior Vice President for the San Francisco Bay Area division of Lennar Homes, one of the nation's largest homebuilders.  He holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Design from Arizona State University's College of Architecture.
• Bryan Meier, Chief Financial Officer, joins Phoenix Solar from Verasun Energy Corp., where he served as Vice President of Finance and then Chief Financial Officer.  Bryan has previous experience as Vice President and Corporate Controller at ViaSystems Group, Inc., a leading provider of complex multi-layer printed circuit boards (PCBs) and Electro-Mechanical Solutions to OEMs. Over the course of his 23-year career in finance, Mr. Meier has also held senior financial management positions at several other firms and started his career at accounting firm Arthur Andersen.  Bryan is a Certified Public Accountant  and holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Accounting and Finance from the University of Missouri in St. Louis.
• Arra Yerganian, Chief Sales Officer, brings broad senior management experience to Phoenix Solar, having held key leadership roles in sales, marketing and general management at a range of customer-focused companies. Over the course of his 25-year career, Mr. Yerganian has served in senior sales and marketing roles at Procter & Gamble, Dial Corp., and Infogrames Entertainment (Atari). He was a senior executive at two of the nation's largest homebuilders and President of both a business marketing solutions firm and a web-based consumer marketplace. Arra received a Bachelor's of Science degree in International Marketing & Operations Management from Boston University, and upon graduation earned the Scarlet Key distinction for academic excellence and campus leadership.  He completed an Executive Education Program in Strategic Marketing Management at Harvard Business School.
• Les A. Lifter, Chief Marketing Officer, brings over 22 years of corporate and brand marketing expertise to Phoenix Solar Inc. Prior to joining Phoenix Solar, he was Vice President, Strategic Marketing for Lennar, one of the nation's largest public homebuilders, overseeing marketing and sales efforts for the company's residential solar initiatives.  Les has leveraged his strong customer-focused approach while leading marketing efforts for small, mid-sized and large organizations, holding key marketing and leadership positions with Unilever, Hasbro and AutoZone. Les holds a Master's degree in Business Administration in Marketing & International Business from New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business and a Bachelor's degree in Management from Emory University.
• Charles "Chip" Pospisil, Vice President, Project Controls, is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has served as project manager and project control specialist on dozens of successful large-scale projects in the energy field.  Chip has actively managed large-scale Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) projects, enterprise project management solution implementations, information technology initiatives and company start-ups. Chip draws on over 30 years of experience to design and implement cost control and risk management solutions for project portfolios. Chip received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Connecticut.
• Nick de Vries, Vice President, Plant Operations & Engineering, has over 15 years of solar energy, semiconductor and military experience. He comes to Phoenix Solar from Applied Materials, a technology leader in both the solar and semiconductor industries. With Applied Materials, Nick served as Director of Field Operations in the Solar Business Division, where he was involved in the design, construction and operation of the company's first thin-film solar factories.  Prior to Applied Materials, Nick was an Infantry Captain in the United States Army and served in active duty in Kuwait andBosnia-Herzegovina.  Nick graduated from Lehigh University with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He holds two patents related to photovoltaic technology and one patent related to semiconductor technology.

Commenting on the North American market opportunity, Mr. Caudill said, "We are in the enviable position of being able to leverage Phoenix Solar's well-established international reputation, proven project engineering expertise and proprietary operations and maintenance technology for the benefit of solar customers operating in the U.S. and Canada."

About Phoenix Solar

Phoenix Solar is a global leader in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of solar photovoltaic power plants. The company's technology-neutral approach allows us to objectively provide the best solar solutions for our customers.  Phoenix Solar Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Phoenix Solar AG (www.phoenixsolar.com), headquartered in Sulzemoos, Germany.  For more information, please visit www.phoenixsolar.us or call 925-659-3700.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/phoenix-solar-announces-formation-of-north-american-leadership-team-117060863.html

Steve's breakdown: These are some very big changes and even though Crispin Porter has been doing a great job with the American account, who knows . . .

MIAMI, FL: Burger King Corp. (BKC) today announced changes to the company's global brand management and operations function, as well as to its North America marketing structure. Effective immediately, BKC has aligned the company's global brand marketing and global operations teams to create a single Global Brand Marketing and Operations function.

Additionally, BKC has aligned its North American marketing efforts with the region's operations function; a structure consistent with the marketing model that the company utilizes in all of the global regions in which the BURGER KING^® brand operates. This approach enables faster decision-making; increases regional accountability and ensures consistency of the brand's marketing and operational standards around the world.

As a result of this realignment, the following company executives will assume roles of expanded responsibility:

• Jonathan Fitzpatrick, formerly executive vice president (EVP), global operations, has assumed the newly created role of EVP, chief brand and operations officer overseeing alloperations and marketing brand standards; global R&D, product innovation and global brand management.
• Steve Wiborg, EVP and president, North America, has taken on an expanded role that includes direct responsibility for all North America marketing efforts.

“Our new marketing and operations alignment under Jonathan’s global leadership and Steve’s North America leadership will allow us to maintain our global standards, while providing us with the flexibility we need to execute initiatives on a regional level based on local business needs,” said Bernardo Hees, chief executive officer, Burger King Corp. “With this new structure in place, we can be more nimble with our decision-making process and marketing execution, which will better resonate with the millions of guests around the world who enjoy the BURGER KING^®brand every day.”

As a result of these structural changes, Global Chief Marketing Officer Natalia Franco will be leaving the organization. Franco will support BKC through a transition period.

“During her tenure at BKC, Natalia has made important contributions to the brand; building the foundation for us to deliver strong marketing messages and executions that will resonate with our consumers long-term," added Hees. "I would like to thank Natalia for her energy and commitment to the BURGER KING^® brand and wish her well in her future endeavors.”

ABOUT BURGER KING CORPORATION

The BURGER KING^® system operates more than 12,200 restaurants in all 50 states and in 76 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of BURGER KING^®restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. In 2008, Fortune magazine ranked Burger King Corp. among America's 1,000 largest corporations and Ad Week named it one of the top three industry-changing advertisers within the last three decades. In October 2010, Burger King Corp. was purchased by 3G Capital, a multi-billion dollar, global investment firm focused on long-term value creation, with a particular emphasis on maximizing the potential of brands and businesses.

http://www.istockanalyst.com/business/news/4927274/burger-king-corp-announces-changes-to-global-brand-marketing-and-operations-structure

Steve's breakdown: Maybe it was the ex-CEO who told Kenneth to do his Cairo tweet which is pictured above. Then this would make sense. Kidding! Either way, there are big changes going on and these folks love great work so stay tuned.

NEW YORK, NY: The Board of Directors of Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc., a leading designer and marketer of fashion footwear, apparel and accessories, today announced that they and Chief Executive Officer Jill Granoff have mutually agreed that Ms. Granoff will leave her position as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and resign her seat on the Company's Board, effective immediately. Kenneth Cole, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, will act as Interim Chief Executive Officer. Paul Blum, who was with the Company for 15 years and served as President from 2002 to 2006, has agreed to return to the Company and assume the role of Vice Chairman.

"I would like to thank Jill for her contributions and dedication to the company," said Mr. Cole. "I have a very high regard for her, and appreciate all of her efforts over the last couple of years. I wish her the best in her future endeavors."

"It is with mixed emotions that I announce my departure from Kenneth Cole," said Ms. Granoff. "Over the past three years I've worked with a great team on a great brand. Despite a challenging business environment, together we have been able to build a more productive organization that is well positioned for the future. I look forward to exciting opportunities ahead and wish Kenneth and the team continued success."

Mr. Cole continued, "I'm pleased that Paul will be returning to the company and I look forward to working together again. He is intimately familiar with our business and shares my view and that of the Board that it holds significant untapped potential. I am confident Paul will play a critical role in executing the Company's goals and strategic agenda, building on the momentum of our current business partnerships, and capitalizing on global opportunities."

"It will be exciting to reunite with Kenneth Cole Productions and play an expanded role in the evolution of a business and brand I know very well," said Mr. Blum. "It is a privilege to return to work with an individual and organization I hold in the highest regard. I look forward to helping maximize the business opportunities and leverage this powerful brand."

Mr. Blum served as Chief Executive Officer of David Yurman from 2006-2010, helping widen the Company's reach by expanding the luxury brand globally. Under Paul's leadership, the Company grew significantly in sales, developed a strong retail operation, created an industry leading luxury e-commerce business, diversified its product offerings with strategic licensing arrangements, and developed a global business with company-owned operations in Asia and Europe.   Previously, he was with Kenneth Cole Productions from 1991 to 2006. Four of those years were spent as President where he was instrumental in building the Wholesale and Consumer Direct divisions and helping them to achieve record sales and profitability.  He also oversaw the management of operations, marketing and finance. Prior to serving as President, Mr. Blum served as the Company's Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President.

About Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc.

Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. designs, sources, and markets a broad range of footwear, handbags, apparel and accessories under the brand names Kenneth Cole New York; Kenneth Cole Reaction; Unlisted; and Le Tigre, as well as footwear under the proprietary trademark Gentle Souls. The Company has also granted a wide variety of third party licenses for the production of men's, women's and children's apparel as well as fragrances, watches, jewelry, eyewear, and several other accessory categories. The Company's products are distributed through department stores, better specialty stores, company-owned retail stores and its e-commerce website. Further information can be found at http://www.kennethcole.com/.

Forward Looking Statement Disclosure

The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual future results might differ materially from those projected in such statements due to a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, demand and competition for the Company's products, the ability to enter into new product license agreements or to renew or replace existing product licensee agreements, changes in consumer preferences or fashion trends, delays in anticipated store openings and closings, and changes in the Company's relationships with retailers, licensees, vendors and other resources. The forward looking statements contained herein are also subject to other risks and uncertainties that are described in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kenneth-cole-productions-announces-executive-management-change-117051868.html

Steve's breakdown: Oceaneering is a global oilfield provider of engineered services and products, primarily to the offshore oil and gas industry, with a focus on deepwater applications. Sound familiar? If I were a Houston based agency and had some "connections" in Washington, I'd give these guys a hearty congratulations.

HOUSTON, TX:  services provider Oceaneering International, Inc. said Monday that its President and CEO Jay Collins will retire from his position immediately following the annual meeting of shareholders slated for May 6, 2011. He will be succeeded by Kevin McEvoy, the company's executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Collins has been CEO of Houston, Texas-based Oceaneering since May 12, 2006 and its president since 1998. He joined the company in October 1993, initially serving as senior vice president and chief financial officer. He was elected to Oceaneering's board of directors in April 2002.

Collins has also served as chairman of the board, chief executive officer and acting chief financial officer of Friede Goldman Halter Inc (FGHLQ.PK). He started his oilfield career in 1969 with Shell Oil Company. Prior to joining Oceaneering, he held several executive-level positions in operations, finance, and administration with Sonat, Inc. and Teleco Oilfield Services, Inc.

The incoming CEO, McEvoy, has been with Oceaneering for 32 years, serving since late February 2010 in his current position. During his tenure at Oceaneering, he has held a variety of progressively more responsible domestic and international positions in marketing, administration, and operations. He started his offshore career as an officer in the U.S. Navy working in the areas of diving, salvage, and submarine rescue.

Jay Collins said, "I am very pleased to turn over the executive leadership of Oceaneering to such a qualified and experienced individual as Kevin, who I have worked with since I joined the company in 1993. I am confident he will continue to manage and plan for the growth of Oceaneering and am positive our business strategy of focusing on deepwater services and products will continue to prosper under his direction."Collins will stand for re-election as a Class I director at the annual shareholders meeting. The company said it anticipates his re-election as a director concurrent with McEvoy's appointment as president and CEO after the shareholders meeting.

OII closed Friday's regular trading session at $82.51, up $4.64 on a volume of 0.95 million shares.

http://www.rttnews.com/Content/BreakingNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=1563582

Steve's breakdown: "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking" and hopefully so does it's marketing budgets. The new boss is an ex-P&G marketing exec so it looks good.

MIDDLEBURY, CT: Gary S. Cohen has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Timex Group B.V. Mr. Cohen will also join the company’s Board of Directors.

“I feel honored to lead one of the world’s largest and most iconic watch companies,” Cohen said. “I look forward to developing new business opportunities across our extensive portfolio of brands in both developed and emerging markets worldwide.”

Prior to joining Timex Group, Mr. Cohen was Global General Manager/Vice President of Playtex Products Inc., a business unit of Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ENR), where he played an instrumental role in the integration of Playtex into Energizer’s Personal Care Division. Among his achievements at Playtex, Mr. Cohen helped acquire the Hawaiian Tropic Sun Care brand and expanded it internationally.

Throughout his 28-year career, Mr. Cohen held a series of senior management and marketing positions within top consumer products companies including Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), and The Gillette Company. Some of Mr. Cohen’s notable accomplishments at Gillette include doubling the size of the Gillette Oral-B business in a six-year period and launching Gillette’s most successful razor, Mach3.

He holds a B.A. in Economics from Brandeis University and a M.B.A. with a specialty in Marketing from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

About Timex Group

Timex Group designs, manufactures and markets innovative timepieces and jewelry globally. Timex, founded in 1854, has expanded to become Timex Group, a privately held company, with several operating units and over 5,000 employees worldwide. One of the largest watchmakers in the world, Timex Group companies includes the Timex Business Unit (Timex, Timex Ironman, Opex, Nautica, Marc Ecko); Timex Group Luxury Watches (Valentino, Salvatore Ferragamo); Sequel (Guess, Gc) and Vertime (Versace, Versus). Visittimexgroup.com to learn more.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110228005423/en/Gary-S.-Cohen-Joins-Timex-Group-Chief

Steve's breakdown: These guys are the #2 global money transfer company. And being #2 makes for good advertising so I'd look into Juan's new plans.

DALLAS, TX: MoneyGram International has appointed Juan Agualimpia as its executive vice-president and chief marketing officer. 
His responsibilities will include overseeing the firm's global branding and marketing, product management and MGO, the online money transfer service.

Mr Aqualipmpia's marketing credentials were praised by the company's chief executive officer, Pamela Patsley, who noted his significant impact on the business in his one year of service to date.

"He has organised a high-calibre team of global marketers, product managers and online leaders, focused our marketing initiatives, identified the right tools to ignite our growth and brand awareness, and improved our processes for getting new campaigns and products to market," Ms Patsley said.

MoneyGram International is a global money transfer company which enables consumers who are not fully served by traditional financial institutions to meet their financial needs.

The firm has nearly 210,000 agent locations in more than 190 countries and territories.

http://www.equimedia.co.uk/index.php?id=98&article=800431309

Steve's breakdown: There are not a lot of toy companies that are big enough to have advertising budgets and not be Hasbro or Mattel. So if you have kids experience, here's your chance.

EMERYVILLE, CA: LeapFrog Enterprises today announced the appointment of current CEO William Chiasson to Chairman of the Board and named industry veteran John Barbour as the company's new CEO and as a member of the Board of Directors. These changes will be effective as of March 7, 2011.

"We are very excited that John is joining LeapFrog as CEO," said Bill Chiasson, current Chief Executive Officer of LeapFrog.  "John has a 25-year track record of building global consumer and internet businesses in both traditional retail and direct-to-consumer environments.  He previously led the successful turnaround of the Toys "R" Us U.S. and International divisions, and built its online business, toysrus.com, into the number one global online retailer of toys and games.  John also served as President of the GameHouse Division of RealNetworks, a leading, vertically integrated and global casual video games business."

"Over the last several years, LeapFrog has created a robust portfolio of innovative products, a leading brand that stands for learning and fun, and a unique and strategic online platform that allows us to engage directly with consumers.  As we've built these capabilities, we have also dramatically reduced our cost structure and returned the Company to profitability for the first time in five years.

"As we look to build upon this platform and generate sustained profitable growth in the future, LeapFrog must respond even more rapidly to evolving consumer product demands and fast changing technology preferences.  John's experience with leading consumer product, content, and online companies will be critical to helping us do this.  His experience will also help us strengthen and grow our global retail presence," continued Bill Chiasson.

"I am excited about my new role as CEO of LeapFrog," said John Barbour.  "The Company has an outstanding brand, a strong product portfolio, and a bright future.  I look forward to working with Bill Chiasson, the rest of the Board, and the entire LeapFrog team to build upon the many pioneering successes of the past several years."

"I am honored to have been named Chairman of the Board," said Bill Chiasson.  "I joined LeapFrog over six years ago and I look forward to providing continued leadership and strategic advice to John, our Board, and my colleagues who have helped me strengthen and grow our business and brand."

About John Barbour

John Barbour served as President of the GameHouse Division of RealNetworks, Inc. from October 2008 to August 2010, where he led the business to profitability.  From October 2006 to October 2008, Mr. Barbour served as the Managing Partner of Volta Capital, LLC, a strategy and investment consulting firm where he assisted clients with a wide variety of investment and strategic development engagements.  From 1999 to June 2006, Mr. Barbour was employed by Toys "R" Us, Inc., a leading retailer of children's toys and products.  He served as President, Toys "R" Us U.S. from August 2004 to June 2006, where he was responsible for $5.5 billion of retail sales through approximately 600 stores across the U.S. and built the private brands business to over $1 billion of annual sales. Prior to that, he served as President, Toys "R" Us International and Chairman, Toys "R" Us Japan from February 2002 to August 2004, achieving three years of record sales and earnings growth.  From 1999 to 2002, Mr. Barbour served as President and Chief Executive Officer of toysrus.com, a subsidiary of Toys "R" Us, Inc., where he grew sales from $2 million in 1998 to $336 million in 2002.  Mr. Barbour has also held senior level positions with Hasbro, Inc., Russ Berrie, Inc., and Universal Matchbox Group, Ltd.  Mr. Barbour holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry, with Honors, from the University of Glasgow.

About LeapFrog

LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. is a leading designer, developer, and marketer of innovative, technology-based learning products and related proprietary content, dedicated to making learning effective and engaging for all ages, at home and in schools, around the world. The company was founded in 1995 and is based in Emeryville, California. LeapFrog has developed a family of learning platforms that come to life with an extensive library of software titles covering important subjects such as phonics, reading, writing, math, music, geography, social studies, spelling, vocabulary, and science. In addition, the company has created a broad line of stand-alone educational products for children. LeapFrog's award-winning products are available in five languages at major retailers in more than 44 countries around the world and in more than 100,000 classrooms across the United States.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leapfrog-announces-management-changes-117053633.html

Steve's breakdown: According to agencycompile.com, WongDoody handles Alaska Airlines and no agency is listed for Horizon but I'm sure someone was doing the work. It's worth sniffing around to see what's up.

SEATTLE, WA: A change in management philosophy at Seattle-based Horizon Air will next see it adopt the colors and livery of its parent company, Alaska Airlines, and largely retire the Horizon brand by some time early next year. The decision follows a shift to a 100-percent capacity purchase agreement (CPA) model starting January 1, when Alaska Airlines began assuming complete responsibility for managing Horizon's route network, along with all the risk associated with marketing and selling seats on the airlineπs fleet of Bombardier Q400 turboprops and CRJ700s.

During the year-long transition to the Alaska brand, Horizon expects to shed its remaining 13 Bombardier CRJ700s, giving it a uniform fleet of 48 Q400 turboprops by year-end. In fact, by this June Horizon hopes to move all its CRJ700s; Alaska has already signed a new capacity purchase agreement with St. George, Utah-based SkyWest Airlines to fly the remaining five CRJ700s between the Pacific Northwest and California, and plans call for Horizon to sublease eight of the airplanes to another U.S.-based regional.

As part of the brand change, Horizon will repaint its Bombardier Q400 fleet with a new paint scheme prominently featuring "Alaska" across the fuselage and the company's Eskimo logo on the tail. The Horizon logo will also appear less prominently on the sides of the aircraft in Alaskaπs dark blue color.

http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/horizon-to-shift-to-alaska-brand-28782/

Steve's breakdown: It wouldn't be Sunday without an account from across the globe going into review.

DOHA, Qatar: Qatar Airways has called a review of its advertising account. The airline, which uses the tagline ‘The world’s 5-star airline’, would not comment on the move or confirm that it was taking place.

Batey Singapore won the airline’s creative account back in 2007 and teamed up with WPP sibling Bates PanGulf (BPG), which provided the back-end Arabic support. However, in 2009 Batey became part of Grey Global Group Asia Pacific, a WPP sibling, heralding the end of its affiliation with BPG, which is now in the process of opening its own fully-owned officer in Qatar. Since Batey became part of Grey, the Qatar Airways account has been jointly handled by Grey in Doha. Batey declined to comment on the review.

Last year, Qatar Airways was voted the third best airline in the world following the annual 2010 Skytrax survey of 18 million passengers. In the survey, it was also honoured as the best airline in the Middle East for the fifth consecutive year.

http://campaignme.com/2011/02/27/11561/qatar-airways-calls-advertising-review/

Steve's breakdown: The US hotel industry could use some creative thinking. They have yet to cracked-the-code for themselves and they are looking to everyone else for the answers. I've always believed it's the General Manager's responsibility at every location to sell every room but that's just me. If you think you have the answer, contact your local hotel and pitch it. They could use the help!

EVERYWHERE, USA: The U.S. hotel industry struggles with a harsh fact: each night, on average, 40 percent of its rooms go empty. This, coupled with the tremendous funds hotels spend for marketing, has driven an innovation explosion in recent years. A variety of online sales models now aim squarely at helping hotels to fill more rooms. Hotels operate in a fragmented field with nowhere near the pricing leverage of U.S. airlines, which have now combined into essentially five players. So one finds countless places on the Internet to simply shop rates and book a hotel room. A couple of newcomers are trying to change things.

Getaroom.com, a year-old Miami firm, shows you the lowest published rate for a particular room and then promises to beat it when you phone them. Say you’ve looked around and found that the best rate for the Hilton Phoenix airport appears to be $195 per night. Call Getaroomand you’re alleged to get a rate from their call center that is below that hotel’s lowest published rate. The catch? You won’t know exactly what you’re paying until the company bills your credit card. But you will know the point at which you won’t pay higher, or $195 for that airport Hilton. (The company takes a $25 fee if you cancel.) Getaroom’s rates average about 25 percent below the lowest published rate, says Bob Diener, Getaroom’s co-founder and a former president of Hotels.com, now part of Expedia.

Into the hotel fray comes a novel strategy by a company called Room 77, which launched its site on Feb. 24. Their pitch is that just as you can see online diagrams of airplane seats and ship berths when you fly or cruise, you should be able to choose your room. Not just hotel, but the actual type of hotel room. “I found it quite odd that here we are 10 years into online travel … but the room I’m going to be staying in is a complete black box,” co-founder and chairman Brad Gerstner said two days before the site’s beta launch. “You just don’t know until that fateful moment that you open that hotel door whether the room they gave you is a good room or a bad room.”

Room 77 takes schematic diagrams - sometimes from the hotel, sometimes photographed from the map on room doors - to map a property’s layout by room number. The company has been using Google Earth to map the view from 425,000 rooms at 2,500 properties via latitude, longitude and room altitude data. That offers a close approximation to what you’ll see out the room window. (An example is on the iPhone.) The site gathers your preferences and then ranks each room according to those criteria. Unlike some other hotel sites, such as Oyster.com and Trip Advisor, Room 77 has no room photos - yet. Over time, the company expects to gather plenty of photos as people snap room pictures on their smartphones and shoot them to Room 77. The site also solicits for photos and property maps. To book, you’re sent to Orbitz or to the hotel’s site.

You don't get to select your exact room by using Room 77 right now. That's still a matter of negotiating with the front desk clerk either by phone or when you check in. In the future, Gerstner says hotels may agree to allow online room selection for an extra $15 or $20 fee. That would likely mark a definitive advance for Room 77, the point at which you could translate data to action and secure the precise room you want. Instead, what you'll have is an idea of what rooms you'll want to request and those you want to avoid, such as a low or high floor, proximity to the elevator, or whether there is a connecting room. Knowledge is power, etc. It's not hard to imagine, however, battalions of front-desk clerks cursing silently as pushy business travelers shove smartphones in their faces with lists of rooms, by number, they demand to get.

Hotel shopping by room numbers hasn't caught on yet. It could, since it's nothing more than applying database technology to retail travel, and in fact Gerstner already expects that part of the company's future likely lies with licensing Room 77's data. "We suspect that we're at a real tipping point where the hotel companies are testing the same mechanisms that the cruise lines and the airlines" have adopted, he says. There's no way to tell right now, but Room 77 hopes such a tip would dislodge the current pricing models, which devolve to essentially an online race among "Lowest Rates Here" sites. And it might even fill a few more hotel rooms.

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/travelers_check/archives/2011/02/new_efforts_to_sell_empty_hotels.html

Steve's breakdown: The new guys' plan is to reach average citizens with high school sports advertising, local advertising, social networks and word-of-mouth. I like it when someone's got a plan.

BRATTLEBORO, VT: Car Loans Galore, the company that specializes in arranging online car loans for buyers with less than perfect credit, recently finalized a contract with its new marketing director, who has now taken the reins of the marketing department and is crafting the corporate marketing message to match the needs of consumers who are seeking funding for their next vehicle.

According to the marketing director, “the company’s new marketing plans will be kept simple, and hopefully effective, by focusing on the needs of our client base. Our primary clients is one that has been unsuccessful or unable to attract traditional funding to purchase a car. Realizing this, our challenge is to let them know that there is a realistic and fair option available to them, and it does not include extreme interest rates and tons of surprise fees.”

“We make online car loans available to people who have less than perfect credit, so that they are able to take advantage of the same luxury of personal transportation that anyone else can. One of our methods for getting our message across will be through sports marketing (meaning high school sports advertising - that reaches the average citizen), through local advertising, through the utilization of social networks and the most important, through word-of-mouth. We believe that if we can just get the message out that these funds are available, then the rest will take care of itself.”

About Car Loans Galore:

Online financing options can definitely make life a whole lot easier, and they are the quickest way to obtain the finances you need, before you venture out to purchase a new or used vehicle. Of course, the decision is yours to make, and the most important thing to realize, is that you need to organize your car loan financing first, before visiting a car yard to select your vehicle.

http://www.emailwire.com/release/58789-New-Marketing-Director-at-Car-Loans-Galore-Announces-New-Marketing-Initiatives.html

Steve's breakdown: There were lots of changes but the one we're looking at is "Troup Parkinson will head up . . .  formulating local marketing strategies." So this one is for the Beantown agencies out there.

BOSTON, MA: The Boston Red Sox today announced the promotion of seven executives in the organization’s front office: Troup Parkinson to Senior Vice President/Corporate Partnerships; Craig Shipley to Senior Vice President/Player Personnel and International Scouting; Mary Sprong to Senior Vice President/Human Resources and Administration; Allard Baird to Vice President/Player Personnel and Professional Scouting; Mike Hazen to Vice President/Player Development and Amateur Scouting; Brian O’Halloran to Vice President/Baseball Operations; and Mark Solitro to Vice President/Controller. 

Troup Parkinson will head up the club’s corporate partnerships operation, securing new business, formulating local marketing strategies and renewing corporate relationships. He had previously served as the Red Sox Vice President of Client Services since February 2008. Parkinson will continue to oversee the Client Services department, which includes managing relationships with all Red Sox limited partners, corporate sponsors, season suite holders, EMC Club members, Dugout Seat holders and State Street Pavilion Club members. Parkinson came to the Red Sox organization in January 2002 after spending four years with Octagon Marketing.

Craig Shipley runs the Red Sox international scouting department and is also highly involved on all Red Sox player personnel decisions. He was promoted to Senior Vice President/International Scouting prior to the 2009 season after serving as the club’s Vice President/International Scouting in 2007-08 and as Vice President/Professional and International Scouting in 2006-07. Shipley joined the Red Sox in December 2002 as a Special Assistant to the General Manager/Player Development and International Scouting after spending the 2001 and 2002 seasons as a professional scout with the San Diego Padres. He began his baseball operations career in 2000 with the Montreal Expos as Minor League Infield and Baserunning Coordinator. A native of Sydney, Australia, Shipley played 11 Major League seasons as an infielder with the Dodgers (1986-87), Mets (1989), Padres (1991-94, 1996-97), Astros (1995) and Angels (1998).

Mary Sprong joined the Red Sox in January 2008 as Vice President of Human Resources and Administration. Her responsibilities will continue to include organization and leadership development, recruiting, compensation, benefits, diversity, employee relations and training for the Red Sox and their affiliates. Sprong, who has more than 20 years of progressive human resources and operations management experience, was the Vice President of Human Resources at Boston-based Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation before coming to the Red Sox. She has also held senior management positions at BankBoston and Fidelity Investments. 

Allard Baird will continue to oversee the Red Sox professional scouting department and is a key voice on all player personnel decisions. He previously served as Assistant to General Manager Theo Epstein, a post he held since November 2006, after joining the Boston organization in July 2006 as a special assignment scout. Prior to coming to the Red Sox, Baird spent 18 years in the Kansas City organization, including holding the position of Senior Vice President and General Manager from June 2000-May 2006. 

Mike Hazen will supervise both Player Development and Amateur Scouting in his new role after spending the last five seasons as Boston’s Director of Player Development. He joined the Red Sox in February 2006 following five years with the Cleveland Indians organization. Hazen oversaw Cleveland’s Major League advance scouting in 2001 and 2002, served as Assistant Director of Professional Scouting for the 2003 season, and was promoted to Assistant Director of Player Development in September 2003. A native of Abington, MA, he was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 31st round of the 1998 Draft and played two minor league seasons as an outfielder in the San Diego system.

Brian O’Halloran, who has served as Boston’s Director of Baseball Operations since 2006, is involved in all areas of the Major League operation and plays a key role for the Red Sox in contract negotiations, salary arbitration, payroll management, and the club’s compliance with league rules. He joined the Red Sox as a Baseball Operations Assistant in 2002 and served as the club’s Manager of Major League Administration from 2004-05. The Weymouth, MA native began his baseball career with the Pawtucket Red Sox and was also a baseball operations intern with the San Diego Padres. 

Mark Solitro, who joined the Red Sox in June 2009 as Controller, manages the daily operations of the accounting department and oversees financial statement reporting, taxation, planning and forecasting. He previously served as Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer for several successful software and high-tech companies in both public and private markets. A veteran of 17 years in the field of finance and accounting, Solitro began his career in public accounting with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he earned his CPA.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2011/02/red_sox_promote.html

Steve's breakdown: So it's after 5 on Friday and it's time to pull one out of my hat. All, a great way to win new business is to get the prospective client their job as a CMO. They could even be a women. (sorry about the all-guys-club picture above) Anyway, it's so easy Fast Company laid it all out in this article. Cheers!

EVERYWHERE: Think that being a wizard at developing splashy ads, branding, and social media campaigns generates an automatic ticket to become the next CMO or VP of Marketing? Think again. According to a new study, only one-third of CMOs and VPs of marketing arrive at the top post because of their experiences in marketing. But what backgrounds do the other two-thirds of marketing senior executives come from?

In the recently released book, Getting to the Top: Strategies for Career Success executive search consultant and career expert Kathryn Ullrich shares groundbreaking research on career path categories to CMO and other functional disciplines in marketing and sales. She also shares a ton of real-world executive examples to highlight career paths and leadership skills needed for advancement drawn upon her senior executive recruiting practice and work as a career advisor for UCLA Anderson Business School alumni.

According to her research, the career path categories to reach the role of CMO or VP Marketing are as follows:

Ullrich analyzed hundreds of resumes in her search database to categorize the backgrounds of executives reaching Chief Marketing Officer or VP Marketing titles. She also dug into hundreds of senior executive interviews she has conducted for her Getting to the Top career seminars that have been held at Stanford GSB, UCLA Anderson, and London Business Schools. With an executive search practice based in Silicon Valley, Ullrich's database skews toward high technology companies and contains both marketing executives from major corporations as well as start-ups.

Domain Expertise A Key Ingredient

A quarter of CMOs/VPs of marketing have deep domain expertise, whether in an industry or other specialization ranging from high tech, health care, consumer packaged goods, or financial services to small-medium business, mobile applications, consumer products targeting teen boys, online payments, or many more. A marketing executive with deep domain expertise understands the target customer extremely well, including how best to market the company's solutions to that target market.

And while most people think that being a generalist opens more opportunities, Ullrich as an executive recruiter finds that having a defined domain expertise can actually make an executive more attractive. She says that companies seek candidates with specific domain experience and therefore executives need to think about specific areas in which they excel.

Strategic, Analytic Backgrounds Address Contemporary Challenges

The next category includes former strategy consultants and investment bankers who bring strategy and analytical rigor to the role. Marketing done well includes analytic measures of fairly subjective marketing activities. With the prevalence of search engine marketing and social media, we're seeing marketing becoming even more analytical.

Cross-functional and sales background categories involve working in other functions, whether at a different level or a lateral move. Imagine the marketing executive who sells an information technology product. A stint in the IT department, where you work with and go to lunch with your typical customers provides incredible insight into the psyche of your customer. You're learning what their major concerns are as they approach their jobs, what products/solutions they admire, and messaging that will work with your customers outside the company. The background in the sales organization is obvious as individual gains first-hand knowledge about selling to customers. What do you do as a marketing executive to gain knowledge about your customers?

As an added benefit, working outside your functional area builds your network and exposure within the company for future opportunities and promotion.

Filled with hundreds of real-world paths to the CMO and other senior executive positions,Getting to the Top points out that you can now understand how to position yourself during your career and develop skills needed during your own advancement. To learn more about career strategies from senior executives go to Getting to the Top.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1731761/want-to-be-a-cmo-the-career-path-may-surprise-you

Steve's breakdown: These business association marketing accounts are never very big but they do lead to a lot of networking which can be turned into new business. I've seen it happen. So if you're near Malden or any other town trying to promote they're businesses, get involved! BTW: The Malden diner pictured above is just one of the restaurants involved.

MALDEN, MA: Malden restaurant owners have formed a new association to promote dining out in the city, with promotions funded by the city's new local option meals tax.

The additional .75 percent tax on all restaurant meals sold in Malden takes effect on April 1.City restaurant owners and managers fought against the tax, arguing it would hurt business.

The City Council approved the tax, but also agreed to set aside $15,000 of revenue collected to promote the industry.

The Malden Restaurant Owners/Operators Association was formed last month as a nonprofit organization that will receive the annual donation from the city. Jack Urbaczewski, owner of The Dockside Restaurant and Shane Smyth, owner of Hugh O'Neill's Irish Restaurant & Pub, are the cofounders.

"Now we can do some group marketing," said Urbaczewski. "Most restaurants were obviously against the meals tax. But, sitting in that [City Hall] auditorium, we realized, there had to be some sort of compromise . . . The $15,000 we're getting is going to help us."

A first-ever "Dine in Malden" marketing campaign is being developed with help from the city. The Malden Chamber of Commerce is also on board, helping to recruit members for the new organization. There is a $25 joining fee. The organization is separate from the chamber, however.

"The meals tax was really the catalyst that brought restaurant owners together," said Ted Coates, the chamber's executive director. "Now they have a forum to stay together, to improve the industry. The chamber is just trying to help them get going."

Coates estimates there are at least 40 restaurants in Malden. The diverse offerings range from Ethiopian,Asian and Italian eateries, to American cuisine at places such as Dockside. Many participated in the chamber's recent "A Taste of Malden" fund-raiser, which drew over 250 people.

"We had about 27 vendors that really showed how much restaurants here have to offer," Coates said.

Restaurant owners/operators interested in joining the new group should contact the chamber at 781-322-4500 or e-mail info@maldenchamber.org.

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/malden/2011/02/malden_restaurant_association.html

Steve's breakdown: This new CEO has worked at places like Macy's and Gab so he knows that advertising drives sales at retail. Expect some changes in the marketing department.

IRVINE, CA: Tilly’s Inc., the action-sports retail chain with a fleet of 125 stores, announced Feb. 21 that Daniel Grie­semer will become its chief executive.

Griesemer’s last job was chief executive for Coldwater Creek Inc., a fashion retailer for women ages 35 and up based in Sandpoint, Idaho. He will replace Tilly’s founder Hezy Shaked. Shaked will remain as chairman of the retailer, which sells action-sports brands such as Quiksilver, Billabong, Hurley, Vans, Metal Mulisha and RVCA.

“We are very pleased to welcome Dan to the Tilly’s team,” Shaked said in a statement. “He is an experienced and energetic leader, with an extensive background in specialty-store environments. I believe that his significant experience and insight will guide Tilly’s to an even brighter future. Over the next several months I will be working with Dan to ensure a smooth transition and look forward to further contributing to the growth of Tilly’s in my new role. I am confident that, under Dan’s direction, Tilly’s will continue its growth while remaining true to its heritage.”

Griesemer had worked as Coldwater Creek’s president and chief executive from 2007 to 2009. He had worked in various executive positions for the company since 2001. He has been responsible for the company’s sales, marketing and national retail-store expansion. Before working with Coldwater Creek, he worked at executive positions for Macy’s and Gap.

http://www.apparelnews.net/news/retailing/022511-Tillys-Names-New-CEO

Steve's breakdown: Here's a creative pitch tip: The funny thing about the hot tub business is they never do sexy advertising. I don't know why but you'll lose if you pitch it. One more thing - they work very closely with their dealers.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT: Bullfrog International, LC, is pleased to announce the hire of Jerry Pasley to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Pasley was formerly the Executive Vice President of Sales at Jacuzzi Hot Tubs and Sundance Spas.

Mr. Pasley will assume responsibility for the general leadership, sales direction, and day to day decisions at Bullfrog Spas. David Ludlow, former CEO, Founder, and the inventor of Bullfrog’s patented JetPak System, will remain with Bullfrog Spas as President and will focus on further Product Research and Development and Business Development. Ludlow welcomed the addition of Pasley to the executive team and, in fact, was instrumental in his acquisition.

Ludlow expressed his support and approval of this move: “Jerry Pasley is not only a seasoned pool and spa industry veteran, but more than that, he shares the vision of what Bullfrog can become and he has the ability and industry influence to propel Bullfrog into a leadership role in the marketplace.”

Mr. Pasley has nearly 30 years of experience in the hot tub industry, with a focus on sales management and sales strategy. He has served on the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals' Hot Tub Council and has considerable experience in the development of retailer and distribution networks. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP) as a Director at Large.

When asked about the decision to leave one of the majorhot tub manufacturers in the industry, especially considering their history and recognizable brand, Mr. Pasley replied, “In making this decision, I was not concerned about what Bullfrog Spas is, or is not, at the present time but what it can become. I can see enormous potential at Bullfrog going into the future. The track record of impressive growth is already there and with their patented technology and quality Bullfrog will soon be an industry leader.”

Mr. Pasley’s goals for Bullfrog include securing solid financing plans for Bullfrog dealers and the establishment of enhanced sales and marketing programs to expand the influence of Bullfrog Spas and the JetPak System. Pasley commented on these plans, “I’m confident that we can explore and implement plans to allow dealers to show more spas. Along with the expansion of sales networks, this will simply allow many more people the chance to discover the unique benefits and the reliability that you get with a JetPak-powered Bullfrog Spa.”

About Bullfrog International: 
Bullfrog International, LC, designs, manufactures, and distributes Bullfrog Spas, the world’s only hot tubs with JetPak Technology. JetPaks are interchangeable and upgradable modular jetted seatbacks that add personalization and greater comfort in both portable spas and custom concrete spas and pools. JetPaks are backed by six U.S. patents with other U.S. and foreign patents pending. Bullfrog Spas provide health benefits through powerful hydrotherapy, are virtually leak-proof, and are extremely energy efficient. Bullfrog International currently distributes, licenses, and retails its products in the United States, Canada, Australia, Asia and Europe

http://www.prweb.com/releases/New-CEO/Bullfrog-Spas-hot-tubs/prweb8163600.htm

Steve's breakdown: Here's one you should leverage your LinkedIn account with because if you are linked to the new guy, you have a chance. Otherwise - the account's probably going to Crispin Porter.

NIWOT, CO: Crocs, Inc. today announced that it has named Andrew Davison as chief marketing officer. Davison will be responsible for leading all aspects of Crocs’ marketing including the company’s advertising, consumer promotions and online communications campaigns.

 

Prior to joining Crocs, Davison served as senior director of digital innovation at Crispin Porter & Bogusky (CP+B). While at CP+B, Davison served as CMO for the agency’s joint venture startup, B-cycle, the nation’s first city-wide bike-sharing program. He also led the agency’s innovation team in developing Vail Resorts EpicMix social media application, one of the country’s most innovative ski tracking technologies.

“Davison brings a wealth of marketing, branding and project development and innovation experience to Crocs,” said John McCarvel, president and chief executive officer of Crocs. “As new integrated marketing campaigns are developed and implemented, Davison will serve as a valuable resource and leader.”

In addition to his role at CP+B, Davison’s past experience also includes co-founding and serving as chief executive officer of texturemedia, an award-winning and nationally recognized interactive agency, from 2001 – 2008. As the firm’s chief strategist, Davison helped develop and implement custom integrated marketing campaigns and Web technology solutions for a broad range of clients, including Kaiser Permanente, Wells Fargo and the Aspen Ski Corporation.

“Crocs has a proven track record of innovative and successful marketing campaigns, and I look forward to continuing this tradition to further engage the millions of consumers around the world who have come to know and love the Crocs brand,” said Davison.

About Crocs, Inc.

A world leader in innovative casual footwear for men, women and children, Crocs, Inc. offers several distinct shoe collections with more than 250 styles to suit every lifestyle. As lighthearted as they are lightweight, Crocs™ footwear provides profound comfort and support for any occasion and every season. All Crocs™ branded shoes feature Croslite™ material, a proprietary, revolutionary technology that produces soft, non-marking, and odor-resistant shoes that conform to your feet.

Crocs™ products are sold in 125 countries. Every day, millions of Crocs™ shoe lovers around the world enjoy the exceptional form, function, versatility and feel-good qualities of these shoes while at work, school and play.

http://www.tradershuddle.com/20110225173690/Press-Releases/Crocs-Inc.-Appoints-New-Chief-Marketing-Officer.html

Steve's breakdown: Stoli has not even decided how they are going to do the account review. Developing . . .

NEW YORK, NY: After less than two years, WPP's Ogilvy is parting ways with Stolichnaya, which is owned by spirits giant SPI Group and distributed by William Grant & Sons in the U.S.

"Ogilvy is a wonderful agency and has served the Stolichnaya brand well over the course of our relationship," said Lisa Pfenning, category director at the vodka brand. "The 'Would You Have a Drink With You" campaign was well received and will continue throughout 2011. As we continue to evolve the brand across multiple communications platforms, we have decided to put the business up for review."

Ms. Pfenning did not elaborate on how it plans to conduct the review process, or when it will begin, but she did note that Ogilvy has opted not to participate in the pitch. "We thank Ogilvy for everything they've done throughout our relationship and wish them well," Ms. Pfenning said. "We are currently considering our next steps and look forward to announcing a new creative agency partner in the near future."

A representative for Ogilvy confirmed the New York agency has chosen to walk away from the business and won't participate in any forthcoming review. The WPP shop picked up the business after beating Interpublic Group of Cos.' McCann in a review in the fall of 2008.

The campaign Ms. Pfenning referenced by Ogilvy saw celebrities Julia Stiles and Hugh Hefner, and other personalities such as Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, become the face of Stoli.

The parting of ways comes after SPI Group brought aboard a new chief marketing officer, Marco Ferrari, a little over a year ago. Prior to joining SPI, Mr. Ferrari served as director of marketing and strategic development at Fratelli Branca Distillerie in Italy, where he oversaw marketing for Fernet-Branca and other liquor brands. He earlier spent time at Bacardi in global and domestic marketing roles in Europe.

According to Kantar, just more than $10 million was devoted to Stoli in U.S. measured media in 2010.

http://adage.com/article/agency-news/stoli-vodka-and-ad-agency-ogilvy-part-ways/149079/

Steve's breakdown: OMG! Every member of the Ratti family clan is a huge Bubba Burger fan. And I suspect there are thousands and thousands more. It's only a four location restaurant chain now but just watch!! If you're in Jacksonville, it's time to make your newest best friend.

JACKSONVILLE, FL: Reversing the dominant restaurant-to-retail path followed by operations from California Pizza Kitchen to White Castle, a Florida-based frozen-burger purveyor said Thursday it plans to open four new grill restaurants by May.

Bubba Burger, which for two decades has sold frozen beef and turkey patties in groceries and on military bases, will debut the first of four planned Original Bubba Burger Grill units in the Jacksonville, Fla., area and is looking at a fifth location.

Michael Biagiotti, a spokesman for Bubba Burger, said the company “anticipates the first of the four to open on or about mid-April, and subsequent ones will open every two to three weeks after that.”

The conversions of four defunct Times Grill locations range in size from 4,000 to 4,800 square feet, Biagiotti said. A fifth mall-based end-cap location is being considered as a ground-up restaurant, he added.

The menu will feature Bubba burgers as well as fries and drinks. Biagiotti said the average check would hit around $9, including a burger, side and soda.

Billy Morris, president and chief executive of Bubba Burger, who bought the company in 2000, said, “Our Bubba fans have been asking us for years to open restaurants where they could get their Bubbas on the go when they were away from home.”

While a number of restaurant chains, ranging from P.F. Chang’s China Bistro to Burger King, have introduced branded items into the grocery retail space in recent years, the reverse has been a rarity. Ben & Jerry’s is one of the few that have successfully gone that route.

“This is a concept that we’ve been working for the past three years,” Morris said, adding that the recent closure of the Times Grill locations provided an opportunity to “move from being a retail player to streetside.”

Morris said the Bubba Burger Grill fast-casual format will feature the company’s premium line, which includes: Original, Sweet Onion, Jalapeno, Reduced Fat, Mini Bubba Bites and Certified Angus Beef as well as a Turkey Bubba burger. 

He said guests will be able to customize their burgers with a variety of buns, toppings, cheeses and sauces. Other options will include a chicken sandwich and a mini-hotdog platter.

The company said it foresees corporate and franchise growth in traditional locations as well as sites in mall food courts, airports, college campuses and sporting venues. Bubba already serves its burgers at racetracks in the Southeast.

http://www.nrn.com/article/bubba-burger-goes-retail-restaurant