A panel of executives discuss consumer messaging during a recession at the Seventh Annual Marketing Forum hosted by The Economist in San Francisco.
Speakers include: Mark Chmiel, Executive Vice-president and Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, Denny's; and Bob Thacker, Senior Vice-president of Marketing and Advertising, OfficeMax.
Moderated by Martin Giles, Senior Business Correspondent, The Economist.
Bio
Mark Chmiel
Mark Chmiel is the Executive Vice-president, Chief Marketing & Concept Innovation Officer for Denny’s Corporation. In this role, Chmiel is responsible for identifying strategic business opportunities and managing all initiatives designed to drive sales and evolve the Denny’s trademark in current and new categories of business.
He is the architect of the recent Free Grand Slam Give-Away during the Super Bowl. This highly successful, integrated event activated more than 49 million visits to the Denny’s website, gave 2 million people Free Grand Slams, and received approximately $50 million in PR exposure.
Additional accomplishments include revamping the late-night business segment, Denny’s Allnighter, and introducing, B-fast 2 Go, Denny’s take-out and catering program.
Chmiel joined Denny’s in April 2007 as Senior Vice-president of Concept Innovation. In this position, he identified and developed a new fast-casual breakfast concept, Fresh Express, which transformed the business model and brand.
Martin Giles
Martin Giles is a Senior Business Correspondent for The Economist based in New York City, where he covers a range of business and financial issues. Prior to taking up this role in 2008, Mr Giles spent ten years on the commercial side of The Economist Group, latterly as Executive Vice-president of the Group's North American operations.
Prior to joining the commercial side of the company, he was editor of The Economist’s finance and economics section, and previously spent time as a reporter in both London and Paris. Mr Giles earned an MA degree from Oxford University and has an executive MBA from the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business.
He is a trustee of a British charity that supports students who wish to become financial journalists and sits on the Advisory Council of the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
Bob Thacker
Bob Thacker joined OfficeMax in late 2005, bringing a strong background in marketing and brand development. In his leadership role, he will be guiding the company’s brand position and all customer marketing interactions.
Early successes with OfficeMax include standout creative campaigns such as "Save Money On Ink" tattoo creative, "ElfYourself," a viral marketing phenomenon, "Schooled," a reality back-to-school television show, and "The World's Largest Rubberband Ball" national media event.
Thacker's career prior to joining OfficeMax includes a stint as CEO/President of BBDO Minneapolis, as Senior Vice-president of Marketing Services at Sears Roebuck, and as Vice-president of Marketing at Target Corporation.
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