Dive Brief:
- Jimmy John’s promoted its chief marketing officer, Darin Dugan, to brand president as part of a broader shift in the chain’s executive leadership, the brand said Monday.
- Dugan succeeds James North, who has served as Jimmy John’s president since 2004, according to his bio. North has been appointed the chain’s global brand ambassador and is also becoming a franchisee.
- The company also promoted Kate Carpenter to CMO following two years as vice president of integrated marketing for the chain.
Dive Insight:
Dugan has worked as CMO at Jimmy John’s for about six years and led the brand with an effective combination of “creative vision, operational expertise, and strategic insight,” according to the press release.
Dugan worked as a marketing leader at Sonic when that chain was acquired by Inspire Brands and then made the jump to Jimmy John’s. Previously, he’d worked at Applebee’s, leading the chain’s culinary and marketing teams.
At Jimmy John’s, Dugan has worked on “modernizing campaigns, elevating the menu, and launching new, brand-defining product platforms, including wraps and toasted sandwiches,” Scott Murphy, Inspire’s chief brand officer and Dunkin’s brand president, said in a statement.
According to the press release, Dugan is only the third executive to lead Jimmy John’s since the brand was founded in 1983, demonstrating a remarkable degree of leadership continuity.
North, his predecessor as president played a key role in helping Jimmy John’s grow its store system to more than 2,800 global locations over more than two decades at the helm. North is stepping into a more promotional role, meant to introduce Jimmy John’s to new audiences in the U.S. and internationally, according to the press release.
Carpenter, the new CMO, brings experience in brand leadership from Coca-Cola and Newell Brands, and helped develop the brand’s successful toast sandwich platform.
In addition to launching new menu items, Jimmy John’s has shifted its consumer engagement strategy of late. The brand moved from a surprise-and-delight model to points-based loyalty program late last year in a move meant to increase frequency. The brand is also using buzzy LTOs, like its recurring Picklewich, to drive occasions.
