Maple Hospitality Group Senior Brand Manager

Maple Hospitality Group is the national hospitality group driven by Jim Lasky, Chef Danny Grant, and a team of world-class food lovers who serve to live and live to serve. Successful restaurants exist for many years by delivering all of the following: impeccable food, World-class service, and a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Our team’s goal is to achieve iconic destinations and programs by delivering on all three. Our restaurants and our teams deliver an experience beyond what is expected—that is the Maple Hospitality promise.  As the Company expands throughout Chicago, Scottsdale, Dallas and Miami, opportunities for growth, travel and continuing education are endless.

In everything we do, there are four principles that we live by:

• Generous - We always give more than we receive, and we never take advantage of a guest. The value that a guest receives always exceeds what they pay.
• Excellence - We do our work exceptionally, with skill and talent curated from decades of hospitality experience. Our staff has more food, wine, and cocktail knowledge than any other Hospitality Group. 
• Fun - We love what we do, we laugh a lot, and we never take ourselves too seriously. Having fun is a critical component to success at an intense and complex restaurant.
• Fail Fast - As we strive to be the best, we will make mistakes. It is ok to screw up as long as you learn, adjust, and get better. Don’t wait… fail fast and move on.

Benefits & Incentive Package Includes:

The Senior Brand Manager for Maple Hospitality Group will be an integral part of our marketing team, and will report to the Director of Marketing. The Brand Manager will be responsible for overseeing all marketing policies and programs for designated brands. The Brand Manager is expected to embody and live the Maple Hospitality lifestyle. The Brand Manager will identify areas of improvement to increase brand awareness, brand loyalty, media and social media reach. Must have background in marketing for restaurants with direct or agency (preferably upscale/ fine dining).

Senior Brand Manager Responsibilities 

Brand Marketing Strategy

• Responsible for managing, owning and communicating Maple Hospitality Group brands to grow awareness, drive traffic and uphold standards across all communication efforts and platforms. 

• Work with the Director of Marketing to develop comprehensive strategic marketing plans for designated markets/brands to ensure the business and marketing goals of internal and external partners are supported.

• Work with creative lead and operations teams in the creation and development of onsite programming, marketing content/creative assets and delivery. 

• Liaise and direct designated public relations and media agencies as needed around campaigns, daily project needs and overall project management.

• Lead brand management efforts across cross-functional marketing team members and marketing partners (social media, public relations, etc.) to develop strategies and ensure project goals, timelines and budgets are met.

• Work closely with digital ad agency to optimize performance of paid media campaigns, run test campaigns and ensure ads are accomplishing individual restaurant goals. 

• Display a strong proficiency in company’s CRM platform, and leverage tools for email marketing, text marketing and analytics.

• Compile and share results of comprehensive performance reports and status updates for marketing and operations leadership on marketing plan performance.

Brand Ambassador

• Embody and live the Maple Hospitality lifestyle.

• Identify and experience new hospitality concepts in markets which MHG operates, and consistently keep a pulse on industry and cultural trends.

• Represent the marketing department and Maple Hospitality Group with external partners in a collaborative and cohesive manner to advance both parties' mutual objectives.

• Drive innovative idea generation by monitoring trends and exploring new tools, trends and applications.

• Attend and represent Maple Hospitality Group in market events, and ensure integrated marketing objectives are achieved, and ideal guest experience achieved.

Marketing Optimization and Analysis

• Analyze campaign performance and suggest improvements based on engagement and revenue generated.   

• Manage segmentation of the database and implement remarketing strategies.  

• Identify the target audience to grow the database and increase loyalty.

• A/B testing on campaigns to establish the most effective approach and optimized budget.  

Social Media & Content Management

• Create and implement an editorial social media calendar to manage content and plan specific, timely content and campaigns for designated brands.

• Create, capture, and edit original photo and video content for all brands for use on all marketing platforms. Proficiency in Canva is a must. 

• Work with marketing leadership to schedule, plan, and execute approved photoshoots.

• Create engaging content in text, image, and video format.  

• Create an optimal schedule for posting, considering both customer engagement metrics and web traffic.  

• Measure and report on the success of social media campaigns. 

On Premise Marketing  

• Coordinate, support, execute, document, and promote off-site and in-house marketing events.  

• Attend operations and other relevant meetings as marketing team representative.

• Manage weekly onsite collaborative marketing meetings with operators for designated brands. 

• Assist on special projects as needed.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations or related discipline.

• 5+ years of experience in restaurant marketing with demonstrated success, preferably in restaurant or hospitality sector.

• Demonstrated skills, knowledge and experience in the development and execution of marketing, with the potential and attitude required to learn.

• Personality that embodies the Maple Hospitality lifestyle.

• Professional, reliable, enthusiastic, self-reliant, self-motivated and demonstrated ability to work well under pressure with all groups while addressing people courageously, directly and candidly.

• Ability to manage multiple projects at a time, and build strong, highly collaborative relationships.

• Thorough knowledge of marketing strategies and tactics, preferably in a restaurant/hospitality environment.

• Strong drive for success; continuous learning of new and improved marketing techniques.

• Excellent business judgment and curiosity of the business environment.

• Excellent communications skills, both verbal and written. Must be able to effectively communicate to a broad range of audiences, from restaurant personnel to c-level leaders.

• Strong understanding of creative concepts and storytelling and how to engage consumers.

• Proven experience in translating a brand vision and strategy into compelling customer communications.

• In depth understanding of customer perception and behavior and applying that to move the brand forward.

• Proven success in developing impactful Social Media acquisition, advertising and community engagement programs.

• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, Google Suite and MS Office Suite, CRM systems, databases, and marketing automation.

• Experience with, or ability to learn hospitality platforms such as Seven Rooms, OpenTable, Yelp and Sprout Social.

Location & Schedule

• This position will reside in one of two locations (based on final candidate):

• Maple Hospitality Group corporate offices in Chicago, IL or Monarch & Kessaku in Dallas, TX 

• This is an in-office position, with the ability to travel up to 25% to MHG restaurant locations.  

• This position is expected to work in the office or onsite at a restaurant Monday through Friday, with weekends as needed.