Arby's Names Former Papa Johns CMO Jenna Bromberg — Balancing Brand-Building and Sales Ahead of a Possible Inspire Brands IPO

Arby's has hired Jenna Bromberg as chief marketing officer, effective Nov. 2, according to a company blog post. She will lead all marketing for the Inspire Brands chain, focusing on accelerating profitability, engaging consumers and marketing the brand through personalized digital experiences and "culinary storytelling."

The brief: brand-building and sales growth

"Jenna brings a powerful blend of creative brand-building and commercial leadership," said David Graves, Arby's brand president. "She has a strong track record of driving growth, building meaningful consumer connections, and developing culturally relevant marketing that delivers results."

Long-term brand equity and near-term sales often pull in opposite directions. Arby's is explicitly asking one leader to own both.

Bromberg's background

• Most recently CMO at Papa Johns, leading marketing, product and commercial strategy for the North American business.
• Oversaw a successful tie-up with Disney and Pixar around Toy Story 5, but left in August after less than two years in the role.
• Earlier held senior marketing roles at Yum Brands, Carter's and Hilton.

"The brand's willingness to disrupt category norms and stand apart from competitors is what makes this opportunity so compelling; it's a marketer's dream," Bromberg wrote on LinkedIn.

The IPO backdrop

Inspire Brands, which also owns Dunkin', Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John's and Sonic, said in May it was considering an initial public offering. The franchise holding company formed in 2018 when Arby's merged with Buffalo Wild Wings. Ahead of a potential IPO, marketing has to show growth that investors can measure.

Arby's marketing this year

Arby's has promoted menu items with reality TV star Caleb McDaniel and a new loyalty program with Angie Katsanevas.

Takeaways for restaurant marketers

1. Report on two tracks. Franchise CMOs need both brand metrics (awareness, preference) and commercial metrics (traffic, check size) to satisfy investors and franchisees.
2. Tie licensing deals to repeat visits. Pair character collaborations with menu and loyalty mechanics so buzz turns into return trips.
3. Make the food the story. Culinary storytelling is a way to compete on something other than price.

For more on how restaurant CMOs are navigating this, read Subway CMO Jeff Klein on Core Customer Marketing and Applebee's CMO on Restaurant Value Marketing.