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Smashburger CMO: Better burgers are here to stay

Smashburger grew by about 20 percent this year, and it's likely it will continue that pace next year, according to newly-appointed CMO Josh Kern.

November 25, 2014 by Brenda Rick Smith — Editor, Networld Media Group

Josh Kern believes that while the better burger segment might be leveling off, customers have a taste for fresh, premium ingredients that isn't going away any time soon.

Kern was recently appointed chief marketing officer of Smashburger, a better burger category stalwart that routinely lands on "best of" lists, including the Fast Casual Top 100 Movers and Shakers lists (2012 and 2014.)

Kern isn't new to the brand. He's been serving as CMO for Consumer Capital Partners, the parent company for Smashburger. In his role with Consumer Capital Partners, he helped define launch and marketing strategies for two of the private equity firm's other brands, Live Basil Pizza and Tom's Urban.

While he will continue to work with Smashburger CEO Scott Crane to oversee the entire portfolio, Kern's focus will shift to Smashburger, the largest of CCP's brands.

Kern recently agreed to a Q&A with Fast Casual. Here's what we talked about:

FastCasual: What's on the horizon for Smashburger? Where is the brand focused on going next?

JK: Things are going great for Smashburger. We are just about to open our 300th restaurant and we are operating in 34 states and expanding internationally. We are constantly looking at our local burger builds and matching up the flavors and tastes with the regions we operate in and around.

On the innovation front, we are looking at several flavor categories like spicy, smoky and my favorite, cheesy, to determine ways to work these flavors into the menu in a way that fits with our guests flavor preferences.

FC: As Smashburger makes its way into new markets – and even as it seeks to gain share in existing markets – how do you differentiate from the crowded better burger competitive landscape?

JK: At Smashburger, we are proud to be the pioneer in the ‘better burger’ category and we are really proud of our 100-percent Certified Angus, fresh – never frozen – beef. For us, it will always start with fresh, high quality ingredients topped with innovative and delicious flavors. As the market grows, we believe that our great tasting burgers are only matched with the great level of service we offer our guests each day. That has been a successful recipe for us and we continue to seek out new markets to introduce our brand across the country.

FC: How would you assess Smashburger's current marketing efforts, and where would you like them to be by this time next year?

JK: My goal is to tell the world that at Smashburger – incredible things happen when meat and heat collide. I am very lucky to have a great marketing team here in Denver and pleased that we have great operations led by Greg Creighton. To have a backbone to deliver the best possible customer experience makes it easier to direct marketing efforts to the right segments.

FC: What will be your strategy with social media and mobile?

JK: Like most marketers, I think the digital frontier is the way forward to tell our story and drive sales. People want the experience on their time and we are working on a number of initiatives to make that happen at Smashburger. This year, we launched online ordering at all locations and we are testing a new form of loyalty unlike anyone else in the category.

FC: Beef prices are at record highs, and are forecast to remain high. What kind of challenge does this present to Smashburger?

JK: Lucky for us we have a great team in place that is nimble and able to react to market conditions in real time. We constantly work with our vendor partners to find ways to drive down costs so that we can remain competitive in the marketplace.

FC: Better burger chains grew by 10.4 percent in 2013, but growth seems to be slowing somewhat. What do you see on the horizon for the better burger segment?

JK:Consumers have so many choices now in this space and I think that is good. I believe the category will level off somewhat in terms of new players – and the existing concepts will grow steadily albeit at a slower pace than the past few years.

Fortunately, Smashburger grew about 20 percent this year and that number looks the same for next year as well. Look, the better burger is back and will remain hot for many years to come. There has been a shift in the ways consumers eat and we do not see the trend toward better ingredients and premium offerings going away anytime soon. We believe that is here to stay and we are well positioned in that space.

FC: What's your go-to Smashburger order?

JK:Bring on the heat -- being born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I like to build my own Smashburger with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole and extra jalapeños.

About Brenda Rick Smith

Brenda has more than 20 years of experience as a marketing and public relations professional. She invested most of her career telling the story of entrepreneurial non-profit organizations, particularly through social media.

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