COLUMBUS Ohio Charley’s Grilled Subs, a 382-unit chain specializing in Philadelphia-style cheese steaks, plans to shift its marketing strategy to underscore what customers have said they like most about the chain's food: that it's served hot.
In the past, Charley’s highlighted the fact that the food was grilled in front of guests as its point of distinction, said James Pa, who was recently promoted to vice president of brand management from senior director of marketing. However, a recent study of Charley’s customers found that what they valued most in the sandwiches was that they were “hot” and “fresh.”
“Those are the attributes of the products that really came to the forefront,” Pa said.
Even an area developer in Venezuela came up with a similar result, Pa said. Customers there identified Charley's food as “caliente,” which is Spanish for “hot.”
“I believe that a brand should strive to own a word,” Pa said. “The cooking-in-front-of-the-guest experience is absolutely relevant, but in the minds of the consumer it doesn’t translate as well as the product being hot.”
Pa did not detail specific marketing initiatives based on the new brand positioning.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].