176: Chipotle's Digital Success and Partnership with Sparkfly

During this episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Catherine Tabor, founder and CEO of Sparkfly, and Nicole West, vice president of digital strategy and product with Chipotle. Chipotle partnered with Sparkfly in 2017 to implement a promotions management platform that streamlined the flow of data in their systems.  Due to this partnership, Chipotle has been able to develop an ecosystem with incredible growth.West shares about her years at Chipotle and their growth during that time.  Growth has occurred in teams, tools, and processes that combine to execute their strategy successfully.  "Customers are craving a frictionless, digital experience.  The more simple and engaging, the better."  The things that haven't changed are just as important. They remain a purpose-driven company, focused on delivering excellent customer experience, and providing the best real ingredients prepared by hand every day.Tabor describes Sparkfly's focus from the beginning as being an "advocate of the brand."  Their goal was to put together a closed-loop attribution platform that connected "in-real-time" merchant POS with 3rd party partners.  The goal was "wanting to help brands be successful and understand the performance of the programs they are running."Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today”:Nicole shares about Chipotle's growth and digital strategy. 02:31What was Chipotle trying to solve with their digital and marketing efforts? 04:49What are the considerations for bringing on a new service provider or partner? 06:10What was it about Sparkfly that "sparked" your partnership? 07:06Catherine shares the "spark" for Sparkfly. 08:25The "glue" that holds together numerous activities. 10:25What makes Sparkfly "stand out." 11:58Nicole shares about the "ally" mentality of Sparkfly. 12:37The programs possible at Chipotle due to the partnership with Sparkfly. 14:00Why Chipotle stands out as a "digital leader" in the industry. 15:41Advice for top-level marketers. 17:40Nicole's past experiences that have defined her as a person. 19:47Catherine's past experiences that have defined her as a person 21:42What advice would Nicole give her younger self? 24:13What advice would Catherine give her younger self? 24:35Brands, Companies, or Causes to take notice of. 25:25Nicole's vision for the future of marketing. 27:06Catherine's vision for the future of marketing. 27:49Resources Mentioned:Chipotle partnered with Sparkfly in 2017Chipotle's recent success in digitalSparkflyChipotle Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingtodaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.