Full QSR Magazine Article Here
August 22, 2024
Alice Crowder’s day begins with familiar routines and creative rituals. After getting out of bed, she starts with her makeup and takes a moment to play Wordle. Next, she finishes her hair, checks her calendar, and reviews her previous day’s goals. Before heading out the door, she makes sure her schedule includes time for writing, strategizing, and soaking in creative media—elements she believes are vital for any marketer to find inspiration. She gravitates toward George Saunders’ books, the Fallout video game series, and the music of Jason Isbell.
“I’m a big reader of business texts and creative writers. I love anything that makes you think differently. I watch, listen, and read the best content I can find to put it on my inspiration board in my office,” Crowder says. “Creativity is all about the content we put into our minds. I enjoy talking to other marketers as well, listening to what connects for them.”
When Crowder arrives at the office, no two days are alike. As the CMO of Krispy Krunchy Chicken, she oversees marketing efforts for a red-hot brand with over 3,000 locations nationwide. Recently, she’s been focused on executing the fried chicken concept’s next-generation “Core Four” strategy, which centers on adding new stores, enhancing same-store sales, streamlining operations, and boosting operator profitability.
A key part of this plan involves expanding third-party delivery services and refining the menu, including the launch of a new Cajun Chicken Sandwich. This menu addition exemplifies the brand’s renewed focus on balancing flavor and value, which has been pivotal in Crowder’s leadership.
In 2023, Krispy Krunchy Chicken experienced a record-breaking year, opening 500 new units and preparing to add another 700 by the end of 2024. Crowder is no stranger to rapid growth; she was instrumental in driving Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s expansion as vice president of menu strategy and innovation. She also served as the CMO at Krystal, where she played a significant role in modernizing the second-oldest QSR chain in the U.S.
“Next-gen is all about making our business as easy and profitable as possible for our operators,” Crowder explains. “In the past, our operations were more siloed. Now, we’re bringing everything together and fostering ongoing relationships between operators and our corporate teams for successful collaboration.”
Since joining Krispy Krunchy Chicken in early 2023, Crowder has made it her mission to deeply understand the brand’s core customers. She has prioritized gaining insights through segmentation and research to uncover what motivates customers to choose Krispy Krunchy Chicken over competitors.
“We’re much more insights-driven than we’ve ever been. I’m figuring out with more specificity who our consumers are, how they see the brand, and why they will drive past other chicken chains to get to us,” Crowder says. “This shift in mindset has revitalized Krispy Krunchy Chicken and led to the introduction of items people have requested for years. We’re still the same great company with a deep heritage and superior products, but now we’ve added a stronger focus on relationship-building with our end users.”
Crowder has distinguished herself at Krispy Krunchy Chicken by leveraging data and analytics to fuel the brand’s evolution. She believes her ability to build relationships has always been her strength, and the ability to use data is a crucial aspect of her success.
“Today’s CMO is more like a CIO, and the more you can embrace analytics in your marketing toolkit, the better you understand your audience. It makes you much more effective in today’s environment,” she adds. “I had a boss say I could succeed by either luck or math, and the data will always be more consistent. I believe the deeper we go into our next-gen strategy, the more this will help us in the long run.”
After aligning with her team and ensuring everyone is prepared to drive Krispy Krunchy Chicken’s growth initiatives forward, Crowder ends her day by catching up on industry news and creating a list of goals for the week. The following morning, after completing her Wordle and hairstyling routine, she’ll revisit that list. Occasionally, she may go out to eat, always searching for fresh ideas to elevate the business.
“Whenever I have a fabulous meal, I think about what I can take from the food or experience. There’s a term in postmodernism called pastiche, which means you take the best of everything and jumble it together into something new,” Crowder says. “This is very much what a food-service marketer’s job is today. You take the best parts of your experience and put them together in a way that satisfies your guests.”
