Panera Bread is investing $40 million in its first major television campaign from Mullen. But from the looks of it, they need to spend a little more time on creative development, before sinking that kind of money into media.
Panera’s founder, Ron Shaich, sits in a local store and explains how the chain’s focus on fresh bread and ingredients makes the brand “a place with a soul.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve eaten at Panera, and a place with soul isn’t the brand experience I came away with. Places with soul don’t have 1,467 bakery-cafes spread across the nation.
Panera chief marketing officer Michael Simon, in an interview with Forbes, said the new “Make Today Better” campaign is meant to “elevate Panera from a brand customers prefer to one customers love.” Is an ad campaign even capable of that?
Read more at Nation’s Restaurant News.