Something to Chew On!

Cracker Barrel

I’ll leave it to you to do some additional homework but here are my thoughts…

The country-style breakfast boss has been making some serious moves.

1. Purchased Florida-favorite Maple Street Biscuit Company in a $36 million deal.

2. The Maple Street buyout comes just months after Cracker Barrel invested up to $140m for a non-controlling stake in Punch Bowl Social, an “eatertainment” chain with strong recent growth.

3. It could be a smart diversification play, given the rise of the experience economy — and gaining a competitive edge is key in the increasingly saturated fast-casual restaurant market.

4. Recently, Cracker Barrel has seen a 0.7% dip in traffic

5. Plans to scrap Holler & Dash, the fast-casual biscuit house brand aimed at millennial diners, Cracker Barrel debuted more than three years ago.

Just remember, don’t stalk. Don’t hound. Don’t send a myriad of messages about yourself. So what do you do?

Build trust. Share category insights. Do some light consumer research. Offer purchase pattern eye-openers. Toss out some trends. Show your expertise and how it’s relevant. Just… don’t… sell!

Good luck and remember to prospect smAARt and pitch with passion!

Lisa Colantuono

Lisa Colantuono is the President of AAR Partners. An agency search consultant for nearly two decades, Lisa is also an avid writer. Lisa has contributed many articles in top industry trades such as Forbes, Huffington Post, Advertising Age, Adweek and HubSpot Blogs’ Agency Post. Recently, Lisa entered the world of publishing with her book, @AARLisa: New Biz in 140 characters (or Less), written for the on-the-go new business exec that needs cut-to-the-chase insights to nail new business wins again and again. Lisa is also part of the industry speaking circuit, presenting at national conferences including 4A’s Transformation Conference, AAF Admerica National Conference, BOLO, HOW Design Live, Mirren, and AdAge Small Agency Conference.