Marketing Manager — Franchised Concepts & Motorwaysetail & Beverages

Areas USA, Inc•Miami, FL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Marketing Manager — Franchised Concepts & Motorways is responsible for developing, executing, and managing integrated marketing strategies across the company’s portfolio of franchised food concepts and motorway (travel plaza) locations. This role serves as the primary marketing liaison between the company, its franchise brand partners, and motorway channel operators, ensuring brand standards compliance, local market activation, and guest-facing marketing initiatives are effectively executed across all locations. The Marketing Manager drives awareness, traffic, and sales growth by translating national brand programs into locally relevant campaigns and by developing proprietary motorway-channel marketing strategies that resonate with the traveling guest. This position works cross-functionally with Operations, Culinary, Finance, and external brand partners to align marketing investments with business objectives and franchise agreement requirements.

Requirements

Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive marketing experience, with at least 3 years in a brand management, franchise marketing, or multi-unit food service marketing role; experience in a travel plaza, motorway, highway service area, or related travel channel is strongly preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Communications, Business Administration, or a related field required; master’s degree or relevant professional certifications (e.g., AMA Professional Certified Marketer, Google Digital Marketing Certification) a plus.
Demonstrated experience working within a franchise marketing environment, including knowledge of co-op marketing fund management, franchise brand compliance requirements, and national franchisor marketing program participation.
Strong understanding of the motorway and travel channel consumer, including travel behavior patterns, captive audience marketing strategies, wayfinding and signage best practices, and the unique purchase drivers of the traveling guest.
Proficiency in digital marketing platforms including social media management tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social), email marketing systems (e.g., Mailchimp, Salesforce Marketing Cloud), paid advertising platforms (Google Ads, Meta Ads), and content management systems (CMS).
Strong analytical skills with experience using data and insights to measure marketing performance, optimize campaigns, and drive decision-making; proficiency in Google Analytics, marketing dashboards, and reporting tools required.
Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent campaigns, vendor relationships, and cross-functional workstreams within tight timelines and budget constraints.
Creative and strategic thinker with the ability to translate brand guidelines and business objectives into compelling, locally relevant marketing programs that drive measurable guest traffic and sales results.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop marketing briefs, present strategies to senior leadership, and build productive relationships with franchise partners, brand representatives, and motorway operators.
Strong knowledge of print and digital production processes, point-of-sale material development, digital menu board content management, and outdoor/highway advertising formats.
Ability to travel as required (up to 25–35%) to visit franchised concept locations, motorway venues, franchise partner offices, and industry events.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); experience with Adobe Creative Suite or design tools for marketing material review and feedback is a plus.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or relevant professional certifications (e.g., AMA Professional Certified Marketer, Google Digital Marketing Certification) a plus.
Experience in a travel plaza, motorway, highway service area, or related travel channel is strongly preferred.
Experience with Adobe Creative Suite or design tools for marketing material review and feedback is a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop, coordinate, and implement comprehensive annual marketing plans for all franchised concept locations and motorway channel venues, including demand/traffic generation, national brand co-op programs, local store marketing (LSM) initiatives, limited-time offer (LTO) launches, and seasonal promotional calendars.
Serve as the primary point of contact between the company and national franchise brand partners (e.g., quick service, fast casual, and coffee concepts), managing co-op marketing fund submissions, brand compliance approvals, and participation in franchisor marketing councils and committees.
Lead the development and execution of motorway-specific marketing strategies tailored to the unique needs of the traveling consumer, including wayfinding signage, highway approach advertising, fuel-side promotions, digital menu board content, partnering with tour operators & chambers of commerce to drive traffic, and cross-concept bundle offers.
Oversee the creation, production, and placement of all marketing materials across franchised and motorway locations, including point-of-sale (POS) materials, digital signage, menus, print collateral, and social media content, ensuring full compliance with franchise brand standards and guidelines, and maximizing impact of LTOs.
Partner with Communication Manager in rolling out regional digital marketing efforts including social media, email campaigns, search engine optimization (SEO), and paid digital advertising for franchised and motorway concepts, in alignment with national brand digital requirements.
Analyze and report on marketing campaign performance, customer engagement metrics, sales lift data, and return on marketing investment (ROMI) across all franchised and motorway locations, present findings and actionable recommendations to senior leadership on a regular cadence.
Partner with Creative & Design, Operations and Culinary teams to support the rollout of new franchise concept openings, rebrands, motorway location renovations, and new product launches, providing marketing planning, materials development, and grand opening execution support.
Manage and oversee all third-party agency, vendor, and creative partner relationships supporting franchised and motorway marketing programs, including creative agencies, and media buying partners.
Develop and manage the marketing budget for franchised concepts and motorway channel initiatives, tracking expenditures, ensuring cost efficiency, and maintaining accountability to allocated budgets and franchise co-op fund requirements.
Conduct regular competitive analysis and consumer trend research specific to the franchise food service and motorway/travel plaza channel; identify emerging opportunities in customer behavior, channel marketing innovation, and competitor activity to inform strategy.
Build and maintain strong relationships with franchise field representatives, motorway operator contacts, and highway authority stakeholders to ensure marketing programs are locally relevant, operationally executable, and compliant with all applicable regulations and agreements.
Support loyalty program initiatives, promotional partnerships, and guest engagement programs specific to the motorway traveling guest, including fuel discount programs, travel-package bundles, and mobile app integrations where applicable.
Perform special projects and other responsibilities as assigned by the Chief Marketing Officer or Senior Director of Marketing.