Food & Beverage Marketing Manager

JOB OVERVIEW: The Food & Beverage Marketing Manager is part of an important team that creates and executes sales and communications to guests and customers.  Under the leadership of the Corporate Director of Marketing, this role promotes on-brand messaging to customers through traditional, digital, and social media channels all with the goal of enhancing the multiple restaurants, bars, and outlets that are all managed by Wincome Hospitality. This role helps build direct marketing plans, targeted campaigns, and activated channels to the end of driving consumer awareness and preference, increasing market share, and building broader portfolio and brand awareness. This role focuses on showcasing Food and Beverage promotions, both to hotel guests and to local patrons. This role also gets to do a little bit of everything, from balancing traditional and digital marketing and eCommerce activities to contributing to public relations (PR) activities to selling private dining parties in the available private dining spaces identified in the various food and beverage outlets managed by Wincome Hospitality. Success is measured by how well this manager achieves the private dining revenue goals set by outlet, social media engagement and also by how effectively the marketing and communications campaigns the manager creates drives revenue to each outlet.

WORK REQUIREMENTS:

Conducting Daily Marketing Activities that Achieve Outlet's Goals

• Develop annual Sales and Communications plan in tandem with Corporate Director of Marketing, Food and Beverage Directors, Executive Chefs and Property Directors of Sales & Marketing; executing and managing sales and marketing plan and budget throughout year with private dining portion addressing the distribution of promotional offers, packages and programs designed to drive room rental fees as well as food and beverage revenue; specifically tracking actual versus planned budgets and providing input and recommendations as needed regarding reallocation of funding.
• Create and execute innovative publicity and social media campaigns that will increase revenue and awareness for the restaurant/bar/outlet; projecting a positive perception of the restaurant/bar/outlet, services, and employees; producing and distributing a minimum of one local media release per quarter per outlet.
• Ensure all media, partners and programs address specific needs as outlined in the marketing plan and capitalize on unexpected opportunities as they arise.
• Maintain consistency in messaging of all restaurants/bars/outlets’ communications and promotions; prioritizing pull-through of restaurant/bar/outlet positioning, including all customer touch points and reflecting the highest level of professionalism in content and presentation.
• Solicit and respond to new media outlets and media individuals; selecting the best opportunities for the restaurant/bar/outlet based on market conditions and business entity needs; using creative selling abilities to obtain maximum exposure through journalists and media outlets; increasing awareness within the media community as well as coordinating events to gain exposure and grow revenue for the restaurant/bar/outlet and services.
• Coordinate offers and information for all publications and inserts with regard to restaurant/bar/outlet branding, promotions and customer loyalty program mailings.
• Plan and supervise all photo and video shoots, developing the shot list while keeping the goals of the business entity and business entity image in mind.
• Develop brochure and restaurant/bar/outlet collateral materials, including all menus, special menus, private dining menus, restaurant/bar/outlet imaging work (e.g., signage).
• Maintain, update, and manage all content on all web sites (e.g., restaurant, bar, outlet, OpenTable, Yelp, etc.).

Engaging in Sales Activities

• Meet and exceed pre-determined private dining booking goals for food, beverage, rental and AV.
• Responsible for prospecting and taking inquiries with prompt handling (within the business day) of all leads, walk- ins and regular scheduled appointments.
• Participates in sales calls with members of sales team to acquire new business and/or close on business.
• Liaison with F/B Team and Culinary/Kitchen staff to ensure the up to the minute communication.
• Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence).
• Make outside sales calls and tele market to obtain business. Also utilize site inspections and on-site luncheons to book business.
• Maintain active liaison with competitors regionally through personal contacts, professional and industry associations. Monitor pricing, service levels, facilities and function activities at competitive facilities to ensure the restaurant/bar/outlet remains in a competitive position.
• Work very closely with catering and event staff on the daily flow of work processes – BEO preparation, inquiry follow up, maintain a thorough and detailed spreadsheet of all incoming business opportunities as well as detailed information on the definite and actualized business information sheet.

Using Knowledge of Market Trends and Target Customer Information to Maximize Revenue

• Identifies new business to achieve personal sales revenue goals for private dining spaces.
• Understands the overall market - competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand etc. and knows how to sell against them.
• Closes the best opportunities for the private dining room based on market conditions and location needs.
• Gains understanding of the primary target customer and service expectations; serves the customer by understanding their business, business issues and concerns, to offer better business solution.
• Evaluate a potential piece of business for profitability and overall benefit to the Hotel.
• Have acquired knowledge with the ability to upsell clients, while promoting a level of service parallel to the luxury stature of the facility
• Evaluate new marketing opportunities for the restaurant/bar/outlet.
• Ensure outlet is represented on all quality internet sites that have the potential of providing business.
• Work closely with respective Convention Bureaus, Chambers of Tourism and other established local organization that may bring business to the outlet.
• Use and interpret all reporting necessary for sound marketing recommendations, including but not limited to DMA source market reports, past guest lists (utilizing promotional rate codes) and tracking.
• Provide regular tracking/ROI and analysis of marketing initiatives, social media, advertising, direct mail, promotions and website/email campaigns, using industry averages for ROI calculation, and use this knowledge in future planning.
• Continue to develop and enhance all food and beverage skills through reading assignments such as industry trade magazines; food and beverage magazines; frequenting appropriate restaurants

Building Successful Relationships that Generate Sales & Marketing Opportunities

• Builds and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers to enable future bookings. Activities could include sales calls, entertainment, etc.
• Build and strengthen relationships with existing and new food and beverage writers and local media to ensure future exposure; conducting site inspections with visiting journalists and handling calls, entertainment, FAM trips, trade shows, etc.
• Develop relationships within community to strengthen and expand customer base for sales opportunities and additional revenue; coordinating community service activities in concert with the public image and needs of the outlet.
• Provides accurate, complete and effective turnover to catering and event management.
• Act on behalf of outlet with all vendors; exacting a balance between quality work and price; requesting estimates and approving all materials as needed.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Provide monthly and quarterly performance reports on all sales and marketing activities.
• Implement at least one new marketing promotion, program or initiative per quarter.
• Report all suspicious persons or activities and hazardous or unsafe conditions to the Security Department.
• Provide instruction and/or guidance for guest/customer and employee safety in fire or other emergency situations.
• Respond to guest/customer questions. Provide guest/customer assistance, direction and information as requested when working in public areas.
• Serve as a spokesperson for the local media; providing timely and accurate responses when queried; staying abreast of news; launching proactive communications plan internally and externally.
• Maintain professional relationships with local media and gain cooperation and respect to earn a reputation as a source of reliable, newsworthy information.
• Keep detailed files and records on all matters relative to restaurant/bar/outlet’s marketing materials (photo usage rights, vendor contracts, etc.).
• Represent the restaurant/bar/outlet at various functions and trade shows.Participate and network through key organizations.
• Available to work at various days and times, as required.  Includes, weekends, Holidays and evenings.
• Demonstrate an awareness of personal strengths and areas for professional improvement; willing to learn from others; acting independently to improve and increase skills and knowledge.
• Share learnings, innovations, and best practices with others.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with peers and superiors.
• Conduct/attend, weekly strategic sales meetings, management meetings and other meetings as required/ requested.
• Perform any other reasonable duties as required by the Corporate Director of Marketing.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Hospitality, sales or marketing background preferred

  2-year degree from an accredited university in Marketing, Public Relations, Business Administration or related major and 4 years’ experience in the sales professional area; hospitality marketing or restaurant sales experience preferred

  OR

  4-year bachelor's degree in Marketing, Public Relations, Business, or related major; 2 years’ experience in the sales professional area; hospitality marketing or restaurant sales experience preferred.

  ALSO

  Demonstrated proficiency and accuracy in using MS Office products such as Word, Excel, and Outlook to include graphs, tables and other spreadsheet functions.

  Results-driven accountability for all communications efforts, which are tracked and evaluated.

  Knowledge of production methods in graphic arts, printing, film, radio and television.

  • Portfolio of quality writing samples, projects, campaigns, etc.
  • Discreet, able to maintain confidentiality and handle difficult inquiries with finesse.
  • Detail-oriented and able to work in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple tasks and have high levels of patience and organization.

• Strong organizer with the ability to maintain comprehensive and cohesive records.

  Able to create newsworthy events and understands the Communications potential in restaurant happenings.

  • Effective communicator with all levels of management, staff, business community, press, VIPs.

• Efficient user of standard office equipment such as a telephone, computer, facsimile and copy machine.

  Excellent media, community and business contacts.

  Exceptional personal and business references.

COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS 

• Able to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.
• Able to effectively deal with internal and external customers, some of whom will require high levels of patience, tact and diplomacy to diffuse anger, collect accurate information and resolve conflicts.

EOE/M/F/D/V/SO

We participate in E-Verify