Blake Johnson shares his take on listening to customers to drive creative, creating unforgettable experiences, and why Skee-Ball is still a classic at Chuck E. Cheese.
Do you prefer brand awareness or performance? What is your preferred marketing channel? In this series, we get to know past Insider Summit attendees and ask about their preferences.
Blake Johnson, Senior Director
– Brand Marketing & Creative, CEC Entertainment:
Arcade Rewards Programs or Instant Prize
Redemption: Crane games are always welcome in my book, but I always bank my tickets for the ultimate prize on that prize wall. That’s what’s
so great about Chuck E. Cheese – you always leave with something in-hand, that’s not always a guarantee with those instant games!
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AI-Powered Optimization or Human Gut Instinct: Use both in tandem to make the smartest decisions! AI is just another tool to leverage in your
marketing toolkit.
Always-On Campaigns or Tentpole Moments: I’m a big
believer in growing awareness, via repetition, over time. New campaigns every quarter may make the marketing team feel good and keeps things exciting and fresh (for us!) – but it’s
probably not enough time for the general consumer to sit with that message for it to have any real sort of impact. Depending on objective and/or channel- hopping on trends or moments makes total
sense, in PR and organic social, for example. For a large-scale national advertising campaign – more time is always valuable.
Local Community Events or National Marketing Campaigns: I think it really depends on the brand ultimately, how many locations, footprints, markets and
so on – but there can be room for both in your marketing plan, right? If you’re a small 10–20-unit chain, the local approach works to grow awareness and affinity. If you have 500+ -
scale always works in your favor.
New Game Innovations or Classic Fan-Favorite
Games: There’s room for both in this big world! I (and our guests) love innovation in gaming obviously – but hey, one of our most utilized and popular games at Chuck E.
Cheese is Skee-Ball – a true classic.
Data-First Consumer Insights or Creative
Storytelling: Part of our big success at Chuck E. Cheese over the last few years has been to start listening (aggressively) to our guests and the consumer at-large and letting that
inform our creative approach. I’d say once we moved away from what we “felt” resonated with our guests and truly listened to what our current guests and consumers wanted and found
most valuable, we began to see some real traction.
Character-Led Marketing or Experience-Led
Marketing: Chuck E. is beloved and is front and center in our marketing, obviously – but the experience is what seals the deal. And Chuck E. is part of that
experience.
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