New La Madeleine Agency Will Support Expansion

Dallas-based la Madeleine Country French Cafe hired Dallas advertising agency LOOMIS to help bolster momentum for its brand as the 60-plus-store chain heads into a period of expansion and growth.

“It’s been a challenging couple of years for the restaurant industry, but la Madeleine's held its own,” says Julie Marks, chief operating officer of LOOMIS. “The brand has an extremely loyal customer base that serves as a great foundation for its growth and development.”

Marks say the agency has already begun a strategic planning process aimed at creating a comprehensive marketing communications program to leverage la Madeleine’s distinctive offering. The effort includes research to help identify ways in which the segment’s customers have evolved in recent years, and further align the company’s messaging with their needs and interests. The agency will also work with la Madeleine to determine how best to leverage a smaller sub-segment of its customer base who are loyal and advocate vocally for the brand.

“The la Madeleine concept stands out in its category because of their commitment to authenticity and consistently delicious, quality fare in a unique, comfortable, and intimate environment," Marks says. "Because of that, it enjoys the kind of customer support that marketers sometimes refer to as a 'cult following.' We think there’s a tremendous opportunity to activate that smaller base of customers and really help the brand pick up momentum in new markets.”’

“We are excited about our partnership with the LOOMIS agency,” says Phil Costner, chief operating officer of la Madeleine Country French Cafes. “We have worked very hard for the past 2 years to position la Madeleine for growth and the balanced approach LOOMIS uses combining relevant consumer and market data along with a high degree of focused creativity is exactly what we need right now. ”

After initial research and planning work is completed, LOOMIS will turn toward developing a communications plan focused on using very precise media and messaging to help build and expand la Madeleine’s fervent customer base.