Dunkin’ Brands announced Tuesday that Tony Weisman, chief marketing officer Dunkin’ U.S., is stepping down from his position, effective December 1. The company will immediately begin a search for his replacement, and Weisman has agreed to assist in the search. Until the appointment of a new CMO, the marketing department will report to Dave Hoffmann, Dunkin’ Brands CEO and Dunkin’ U.S. president.
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“Tony has played a key role in the transformation of our brand, including our widely lauded decision to drop ‘Donuts’ from our logo, our very successful espresso relaunch, and the introduction of innovative products like our plant-based Beyond Sausage Breakfast Sandwich, currently available in Manhattan,” Hoffmann said in a statement. “Additionally, he has assembled a highly talented marketing and culinary team, and an award-winning group of outside creative agencies, all of whom will enable us to continue to move ahead with our plans to make Dunkin’ America’s most loved, beverage-led brand.”
“Tony has been a great business partner to me and the rest of the leadership team, and we wish him all the best with his next endeavor,” he added.
Since joining the company in September 2017, Weisman has overseen marketing, product innovation, field marketing, consumer insights, and advertising, as well as the brand’s digital and consumer-packaged goods initiatives for Dunkin’ U.S.
“I am tremendously proud of all we have accomplished at Dunkin’ over the past two years and proud to have been part of this incredible brand at this point in its history,” Weisman said. “It has been an honor to work with this management team, our strong marketing team and a great group of franchisees. I have been a passionate Dunkin’ fan my entire life and will continue to be a loyal customer as I move on to my next opportunity.”
Dunkin’s decision to rebrand and remove the “Donuts” came after it put its creative business under review for the first time in two decades, according to AdWeek. Hill Holliday opted out and Weisman awarded the account to BBDO and Arc Worldwide.
Dunkin’s spends about $150 million on advertising each year, per AdWeek. One of the goals of the rebrand was to focus on being a beverage-led company over a doughnut-focused one.
In Weisman’s two years with Dunkin’, the company’s stock moved from $51.33 a share to $77.70, about a 25 percent leap. Revenue also boosted to $1.32 billion in 2018 from $1.27 billion the year before.