Interview with Josh Grove

Editor’s note: We asked, “What are you looking for?” in the way of content. One reader responded, “Hearing from other staff who are working directly with franchisees to get a sense for the type of people that support your franchise network.” We hear you, so with this posting we begin a series of interviews with Great Clips pros who are on the front lines supporting our franchise owners.

Great Clips Marketing Manager Josh Grove sees the forest from the trees

My connection to the owners is as a marketing manager responsible for developing their local marketing communications calendars—plans that include everything from broadcast media to couponing. I also gather competitive information and support their Grand Opening programs.

Our biggest challenge is keeping an eye on the big picture, particularly when everyone seems focused on the recession. Hair doesn’t stop growing because the economy is receding. Whatever we do today has to fit within a larger, long-term plan to win customers and to beat our competitors.

Great Clips’ owners benefit in several ways: I’m in the field meeting with owners to make sure they get the best possible marketing support in the industry. And, whatever we do locally has to complement our national campaigns (e.g., NASCAR sponsorships, NFL TV, etc.) ensuring that we invest smarter and our dollars go further.

In a nutshell we’re the customer-driving arm of the business. Our objective is to increase customer counts, and for the owners that means growing sales and profits.

Saplings in the Grove; My wife and I have a 15-month old daughter with another child on the way. If we could harness the vitality of little kids, we wouldn’t have an energy crisis.

Josh time; right now I’m working toward an MBA degree and hope to graduate in a year, so ‘time’ is a precious commodity. When I can grab moments, I enjoy watching, playing and coaching baseball. I also like playing in the dirt; that is tending to my garden.

Thank you, Josh, we can see you’ll be a great role model for your children.

Great Clips Teams with the NFL to Score Points with Male Customers

With men representing 70% of our customers, the marketing playbook has several tabs devoted to sports, with the first two labeled NASCAR and pro football.

In 1998, Great Clips motored into NASCAR. This year we’ll sponsor cars in both NASCAR and ARCA—Automobile Racing Club of America—to get more mileage out of our investment, and we’ll compete in a handful of Camping World Truck Series races.

But the news is we’re about to kick-off a $2 million, two-year promotion with NFL football that includes banner ads on NFL-owned NFL.com and broadcast advertising on the NFL Network.

The NFL Network is available in 50 million households across the U.S. and Canada, and NFL.com, with more than 11 million unique hits a month, is the league portal and the key site for Fantasy Football.

Our game plan includes promoting a Game-Day Sweepstakes during October on our turf—in our 2700 North American salons. “With Great Clips having a 70% male customer base, we couldn’t have a better partner than the NFL to surpass our billion dollar revenue goal,” said Terri Miller, vice president of marketing for Great Clips, Inc. “We’ll huddle with NFL executives and examine other assets to share. We may even come full circle and include a NASCAR tie-in. Great Clips and the NFL, we make a special team.”