Revitalizing a Beloved Brand with a Marketing Visionary

The
Client

Caribou Coffee, a nationally recognized specialty coffeehouse brand

Caribou Coffee is the second largest coffee chain in the US. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Minnesota, they operate over 600 locations worldwide. In 2012, they were acquired by JAB Holding Company, a $150B German food and beverage conglomerate.

The Challenge

Clarifying Caribou’s brand identity after a period of change

After their acquisition, Caribou underwent significant restructuring, ultimately being paired with JAB’s “Bruegers Bagels” business as a dual-brand entity. This integration diluted their core brand identity, creating consumer confusion despite their loyal customer base.

To reignite growth, Caribou appointed John Butcher, an accomplished Target Corporation executive, as CEO. His goal was to restore Caribou’s distinct brand identity by realigning it with the founders’ original vision.

To achieve this, he needed a marketing executive who could lead the brand revitalization and drive market expansion across the Midwest. He contacted us for help.

The Solution

Recruiting a game-changing marketing executive to solidify the brand

We partnered with Caribou’s CEO and Chief People Officer to define the ideal candidate profile and explore several creative candidate archetypes.

After aligning on candidate criteria, we leveraged our PrecisionPath™ process to conduct a nationwide search for seasoned but gritty marketing executives, creating a target list of 250+ candidate prospects from QSR, retail, and lifestyle brands.

Once we engaged a candidate prospect, we spent at least 90 minutes with them to ensure their skills, experience, and values aligned with Caribou’s needs.

By conducting extensive, deep-dive assessments, we were able to provide detailed profiles of the 13 top candidate prospects, enabling Caribou to confidently identify their ideal fit.

The Outcome

A seasoned marketing leader with a track record of brand innovation and strategic transformation

Caribou ultimately selected a dynamic marketing executive, entrepreneur, and business leader who had spearheaded market expansions across consumer brands, healthcare, and technology.

As Advisor and former CMO at Local Crate, she led a retail-first reinvention, doubling revenue and securing major partnerships. Previously, she had been CMO at Bright Health, where she helped drive 10%+ market share in year one and secured $160M in Series B funding.

She has been an invaluable asset to Caribou for the last five years. Her leadership has been instrumental in driving their market expansion, leading to her promotion to Chief Brand & Marketing Officer.

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