Krispy Kreme Appoints New CEO, New Digital Agency
By Hannah Ash, contributing writer
Papa John’s former COO and president Anthony Johnson will be baking up retail commerce strategies for a new organization — Krispy Kreme. Johnson will replace Krispy Kreme’s accomplished CEO James H. Morgan, who will stay on as executive chairman. The move to Krispy Kreme comes just a year after Johnson was named COO of Papa John’s and president of its commissary and distribution subsidiary. As he transitions to his new role with Krispy Kreme, Johnson will continue to serve as president of PJ Food Service distribution, where he will stay on leading development, information technology and marketing functions.
Morgan took over Krispy Kreme in 2008 to turn the business around from an all-time low of $1 per share. Morgan’s strategies were effective and the share price has risen accordingly. On Johnson’s departure, Papa John’s founder and chief executive John Schnatter states, “Tony has been a tremendous asset to the entire Papa John’s system. I will continue to partner with him in his new role as we provide leadership to achieve our plans for international and domestic growth and continue to position the company for long-term success.” In recent years, Papa John’s has launched an omni-channel growth plan that includes text-message ordering and an aggressive e-commerce strategy.
With over 45 percent of Papa John’s sales coming from e-commerce platforms, Johnson previously states, “Just last week, we topped $5 billion in all-time, systemwide digital sales. As a result of e-commerce, our business continues to be a leader.” Johnson appears excited to embark upon this new segment of his career, commenting, “In Krispy Kreme, I found the right combination of culture, an iconic brand, and a shared long-term vision. I am excited and feel privileged to become part of the Krispy Kreme family as we work together on the journey to the next level of worldwide growth of this great brand.”
In addition to taking on Morgan as its new chief executive officer, other changes are heating up for the donut chain. The food service retailer has tapped VML as its global digital marketing agency. According to Dwayne Chambers, senior VP and chief marketing officer of Krispy Kreme, this partnership with VML is a natural extension of the donut chain’s digital strategy, "Krispy Kreme has been on an accelerated path in growing its digital presence over the last several years, making it a key driver in our marketing mix.” Chambers went on to say that VML has “proven themselves as innovators and thought leaders in helping notable brands create, execute and drive ROI through digital innovation. We are truly excited to partner with VML as we work to enhance our global presence through digital media.” With e-commerce focused Anthony Johnson heading up Krispy Kreme’s direction aided by innovative digital marketing agency VML, Krispy Kreme could be trying out a new recipe for omni-channel success.