Director, Digital Marketing (IHOP)

10 West Walnut Street Pasadena, CA 91103

Based in Pasadena, California, Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), through its subsidiaries, franchises restaurants under Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar®, IHOP® and Fuzzy's Taco Shop® brands. With over 3,500 restaurants combined in 18 countries and 354 franchisees as of December 31, 2023, Dine Brands is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world. For more information on Dine Brands, visit the Company's website located at www.dinebrands.com.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Brand Experience, the Director of Digital Marketing will be a strategic, technical, and creative leader responsible for bringing the IHOP brand and products to life across digital platforms and in-restaurant.

You will support the team in increasing customer acquisition and retention, generate engagement through multi-channel marketing campaigns, and foster customer loyalty.  The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in both Martech and CRM, data systems, marketing automation, data-driven decision-making, and a strong understanding of emerging marketing technologies.

This role is responsible for showing clear ownership of digital marketing and marketing technologies, its ongoing success and contribution to organizational growth.

Key Responsibilities:

The Director, Digital Marketing role is a people manager and will play a critical role in overseeing SEO, web/app, email/CRM, Gift Card, & Loyalty.  The day-to-day responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Search Engine Optimization:
  • Lead the overall strategy, vision, and voice for IHOP Search, including owning all aspects of the SEO practice – budget management, agencies/vendor relationships, reporting performance and technical investment.
  • Monitor industry activities, trends – both inside and outside of the casual dining category and develop benchmarking analysis.
• CRM & Loyalty
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive CRM strategy to enhance customer acquisition, retention, product marketing, and lifetime value.
  • Analyze and report on marketing data (including CRM campaign performance and broader lead generation, conversion, and retention KPIs) and tie those to real business outcomes to provide insights and recommendation for continuous improvement.
  • Lead the strategic vision and execution of IHOP’s loyalty program from concept to implementation, managing all program components including customer acquisition, retention, and engagement.
  • Develop and drive a multi-year loyalty roadmap that aligns with brand and business goals, delivering a cohesive, elevated loyalty experience across all channels – digital, in-restaurant, and community.
  • Lead presentations and strategic communications to key stakeholders, providing clear insights and updates on loyalty program performance, strategic initiatives, and cross-functional projects.
• Gift Cards:
  • Oversee the gift card portfolio to drive incremental transactions through bonus card programs.
• Web/App/eComm:
  • Develop digital strategy and enhance touchpoints through the Customer Experience Journey to drive consumers further down funnel to aid in conversion
  • Product owner of web analytics, funnel analysis, and user journeys for all available digital properties.
• Leadership
  • Lead and grow the digital marketing team, and provide structure, process, and standards for teams to ensure cross-functional success.
  • Own all agency and vendor relationships related to Digital Marketing.
  • Partner cross-functionally with IT, Martech, and Business Analytics to develop a product roadmap and measure success.

Skills & Requirements:

• Minimum 12+ years of digital marketing experience (preferably the Restaurant Service Industry) and on multiple brands.
• 7+ years of experience with team leadership and cross-functional leadership.
• Proven track record of building and rolling out loyalty strategies and best-in-class digital marketing campaigns that have transformed brands and grew businesses into positions of market leadership.
• Experience leading agency partners, production partners, collaborating