Gerry O’Brion
Branding Strategist & Franchise Expert
Learn a framework of influence that will show you how to become the #1 choice in crowded markets, attract the best employees, increase trust, and influence anyone.
Gerry O’Brion is a nationally recognized speaker and branding expert who helps franchises thrive by bridging the gap between the franchisees and franchisor to build a powerful franchise brand.
“He’s got a special gift to be able to articulate to both the franchisee and the franchisor how to come together to achieve their initiatives.” – Jeff Sinelli, Founder Which Wich
A former marketing executive with billion-dollar brands like Red Robin, Quiznos, Coors Light, and Procter & Gamble, Gerry distills that experience into an engaging, customized program that empowers every franchisee to build a powerful brand in their market every day.
Gerry has an easy-going, comfortable rapport with the audience that creates a fun, thought-provoking dialogue and delivers tools they can implement right away.
What Big Brands Know
Gerry O’Brion is the Founder of What Big Brands Know® and the author of The Business Blueprint and The Restaurant Formula™. A former marketing executive with billion-dollar brands, Gerry is known for distilling the strategies used by billion-dollar brands into success for companies of all sizes.
Gerry was most recently VP of Marketing for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers where he was part of the team that more than doubled the stock price. As VP of Marketing for Quiznos, he met with hundreds of franchisees in a tough turnaround situation. As the Brand Manager for Coors Light, he was part of the team responsible for the innovation that led to years of continuous growth. He began his career in marketing at Procter & Gamble, working with brands such as Crisco, Tide, Mr. Clean, and Spic & Span.
Partial Client List:
- American Family Care
- Buffalo Wild Wings
- Choice Hotels
- College Hunks Hauling Junk
- FastSigns
- Great Clips
- Kiddie Academy
- Marble Slab Creamery
- ServPro
- Shelf Genie
- Taco John’s
- Which Wich
Great franchise brands are built on the front lines with every customer interaction. The lowest paid employees can have the biggest impact on your brand – and on your sales! They should be your best marketing tool. Are they?
Gerry’s presentation, “On the Front Lines” will give your franchisees the knowledge and tools to grow their franchise business while building a powerful brand. They’ll learn the formula used by the most successful franchise concepts to increase guest frequency and retention. They’ll gain insights about hiring and motivating millennial employees – turning them into your best brand-builders.
Inspire your franchisees to be the best they can be. Get them excited about their critical role in building a powerhouse brand. Whether you need increased compliance, improved execution, more engaged local marketing, or better customer service, this presentation will motivate your franchisees to take their game to the next level.
This keynote is perfect for franchisors and franchisees looking to maximize their sales growth and build a powerful brand.
Leverage Change to Your Advantage!
To win in business today, it’s no longer sufficient to be faster or better at what you’re already doing. The most successful companies are adept at navigating change. Effective leaders create companies where every employee has clarity about where they are going and why.
Gerry O’Brion is a nationally recognized marketing and branding expert who has worked on several billion-dollar brands and distilled that experience into growth strategies you can implement immediately, regardless of your budget.
Employees don’t like change. Great leaders see what is possible when others do not. They are willing to disrupt their companies, even when it’s unpopular. Gerry’s framework creates game-changing strategies that every employee understands and is excited to execute.
His presentation is a fun, thought-provoking dialogue that will generate real ideas you can use to ignite your growth. You will learn the four critical questions your company should be asking to attract your ideal customers and turn them into passionate fans. The presentation is packed with strategies and case studies from several different industries that you can leverage right now in your business.
Who are these Millennials and what do they want? How do I attract them without alienating my older customers? Learn the similarities and differences between the generations, and strategies that you can use to stay relevant across age groups. Success takes a different approach today than it did five, ten or twenty years ago. Businesses with longevity have honed the ability to navigate change. Learn strategies to navigate the next generation of employees and customers.
This presentation answers three critical questions about the generations – who they are, what they want, and what you can do about it. You’ll learn ideas you can implement now to attract cross-generational guests and turn them into vocal advocates, and gain strategies for hiring and motivating Millennials.
Ignite Franchisee Success through Personal Responsibility
Many franchisees end up relying heavily on the marketing efforts of the franchisor. Ignite Your Goals is designed to get the franchisees up close and personal with their own goals and what it’s going to take to reach them – moving them away from the idea that it’s the franchisor’s responsibility to bring in the customers.
What do franchisees want for their business? For their life? The most successful people don’t leave accomplishment to chance. Attendees learn simple steps they can use today to transition from wanting to achieving.
This fun, engaging, interactive session will attendees learning, thinking and participating. They’ll be up out of their chairs in a fully participative experience. No more just sitting and listening. This session gets you fully immersed in your goals and moves you down the path of accomplishment right here, right now.
Simple Strategies for Building a Powerful Restaurant Brand
Great restaurant brands are not built by chance – it’s a formula. Gerry O’Brion spent years learning why some restaurants thrive, while others fail. The Restaurant Formula ™ reveals the secrets of the most successful restaurant brands.
Learn the four pillars of a powerful concept, and the six Critical Execution Factors that unlock revenue growth. He shows how to create raving fans that become your best marketing – for free.
Gerry was an executive for billion dollar restaurant brands like Quiznos and Red Robin. He will have you look at your restaurant with a fresh perspective. You will reexamine every element of your restaurant.
The fun, thought-provoking dialogue will generate real ideas you can use immediately. The presentation is packed with information, strategies and case studies about restaurants that are doing it right.
Franchise Speakers
