Millennial, Gen-Z Opps: El Pollo Loco hires CMO amid spend increases (Score 53)

Sales lead: This hire will likely lead to spend shifts & agency reviews. 

• El Pollo Loco (EPL) filled the CMO vacancy we told you about in May. 
• The chain selected Jill Adams as its new top marketer. 
• Adams joins from Mister Car Wash, where she served as marketing VP.

Target demographic: Millennials & Gen-Zers

The company will likely:

• Keep ramping up digital spend
• Experiment with new ad channels
• Review its current agency roster

Digital and social insights (digital ad spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)

• YTD spend: EPL spent approximately $4.6m on digital display ads YTD, a 92% increase from $2.3m spent in this channel during the same time period of 2022. 
• YTD data: 583.7m impressions via Facebook (38%), Instagram (34%), YouTube (20%), desktop video (7%), and desktop display (1%). 
• 2021-2022 spend: Full-year spend decreased by 49% from $6.9m in 2021 to $3.5m in 2022.
• Ad location: It placed 100% of these ads directly onto sites such as facebook.com, youtube.com, instagram.com, twitch.tv, and popsugar.com. 

Additional channel insights  

• Vivvix: EPL also invests in OOH and local broadcast.
• Top podcasts sponsored: The Tim Dillon Show and Jason & Alexis. 

Agency analysis:

• Opportunity: CMO hires are the number one sign of upcoming agency reviews, so reach out now to be top-of-mind. 
• Current roster:
  • Organic: digital AOR
  • Initiative: media & social AOR
  • THIRD EAR: creative & multicultural AOR