Ex-DunnHumby chief Scarlett lands Fridays CMO role

Restaurant chain Fridays, which recently rebranded from TGI Fridays, has appointed former DunnHumby executive Rhiannon Scarlett chief marketing officer, spearheading marketing, CRM, loyalty, and digital operations for both Fridays and 63rd+1st.

Scarlett, who starts her new role next week, joins from The Body Shop, where she has been for the past five years. Initially joining as head of CRM, within six months Scarlett was promoted to marketing director, responsible for leading strategy and initiatives to drive customer acquisition, retention, and growth of existing customers.

During this time, she led a raft of campaigns including Forever Against Animal Testing, the relaunch of Body Butters, The Body Shop Self Love and Christmas Gifting.

Prior to that, Scarlett worked at DunnHumby for more than eight years, launching Tesco’s retail marketing programme, working with food brands such as Unilever and P&G to help promote and engage their customers with brands in the store and online.

In 2008, she moved to the US to work DunnHumby’s American retail client the Kroger Company, leading its loyalty programme in California, North Carolina and Utah. During her last four years in the US, she was responsible for the Kroger CRM programme to over 15 million loyal customers across 14 States.

She returned to the UK in 2014 to head up the Tesco Clubcard account, managing the customer contact strategy to over 11 million customers for Tesco including Clubcard, Tesco.com, Tesco Bank, Tesco Wine, Tesco Mobile and Tesco consumer brand partner Programmes. She joined The Body Shop in 2017.

In her new role, Scarlett (pictured below) has been briefed to bring to life a focus on quality, relevance and simplicity for both Fridays and cocktail and restaurant brand 63rd+1st, while also celebrating their heritage, people and generosity of spirit.

Her ‘customer first’ approach and expertise will support the chain’s focus on guest loyalty, acquisition, retention and growth, as the brand embarks on its ambitious growth plans.

As part of its growth plans, Fridays – which is owned by Hostmore – is to open a new flagship store in Chelmsford this spring, as well as a new era in its UK operations with its first ‘Fridays And Go’ Quick Service Restaurant (‘QSR’), which opened in Dundee in March.

Fridays CEO Robert Cook said: “As a retail marketer with rich consumer knowledge, combined with her background in data and customer insight, Rhiannon will play a key role as we deliver against our ambitious growth plans. We are on a mission to make Fridays famous again and she will help us build creative, standout initiatives to spread that Fridays Feeling to new and existing customers right across the country.”

Scarlett added: “Fridays is a brand with a rich history in modern American dining, the home of iconic cocktails and the Long Island Iced Tea. Fridays is the original Manhattan bar on your doorstep and I can’t wait to be a part of its future story.”