Two Birmingham-Born Brands Unite: Behind the Scenes with Jack’s Family Restaurants

Earlier this month, we proudly announced being named Agency of Record for Jack’s Family Restaurants, a quick service restaurant headquartered right here in Birmingham and boasting more than 220 locations across Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi. Charged with strategy, creative, traditional media, PR and digital content creation, Big is now poised to work alongside Jack’s to build brand momentum ahead of, and well into, the approaching New Year.

We sat down with Jack’s CMO Billie Jo Waara to learn more about the Southern QSR’s partnership goals, why Big was the right fit — and what’s on the horizon for the loved (and growing) brand in 2023.

1. What about Jack’s, and how it viewed our agency, made you want to align with Big as a partner?

   Jack’s has a long Southern history, and we are proud of local and regional support as we’ve grown our footprint throughout four states in our 62 years of operation. Big’s longstanding reputation as an industry leader in positioning local, regional, national and international brands was something of which we were well aware and highly respected. We were drawn to the agency’s unique creative perspective, its ability to service Jack’s in every agency discipline, and its overall understanding of what it means to creatively communicate what makes “Southern” so special.

2. What does Jack’s 2023 look like from a marketing perspective?

   Jack’s has an exciting year ahead. As far as regional expansion, we plan to continue renovating locations to our New Southern Design in 2023 and will target 20-plus new locations in that same time frame. Our menu and limited-time offerings will not only re-emphasize favorite Southern classics and Jack’s staples but will also feature a few new and exciting food innovations that we cannot wait to introduce to our customers.

3. What do you think makes for a successful client/agency relationship?

   As with any relationship, success relies on ongoing, fruitful collaboration and discussion. A client and an agency are two sides of the same coin used to purchase affinity and brand value in the marketplace. When those two sides work together and listen to/appreciate the other’s professional perspective, the creative output — and how effectively target audiences are influenced — is maximized.

4. If you worked at an ad agency, what would your position be and why?

   While I respect all agency disciplines and what they bring to the table, I can see myself in an Account Planner capacity. Understanding our guests and why they choose to visit our restaurants is key to developing an effective message, and I love working alongside the talented creative team to then bring an overall brand vision to life.