Breaking the Marketing Mold: Simone Reggie of French Truck Coffee On 5 Innovative & Non Traditional Marketing Strategies That Can Engage Audiences Like Never Before
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Technology is oversaturating consumers’ decision making process; therefore, I believe the next generation of shoppers will be less technology-driven and refocus their energy on brands that resonate with them personally.
Traditional marketing methods are no longer sufficient in today’s dynamic and fast-evolving market. To truly engage and captivate audiences, businesses need to think outside the box and adopt innovative and non-traditional marketing strategies. What are these strategies, and how can they transform audience engagement? I had the pleasure of interviewing Simone Reggie, Director of Sales & Marketing, French Truck Coffee
Simone Reggie joins the team of French Truck Coffee with more than a decade of experience in the hospitality industry under her belt. She oversees marketing, community relations, and partnerships across the company’s 12 locations, working in tandem with French Truck leadership. Her career spans food and beverage, marked by a broad network of deep relationships with industry professionals, brands, and consumers. Previously, she served as Brand Ambassador for McIlhenny Company, where she cultivated relationships with chefs, bartenders, influencers, events, and culinary schools on behalf of the Tabasco brand. Before that, she was Diageo City Manager and owned and operated Simone’s Market, a locally sourced, full-service grocery store. She is also a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier.
Driven by a passion for relationship development, Simone thrives on French Truck’s sense of community. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and twin daughters at their home in New Orleans’s Gentilly neighborhood.
Breaking the Marketing Mold: French Truck On 5 Innovative & Non-Traditional Marketing Strategies That Can Engage Audiences Like Never Before
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! To start, could you share when and how you got started in marketing?
I started my marketing career in sales over a decade ago with the intention of understanding what motivates consumers. With a degree in psychology to aid me, I was able to expand my understanding of people’s purchasing habits, and relate to customers effectively.
What has been the biggest shift in the marketing industry and can you give us an example of how it impacted you?
The evolution of social media is instrumental in how we communicate with consumers. With an influx of businesses joining the social media movement, there is an overwhelming amount of competition. French Truck Coffee’s social media presence is focused on creating an open conversation between us and buyers so we can recognize consumer desires and implement them into our business model.
Can you explain why it’s essential for businesses to break away from traditional marketing and embrace new strategies?
As communication evolves, so do consumer patterns. If a business does not adopt new marketing strategies, business growth will cease. Marketing tactics are everywhere, so it is essential to creatively approach mainstream techniques to remain relevant.
Could you share and briefly explain the first major change you made to break the trend of traditional marketing that was not so common?
By focusing on quality over quantity when it comes to outreach, French Truck has established lasting connections. Our team thoughtfully considers the wants of others before taking our next step, whether that is offering product samples, providing support to local businesses, or starting a new partnership.
What specific results did you see after implementing this change?
When you approach marketing with a genuine desire to connect, you establish strong relationships and loyal customers, which we have seen grow in number over the last 14 years.
How do you ensure that these new marketing strategies resonate with your target audience?
By paying attention to how our target audience responds in certain situations, we see which trends and marketing strategies are most effective and adjust accordingly.
Can you share an example of something you tried that didn’t deliver expected results or ended up becoming a financial burden, and what you learned from that experience?
After learning of the small grocer trend sweeping the industry, I launched Simone’s Market in 2016. Unfortunately, that endeavor came to a close in 2020. From that, I learned the value of understanding your community and how they respond to trends.
Could you list “5 Innovative & Non-Traditional Marketing Strategies That Can Engage Audiences Like Never Before”?
- Establishing genuine brand advocates
- Partnering with like-minded organizations
- Continuously producing new and creative products
- Modifying marketing tactics based on demographic
- Allowing customer desires to drive our business model across partnerships and products.
What challenges might companies face when transitioning away from traditional marketing strategies, and how can they overcome them?
With many of the newer marketing strategies involving technology, there is a substantial learning curve. Luckily, lots of platforms offer learning courses and training sessions that make this learning process less daunting.
How do you measure the success and ROI of these new marketing strategies?
Media metrics, including website clicks and social media engagement, help us determine the success of a product or campaign. From there, we can assess community wants.
Looking forward, how do you see the role of innovative marketing evolving in the next 5–10 years?
Technology is oversaturating consumers’ decision making process; therefore, I believe the next generation of shoppers will be less technology-driven and refocus their energy on brands that resonate with them personally.
What advice would you give to business leaders who are hesitant to move away from traditional marketing methods?
Marketing outreach is only effective if absorbed by consumers. With consumers limited attention spans, these new methods prioritize quick and effective communication. My advice is to not only implement these new techniques, but to find methods that emphasize your organization’s pillar messages.
Can you share any upcoming initiatives or plans you have for further innovating your marketing strategies?
We are launching a French Truck Coffee app at the end of January 2025 to target market our customers and showcase our latest initiatives.
How can Authority Magazine readers follow your work and learn more about your approaches to modern marketing?
Follow me on Instagram at @simonereggie or follow French Truck Coffee at @frenchtruckcoffee.
This was great. Thank you so much for the time you spent sharing with us.
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur and Thought Leader with over 25 years of business experience. He has founded, operated, and exited multiple companies and now builds into a handful of high impact CEOs. Chad has launched multiple online communities, including a recent leadership development platform, and also serves as a strategic advisor for Authority Magazine’s thought-leader incubator program. To learn more and connect with Chad visit: chadsilverstein.io
Breaking the Marketing Mold: Simone Reggie of French Truck Coffee On 5 Innovative & Non Traditional… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.