Flint Finlinson, Co-Founder and CEO of Propaganda Inc., is a brand and marketing expert specializing in strategy development. Propaganda, Inc. is an agency dedicated to “Brand Transformations” and helping to develop your higher brand purpose. Having transitioned from retail to restaurants, Flint understand what it means to position your brand not just to guests, but to humans.

Here are a few highlights from this episode:

How do you reinforce the emotional connection your brand has with guests?

“I think the the biggest thing that I’ve seen is that restaurant brands that can create memorable experiences. This stems from the restaurant environments, the design of them, the aesthetic, the service. I look at certain brands and see what are they doing that’s really memorable? We have done a lot of research with consumers, and the it comes down to all the things contribute to the experience.“

What are common mistakes you’ve seen in the hospitality space?

People don’t solidify their primary brand benefit and are at risk of competitors coming and taking that away.

“One of the things that we do as a company is help restaurant brands understand what their higher brand purpose and benefit is. And it’s almost always going to be an emotional thing.

. . . When you understand what the higher level benefit is and the reason that people come and connect with you emotionally, then you understand how to craft your experience around that simple idea, and that’s where people resonate with an emotional connection. Ultimately it drives their loyalty over a longer period of time, and they would become advocates for their brand.“

Who deserved an Ovation in the restaurant industry?

Lauren Fernandez, Full Course

“She’s just a bundle of energy and positivity, and I have just recently understood what she is doing in the industry, and it’s a place that is very emotional for me. I guess what I mean by that is, I love the local immigrant owned restaurants, the Thai restaurant, the local Mexican restaurant. It’s awesome to see immigrants come to this country, open up a restaurant and be successful.”