Compelling marketing stands out and is shared by consumers. And while there were plenty of campaigns shown at Association of National Advertisers’ Masters of Marketing conference in Orlando that elicited laughter and tears, it's sometimes hard to know how to measure the success of those ads. In today’s constantly connected world, how can marketers be sure the work they put out into the world is having the desired effect in terms of increasing transactions, improving brand perception and driving revenue gains?

We spoke with Dunkin', Screenvision and Chipotle to get their thoughts on measurement and other topics.

Watch the video above for more, or read on below for a deeper dive into each brand's story. 

One might expect Dunkin’ Chief Marketing Officer Tony Weisman to start each day with a cup of the chain’s coffee. Instead, he perks up with sales data.

Weisman reviews the prior day’s comparable-store sales data each morning at 5:30, generally before he has his coffee. “And then it affects what kind of coffee I have and how much I savor it,” Weisman told Ad Age at the ANA Masters of Marketing conference last week.

With items such as updated espresso-based drinks; a veggie egg-white spinach omelet and turkey sausage Power Breakfast Sandwich, for those looking for healthier fare (“we’re not offering kale,” Weisman said); and a sandwich featuring Beyond Meat’s plant-based sausage—exclusively in Manhattan for now—the sales data lately has been keeping Weisman pretty happy. U.S. comparable sales rose 2.4 percent in the first quarter and 1.7 percent in the second quarter, with increases in the average spent per transaction but declines in traffic. Comparable sales increased 0.6 percent in 2018.

Read the full story here.

Moviegoers are likely to be less distracted than at-home viewers and about half of ticket buyers are 25 years old or younger, making them a prime target for advertising, according to John Partilla, CEO of Screenvision.

“The audience is a uniquely engaged audience,” Partilla told Ad Age on the sidelines of the ANA Masters of Marketing conference in Orlando this month.

Clearly, as the CEO of a company that runs ads on roughly 15,000 screens at more than 2,500 theaters, Partilla is eager to see more marketers add in-theater ads to their media plans.

At-home viewers can skip commercials and might be more distracted by a second screen than people settling into their seats for a feature flick.

“In that giant theater with that 40-foot canvas, you’re really engaged and immersed,” said Partilla.

Read the full story here.

Chipotle Mexican Grill has updated everything from its food lineup to its executive ranks in recent years and the overhaul is taking shape. The chain’s comeback story took center stage at the ANA Masters of Marketing conference in a session called “The Reawakening of Chipotle.”

The “For Real” campaign that launched in Sept. 2018 was a way for the brand to reignite its voice with a focus on the food, years after food-safety issues had kept diners away. 

“We really wanted to celebrate the food and we weren’t apologizing anymore,” said Chief Marketing Officer Chris Brandt.

Sales are up, as are visits to its restaurants. Not to mention the stock price, which has hit new highs, well above $800 per share. (That’s a lot of burritos and bowls.)

“I don’t think we would have expected it to take off as quickly as it did, and that just shows the love that people have for Chipotle and the brand affinity that people have,” said Brandt.

Read the full story here.