John Kupiec built a retail-based advertising agency based on proven results for his clients. “My core value was and is, is to treat the client’s money as if it were my own. I often presented to groups and closed business by stating that if I can’t grow your business with my ad strategies, you can fire me. However, I have enough integrity to resign first and admit I couldn’t do the job,” said Kupiec.
He was not afraid to invest his money where his vision was. In one instance, while the food industry was growing exclusively via couponing, John presented a brand building campaign utilizing local TV without a price point. The co-op chairperson challenged John in front of the entire franchise group and stated that he did not agree with the vision and challenged John to change course.
John Kupiec,
President – Chief Executive Officer
John confidently stayed the course and invested the client’s funds in TV, despite the threat of termination. “The board chair told his board that he felt they would have to fire me at the next BOD meeting,” Kupiec said. The rest is history as John and the team thrived on their strategy and execution of marketing and advertising plans across the US. “I am proud to say I never had to resign,” said Kupiec.
When the opportunity arose to present to a fledgling group of start-up franchisees for Subway, they gave John a chance to invest their funds to help establish a brand and grow a new concept in a heavily saturated marketplace. John quickly established his knowledge of the media, the business and financial acumen to grow the original six franchise operations and acquire more operators and markets by consistently outperforming other areas with fresh ideas and demonstrating the ability to lead diverse owners to a common goal under one brand to reach their goals. Eventually the agency grew to represent over 3,800 locations in 19 states with a budget of over $55 million dollars.
Through John’s adroit leadership, the franchisees grew to trust his judgement and instead of competing, they operated as a team working together to gain market share, grow sales and profits, and continue to expand the brand with new locations in every market he managed. John was a trailblazer, introducing new products, new strategies to invest in different media; then measuring the results and putting boots on the ground to better understand each market’s challenges and franchisees’ strengths and weaknesses.
John’s team-building effort was embedded in the franchise community as they all understood the value of operating brand standards with consistency and precision. Through innovative communication using newsletters, digital communication with marketing and branding concepts developed for each market, new product innovation and proactive marketing and media programs, the Subway brand flourished not only in John’s markets but nationally as well, as the franchisor adopted many concepts developed under John’s direction.
In 22 years of managing the business of Subway, John and his team never lost a market due to poor
performance. The agency won every award ever developed within the system multiple times and effectively brought the brand out of severe negative sales comps and poor morale amongst franchisees with engaging visionary concepts that catapulted the brand to new heights.
Those strategies were often adopted as brand standards and at times succeeded despite industry trends due to the strategic direction developed by John and his team. Investing in understanding the clients, the market, and the competition were prioritized.
John’s revolutionary media strategy was adopted internationally and is still in use today for a brand that is in the process of reinventing itself. To do this successfully required John’s unique ability to lead, build a team that worked cohesively with exacting precision, and motivate and train business owners and corporate partners to work and succeed together.
When the franchisor became heavy-handed with the franchisees on areas that adversely affected the business and the relationship between the parties, John was able to engage all parties with respect, resourcefulness, and account governance to bring the parties together to solve conflicts. At times, the visionary values-driven philosophy of John and his team created dynamic tactics that risk-averse clients would not attempt. John’s “show me the money” tactics earned high praise, opportunities for additional growth, and helped build one of the most successful franchise organizations the world has ever known.
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