As CMO, Asher Will Focus on Partnerships, Menu Innovation, Brand Development and Marketing, and More
Jon Asher has become Nékter Juice Bar’s first-ever chief marketing officer (CMO). Asher, who joined the juice bar franchise in 2015, served as the brand’s former vice president of digital marketing. In this role, he oversaw the transition of Nékter’s loyalty program and led the company’s latest rebrand. As CMO, Asher will focus on partnerships, menu innovation, brand development and marketing, and more.
“I’m most looking forward to continuing to evolve the brand and unify it across all channels. I’m also very excited for the next 1-2 years. We have always been our largest ‘franchisee’ with over 30 locations, but as we focus on franchise-first growth moving forward, our opportunities for growth and expansion are massive,” Asher said.
When Asher originally joined Nékter, he wasn’t looking to switch jobs, but when he was contacted by a recruiter the same week two friends spoke about the juice bar brand, he knew he had to learn more. “That same week I met the founders, accepted the job, and it’s now been a fun and wild seven years. I love the brand, love the people, and it is exciting to be part of such a fun, health-focused, fast-growing national brand,” he adds.
The juice bar franchise’s leadership team believes that Asher has proven himself to be up to the job. In a statement, Nékter founder and CEO Steve Schulze said, “With deep and proven digital marketing expertise and a keen sense of innovation, he continues to be a key reason for Nékter’s continued success and expansion across the country.”
To Asher, Nékter Juice Bar’s ingredient transparency makes it stand out. “Nékter Juice Bar was one of the first QSR brands to lead the way with ingredient transparency and using real, whole ingredients while eliminating any use of unnecessary or processed ingredients. And our focus on transparency also extends to how we work with our franchise partners,” Asher said.
“From Discovery Days to supporting the operation of their stores, Nékter doesn’t have levels of red tape that impede the success of our partners,” he adds. ”Anyone of our franchisees can contact our CEO at any time, or really anyone on our support team. At Nékter, we want to lead by example, and because we are a relatively simple concept, we are able to offer a much more affordable franchise opportunity than many of the food franchises out there.”
Asher’s Experience
Before joining Nékter, Asher was an aerospace analyst and held marketing roles in the automotive and biotech industries. Nékter was Asher’s first experience with a franchise. “The main thing that attracted me was the health and wellness aspect and doing something that was benefiting people rather than just pushing the next piece of gear or product. I love how fast-paced and ever-changing the industry is as technology continues to evolve and grow. This is an environment that I thrive in,” Asher said.
For entrepreneurs with the franchising bug, Asher suggests just going for it. “If you’re tired of working a 9-5, finding a franchise and growing with it is a great way to make a lot more money and have a lot more freedom. Get out there and explore your options!”
For franchisors looking to improve their marketing strategies, Asher suggests being aware of what other entrepreneurs are doing well. “Often this is reaching out to corporate for ideas; we are always here to help, from creating additional marketing and operations support, diving into opportunities and plugging gaps, or communicating some of the latest successful tactics that we are seeing.”
More Behind Nékter Juice Bar
Nékter Juice Bar is a leader of the modern juice bar experience and was founded in 2010 to fill the need for plant-based, healthy food options. The juice bar franchise reportedly has 150 locations in development and more than 170 locations across the U.S.