Sales & Marketing

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Pizza chains Pizza Hut and Papa John’s are tied for the highest customer satisfaction score among quick-service restaurants. According to the 2014 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), Papa John’s (unchanged from 2013) and Pizza Hut (+3%) share the lead at 82, with Little Caesar (-2%) and Domino’s Pizza (-1%) not far behind at 80.

Mobile retail navigation service Aisle411 will be offering its indoor mapping services to Indianapolis-based Marsh Supermarkets. The retailer seeks to improve the shopping experience for its customers by leveraging the navigation platform via its new Marsh App.

Matthews, N.C. -- Family Dollar Stores, announced that it has named Jeffrey Thomas senior VP-merchandise operations. He replaces Scott Zucker, who left the company at the end of May.

Thomas joined Family Dollar in 2003 as a director of vendor performance. He went on to assume roles with increasing responsibilities, and in 2013, was named VP-merchant services.

New York -- DreamWorks Animation is looking to bring a little bit of Hollywood magic to the nation's shopping malls. The film studio has developed a high-tech Santa Claus  experience, billed as "DreamHouse," that it hopes to roll out to malls for the holidays, with two developers, Forest City and General Growth Properties already buying in, the New York Times reported.
    

Amazon has thrown its hat into the smartphone ring. At an event in its hometown of Seattle, the online retailer unveiled Fire, the first smartphone it has ever designed.

In a marketplace that’s already crowded with the latest iPhones, Andriods and Blackberrys, Amazon has invested in two new technologies — Dynamic Perspective and Firefly — that make Fire a compelling product that won’t get lost in the mix.  

San Jose, Calif. - VeriFone Systems Inc. is making its Way2ride sound-based mobile app for smartphones available to taxi passengers in Philadelphia. Way2ride enables Philadelphia passengers to tap and pay for cab fares in 1,400 of the 1,600 taxi cabs currently operating in the city.

During the World Cup, Bud Light will donate to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund for each goal scored, up to $250,000. Though Budweiser is the official Beer of the World Cup, 2014 is the first year that Bud Light has been a partner of the month-long event.

"Integrating our sponsorship with education is at the core of our company values,” Bud Light Brand Manager Miguel Nigrinis said. “It's a winning recipe for Latinos that aspire to hold a university degree.”

Plano, Texas - Rent-A-Center Inc. has named Mike Case to VP marketing strategy and insights. Case is responsible for global administration of customer insights/market research, marketing analytics, business innovation, CRM and loyalty.

Recently, Case served as VP marketing and senior loyalty officer for La Quinta Inn & Suites Earlier in his career, Case held leadership positions in organizations such as American Airlines, Brierley & Partners, Sage Telecom, First USA Bank and Virgin America.