Chief Growth Officer, Krispy Kreme
Search every verified David Skena interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Dave Skena, Global Chief Brand Officer at Krispy Kreme (previously Chief Marketing Officer), has described his marketing approach as prioritizing earned media and word-of-mouth over traditional advertising. He stated that the company eliminated television, radio, and out-of-home advertising, instead focusing on insights and creative-driven earned media strategies. Skena has emphasized measuring "brand love" quantitatively, defining it as customers who rate the brand a ten out of ten, and said this metric is the most important indicator of long-term brand health. He has also discussed the company's "acts of joy" initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, including giving free donuts to healthcare workers and offering a free donut to anyone who received a COVID-19 vaccine. Skena has highlighted the importance of partnerships with other sweet indulgent brands such as Oreo, Hershey's, and Chips Ahoy, describing these collaborations as a "win-win" that benefits both brands. He has noted that Krispy Kreme expanded its digital delivery capability nationally in February 2020, which he said led to digital sales generating double-digit percentages of revenue. Skena has also discussed the company's "Delivered Fresh Daily" program with Walmart, which he described as the first time the brand achieved nationwide access through grocery distribution. He has stated that the company's most important product remains the original glazed doughnut fresh off the line, which he called a "one-of-a-kind" experience.
“One of the reasons people really still love Krispy Kreme after all these years is because of the way we're made. We're very authentic; we show the entire manufacturing process right before your eyes—from mixing the dough to glazing it—there's no slate of hand here, it's the real deal.”
“Social media has been provably, quantitatively effective for me; it makes targeting a lot easier. If something doesn't work, you stop it and lean harder into your other assets. We measure every campaign every three to four weeks to see if it worked and constantly improve.”
“An overwhelming majority of the donuts purchased at Krispy Kreme are given to somebody who didn't purchase them—they're shared. We're not the hero of the story; we're the tool through which other people are the heroes, expressing their heart and generosity.”
“During the pandemic, we gave away mass quantities of donuts with no expectation of anything in return to healthcare workers. This generosity led to increased sales on other days, showing that kindness can also be good business.”
“We use love as a quantitative measurement year-to-year to analyze if more people love or adore us today than last year. Love is a measure of intimacy that carries the longest and creates evangelism and zealots for the brand.”
“The better customer for Krispy Kreme in the long run is not the person who stops by 10 times a year but the person who drives four hours each way twice a year and brings 10 dozens home. Intensity of liking creates long-term brand health.”
“We want to be the most loved sweet treat brand in the world. Measuring brand love quantitatively ensures we don't mess up the special 'dust on the butterfly wing' that makes Krispy Kreme unique.”
“Marketing has to work hard and sell product. Sometimes people lose their way and forget that the ultimate goal is performance, not just creativity or awards.”
“They just gave us a donut — what kind of company gives their best product away for free? That memory of a hot fresh donut and that generous moment is why people often remember their first Krispy Kreme.”
“We're a hybrid, omnichannel company — we have theater shops with donuts off the line, fresh shops without production, and Delivered Fresh Dailies in grocery; the challenge is delivering extremely fresh product across every channel because fresh is critical.”
“We created 'acts of joy' during the pandemic — the first was free donut stalls for healthcare professionals every Monday for eight weeks with no strings attached.”
“When the vaccine came out we said anyone who got vaccinated could come in and have a donut every day for the rest of the year — we thought it would encourage people to get past COVID.”
“When we collaborate with other brands that perform a similar function — Hershey's, Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Biscoff — people love it; one plus one often equals a lot more than two.”
“I'm a performance marketer — I hold every penny prisoner, we run A/B tests and pour money into the creative that works, and social channels let us geo-target around shops so our budget goes farther.”
“If you can do something completely in keeping with your brand DNA it becomes newsworthy — that earned media and word of mouth has delivered billions of impressions and drives immediate sales.”
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