Family Portfolio: Leading the Marketing Charge at Unleashed Brands

Pat O’Toole is a seasoned marketing executive with experience across consumer products, QSR, and global markets. Earlier this year, he stepped into the top marketing office at Unleashed Brands. He’s been busy familiarizing himself with and leading the marketing efforts of the company’s eight brands, Urban Air Adventure Park, The Little Gym, Sylvan Learning, Snapology, XP League, Class 101, Water Wings, and Premier Martial Arts, and more than 2,000 franchise locations. 

As he leads the marketing efforts of brands that serve families across the country, O’Toole says he’s focused on “creating memorable consumer experiences and driving long-term brand value.”

To do so, O’Toole says he draws upon his experience and a leadership style grounded in three key principles: be a lifelong learner, empower people to thrive, and build strong cross-functional partnerships. This results in a marketing culture that’s agile, collaborative, and committed to growth.

According to O’Toole, marketing should be measured and the results fulfill planned goals and objectives. “At the core, marketing should grow the brand and the business. If either isn’t happening, it’s not effective marketing,” he says.

A self-professed “tech geek,” O’Toole says it’s important for the departments at Unleashed Brands to be aligned in today’s fast-paced and competitive environment. That’s why he works closely with the COO and CIO. “As technology and guest experience become more intertwined,” he says, “we need to work as a unified team to deliver on our brand promise at every touchpoint.”

He’s also engaged with the brand’s franchise development team and process. That’s why he meets with both current and prospective franchisees to cover brand strategies and discuss the marketing support available as part of the Unleashed Brands family.

O’Toole blends strategic vision, team leadership, and passion for brand building, and all of it comes together as he leads his marketing team in today’s complex and evolving media landscape.

Describe your role as CMO. I lead the marketing function for all eight brands within the Unleashed Brands portfolio. Our team’s mission is to build category-leading brands that serve families across the country, creating memorable consumer experiences and driving long-term brand value.

What’s the most challenging part of being a CMO today? The pace of change in the media landscape is a major challenge. Measurement continues to evolve, making it increasingly difficult to track true impact. On top of that, today’s consumer behavior is uncertain, especially for businesses dependent on discretionary income. To effectively navigate this environment, a CMO has to be tightly connected to the CEO and other leaders in the C-suite to garner organizational support for marketing efforts and strategies.

What are the three most important keys to being an effective CMO leader today?

•  Be a lifelong learner. Stay curious and encourage your team to do the same.
•  Foster an environment where people thrive. Whether remote or in-person, empower internal teams, agency partners, and collaborators.
•  Collaborate cross-functionally. Strong relationships with internal stakeholders are essential for alignment and success.

How do you prepare a marketing plan and execute strategies? Great marketing starts with a strong planning process. I believe in defining a three to five-year strategic road map with clear marketing objectives and building annual plans to support those long-term goals. These plans should be living documents that are evaluated and updated regularly to stay relevant and effective.

How do you measure marketing results and effectiveness? It depends on the business and available resources. At the core, marketing should grow the brand and the business. If either isn’t happening, it’s not effective marketing. Too often, marketers get stuck on “report card” metrics that look good in a deck but don’t drive real business growth. Our focus is always on impact.

What are your core consumer marketing strategies and objectives? Our primary objective is to positively impact as many families as possible through our brands. When we focus on delivering value to families, business growth for Unleashed Brands and our franchisees naturally follows.

How do you create a customer-centric marketing and brand philosophy? It begins with insights. Our brands interact with millions of families each year. By combining that direct feedback with deep research, we uncover what truly matters to them. From there, it’s about ensuring our entire organization understands these consumer needs and aligns to meet them.

Describe your marketing team and the role of your agency partners. Our structure is cross-brand and operates with shared services, supported by strong agency partnerships. These external partners play a critical role in helping us scale, innovate, and execute with excellence.

Why is it important for marketing to have a personal touch when connecting with franchise prospects? One of the biggest reasons people invest in a franchise is the strength of the brand and the support behind it. We’re entrusted by franchisees to invest their marketing dollars wisely and help them grow. That trust is personal, and we treat it as such.

How does marketing support franchise sales and development? We work hand in hand with our franchise development team, regularly meeting with both current and prospective franchisees to communicate brand strategies and the marketing support they can expect when joining the Unleashed Brands family.

What tools or programs support this effort? We host monthly launch days and utilize a variety of tools, from literature and videos to in-person sessions, to educate and engage prospective franchisees.

Do today’s franchise prospects expect more from the marketing department? Absolutely. With data and tools becoming more accessible, prospects expect transparency, accountability, and results. Our teams provide regular updates on strategies, performance, and upcoming initiatives to demonstrate how we drive growth.

How does consumer and marketing data help you refine your strategies? Data is invaluable, but it’s all about interpretation. We must balance insights with action, ensuring we avoid analysis paralysis and stay focused on what truly moves the needle.

What role does social media play in your brand’s marketing efforts? Social media is a core channel for us. It’s where our “CHOs” (Chief Happiness Officers, our customers!) engage, discover, and connect. We focus on delivering relevant content and sparking positive conversations about our brands in these spaces.

How do you collaborate with other internal departments? Does technology help? The CMO, CIO, and COO must be tightly aligned in today’s environment. As technology and guest experience become more intertwined, we need to work as a unified team to deliver on our brand promise at every touchpoint.

Which technology tools are most valuable to you and why? First-party data is foundational. It enables us to create a meaningful, 1:1 relationship with each of our consumers, delivering personalization and engagement.

How do you stay on top of evolving technology? I’m a bit of a tech geek, so I enjoy it, but staying current is a must. I read constantly, attend industry events, and foster a team culture focused on discovery, sharing, and testing new ideas. We don’t chase every trend, but we do adopt and scale what works.

How do you manage marketing costs and budgets? Every dollar we spend is an investment from our franchisees, and we treat it that way. We look for efficiency in every area, from smart production to tech-driven media buying. Getting the most impact for every dollar is a core priority.

Do you view vendors as business partners? Without a doubt. Our agency and vendor partners are extensions of our team. We align on purpose, share goals, and work together to bring our mission to life.

How have marketing tools and strategies evolved over the past decade? How have you adapted? The last 10 to 15 years have seen more disruption than the previous 50. Digital media, social platforms, and now AI are transforming how we connect with consumers. We stay agile by testing, learning, and adopting new tools that align with our mission without overcommitting to unproven tech.

How is your brand strategy developed and shared across the organization? We use structured, strategic tool kits to build distinctive brand strategies. These are grounded in consumer insights and developed in collaboration with our teams and agency partners. Each brand is supported by timeless truths and timely strategies to guide execution across the system.

What advice would you offer aspiring CMOs? Never lose sight of the big picture in your career. There is no beaten path to be a CMO, and progress is not always linear. My personal unlock to being a CMO was getting a breadth of experience across multiple categories and geographies. At PepsiCo, I took several lateral moves to unlock a big step up to CMO of Mountain Dew. Those experiences made me a good fit to be CMO of Burger King and ultimately oversee the portfolio of brands that I look after at Unleashed Brands. Look at every experience as a piece of a puzzle and ensure that you are getting good depth as well as breadth in your overall career picture.

I felt I was getting a lot of depth leading Frito-Lay’s snack brands, so I took a lateral move to Europe to work in their foodservice business to get experience in a new part of our business, new geography, and new cultures. That led to a global role in beverages, which led to a CMO role over one of their most valuable brands, Mountain Dew. If I had stayed in snacks in the U.S., I don’t believe I would have had the opportunities that led me to a CMO job. There are some calculated risks along the way, but every opportunity should be evaluated as a path to your ultimate goal.