2025 Winner
Jillian Nelson
Chief Marketing Officer, Dunkin'
Meet the Marketer Proving That Legacy Brands Can Retain Young Customers
With more than 14,000 locations around the globe and a 77-year history, it’s safe to say Dunkin’ doesn’t struggle with brand recognition. But, when Jillian Nelson took over as CMO in 2022, she nonetheless enlisted a roster of A-list celebrities to appear in several big, splashy ads for the coffee chain. Featuring everyone from Ben Affleck and Tom Brady to Martha Stewart and Sabrina Carpenter, the ads are part of Nelson’s “fewer, bigger, better” marketing approach that’s aiming to build Dunkin’s “cinematic universe,” from Super Bowl spots to TikTok, where it has 3.4 million followers. Nelson joined Dunkin’ in 2011 and, as VP of Marketing Strategy, she spearheaded its efforts to attract younger customers with cold brew, iced teas, and avocado toast. Combined with the chain’s rollout of digital kiosks, mobile-order pickup, and other conveniences meant to appeal to Gen Z, her efforts have helped the chain jump three spots on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, up to No. 3 in 2025.
By Audrey Goodson Kingo
