A Beyond the Brief Marketing Conversation with Doug Zarkin, Chief Marketing Officer, Take 5
Q: Doug, let’s set the stage with your journey. You come to Take 5 after an impressive career driving brand transformations. What pulled you into this fast-lane category?
Doug: Sometimes the road you travel picks you, right? I’ve always been drawn to industries ripe for disruption, where marketing can actually be a competitive advantage, not just support. Take 5 is one of those gems. It’s a rare opportunity to help contemporize a business that’s already been enjoying wave after wave of growth, 16 or 17 consecutive quarters, which is incredible in a commoditized category like auto care. My role here is to take what’s great and amplify it, clarify why we’re special, and really accelerate the brand’s trajectory by bringing a new level of brand love into the equation.
Q: For those new to Take 5, what’s different about your business model, and why does it matter to consumers?
Doug: At Take 5, we make the oil change not just quicker, but radically more human. The hallmark of our model is this “stay in your car” 10-minute oil change. That sounds like a time-saver, but the heart of it is actually control. Our shops are designed like an open kitchen: the consumer is literally at the center of our process. You see and hear everything, no mystery, no closed doors. Our techs talk you through the options, from a basic or synthetic oil change to a cabin filter, so you’re educated, you’re in control, and you also feel taken care of. That transparency builds trust, which is everything in this space.
Q: The Take 5 experience starts with small details, like a smile and a bottle of water. Why do those gestures matter as much as the service itself?
Doug: It’s the humanity, plain and simple. Our industry isn’t exactly famous for warmth or transparency. So we intentionally lead with kindness, a smile, and a bottle of water to break the ice. That’s not window dressing; it’s critical. Every interaction is an opportunity to create a moment of trust and belonging. We want every guest to know we’re not just taking care of their car, we’re acknowledging them as people. In marketing, people forget that the commercial opportunity starts with the emotional one. The smile is our handshake; it says, “We see you and you matter.”
Q: Trust comes up a lot in your approach. How do you build and protect that trust with both consumers and franchisees?
Doug: Trust gets built one honest moment at a time. We use CARFAX for vehicle history, our techs are transparent about what’s needed and, maybe more importantly, what’s not. Our policy is to highlight what doesn’t require a fix, not trying to up-sell. That’s a reputational moat. On the franchise side, we’re all-in partners, not just top-down operators. We give franchisees the tools, data, and support they need to succeed, and then get out of their way so they can flourish. If you get trust right, growth and loyalty follow, both inside and outside the system.
Q: You talk a lot about being a challenger brand. What does that really mean for your team and your marketing playbook?
Doug: Challenger isn’t about picking fights with the big guys; it’s about thinking differently at every turn. Are we obsessed with operational excellence? Absolutely. But we also want to evolve how people experience the category altogether. My focus is on building a high-performing, integrated team and recruiting partners, both endemic like Shell and non-endemic, like the Dallas Cowboys, to amplify our story and connect locally. Based on footprint, we’re fourth in our sector right now, but we lead through innovation and customer love, not just spend or scale.
Q: Data is everywhere in marketing now. How do you cut through the noise and make it actionable?
Doug: It’s easy to drown in tabs and spreadsheets, trust me. I challenge our team to pick the five data points that matter most. If you focus on more than five, you’re not focusing deeply on anything. Our ‘so what, now what?’ philosophy means we’re constantly asking: what does this data mean, and what are we going to do with it? It’s about putting insights into practice and never losing sight of the fact that customers make emotional decisions first, rational ones second. Satisfying that emotional need is job one.
Q: How has your marketing philosophy evolved, especially in the age of AI and always-on analytics?
Doug: If there’s one thing I’d double down on from my book, “Moving Your Brand Out of the Friend Zone,” it’s to “think human.” AI is a tremendous tool, but it’ll never replace the value of human insight, intuition, and empathy. In fact, as automation increases, the brands that lead will be those that are most unafraid to show their humanity. The moments that create loyalty aren’t artificial; they’re analog. A smile, a word, a moment of unexpected kindness, their impact endures.
Q: Final question: Any advice that’s shaped your career, or a lesson you wish every marketing leader could hear?
Doug: Absolutely: stop searching for “the right way.” There isn’t one. Build your way, be curious, be humble, and surround yourself with people smarter than you. If you’re the smartest one in the room, you’re in the wrong room. And never forget, our job as marketers is profound and a little bit arrogant: we’re here to motivate people to do something, but the skill is in leading through listening. To lead, you must first listen, and then serve. That never goes out of style.