Keep customers at the center: Leveraging data to understand dry cleaning clients

Understanding what your customers actually care about is key to shaping any marketing strategy—and the only way to get a clear picture of your customers’ wants and needs is by digging into the data. Host Kathryn Turnoff sat down with the CMO of ZIPS Cleaners in this episode of  Marketer’s Alchemy to discuss why good marketers don’t rely solely on assumptions and let their customers’ preferences and behaviors guide the strategy instead.

About the guest: Mary Ann Donaghy, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, ZIPS Cleaners

Mary Ann Donaghy joined ZIPS in May 2023 after serving as a member of the ZIPS Board of Directors, bringing decades of consumer marketing expertise with her. Over the course of her career, Mary Ann has held the position of Vice President of Marketing at both the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) and The Bozzuto Group, serving as the chief marketing officer in both organizations. The roots of her marketing career began at Grey Advertising, H.J. Heinz and AOL, and has also provided marketing consultancy through her business Insights & Impact.

ZIPS Cleaners is a US-based dry-cleaning company operating through a franchise business model, known for offering same-day dry cleaning at an affordable price point. 

What’s inside this episode

When you think of dry cleaning, “fun” probably isn’t the first word that comes to mind, but under the guidance of Mary Ann, ZIPS Cleaners is leveraging marketing strategies to flip the script. But before strategy comes research and data analysis.

Connecting the dots with data

One of the earliest projects Mary Ann spearheaded was appending the customer file—millions of consumers—with demographic data to identify ZIPS’ high-value customers. From there, she and her team were able to determine:

• Who their top customers are, demographically and behaviorally
• Which zip codes and store radiuses are most profitable
• How to hyper-target digital marketing based on lookalike audiences

She paired this with qualitative and quantitative research on consumer behavior, creating a full picture of the ZIPS customer. A standout insight: ZIPS customers aren’t visiting dry cleaners for special occasions—they want to look good every day, and they’re value-conscious about it.

Evolving the brand message

Armed with those insights, ZIPS shifted its brand messaging from a purely rational appeal ($3.49 per item, same-day service) to something more emotional, positioning ZIPS as a company that “makes it easy to look your best for less.”

This emotional resonance connects more deeply with consumers, especially those who might not be habitual dry-cleaning users. ZIPS is creating an invitation to elevate everyday living, not just service a one-time need.

Bringing the energy

Mary Ann knows her audience: the ZIPS core customer is typically between 45 and 65 years old. But ZIPS is expanding its reach, and that means tapping into what younger consumers want most—convenience.

One way ZIPS has started delivering on this need is through wash-and-fold services that are paired with app-based scheduling and DoorDash-powered pickup and delivery. This service is part of a broader effort to increase awareness—not only of what ZIPS offers but why dry cleaning still matters in today’s world.

While ZIPS’ campaigns may look playful on the outside, everything behind the scenes is deeply strategic. “There are a lot of ways to spend your money and talk about your brand,” Mary Ann said. “You could wing it, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

ZIPS uses data for every marketing decision—from campaign planning to customer outreach. Mary Ann emphasizes that without data and research, you can’t truly understand your opportunities.

Data-driven franchise growth

When it comes to expansion, data is once again at the forefront, helping to identify ideal franchise locations based on demographics, traffic patterns and competitive landscapes. Her team also examines existing customer files from similar markets to project potential success.

Interestingly, Mary Ann notes that competition isn’t always a negative. “We have seen a pattern where a dry cleaner will actually do better the more competition they have,” she said—so long as ZIPS' unique value proposition of low cost and same-day service stands out.

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