DALLAS — Fletcher’s Corny Dogs are as iconic to the State Fair of Texas as Big Tex. In fact, the famous meal on a stick has been around a decade longer!
They debuted at the Fair in 1942, and nearly 70 years, later Amber Fletcher, a third-generation owner of the family business, is helping make a local favorite into a national treasure by listening to customer’s stories.
Amber Fletcher is head of marketing, but the corny dog heiress’ practice in promotion began long before she earned a title.
"This is all I’ve ever wanted to do," Fletcher said.
She leaned into her role following the death of her father, Skip "The Corny Dog King," in 2017.
"It took us a little bit of time to figure out what roles that we wanted to take and what roles we naturally fit into," she explained. "With me being more sociably and personable - I love getting out and meeting people - I just naturally fit more into marketing."
Her marketing strategy focuses mostly on two things – brand alignment and customer feedback. Amber said active listening helps her tune in to customers' changing needs and expand Fletcher’s reach.
"We’re not just at the State Fair of Texas," she said.
Fletcher’s Corny Dogs joined e-commerce site Gold Belly after repeated requests from customers for the Fair favorite all year long.
"They are a large platform, and they do a lot of marketing for us, and so we’ve been shipping corny dogs all over the U.S. from California to Pennsylvania," Fletcher said.
And they can reach the community with new food trucks.
To stay aligned with their brand while they grow, she’s constantly reviewing short- and long-term goals and checking in with their team.
"As a family, we get together and talk about what that would look like, would it benefit us, does it fit our branding and who we are," Fletcher described.
Because at the center of this corny dog kingdom, is a woman whose goal it is to bring happiness to customers - just like her dad.
"I was more of a shy, soft-spoken child, and I feel that getting to move into his role in the company has helped me come out of my shell and be more confident," Fletcher said. "I’ve really grown into the person who I guess my parents always said I would be."
Fletcher’s Corny Dogs is a small company with less than a dozen year-round employees so, saying yes to new opportunities also must make sense financially.
Fletcher’s Corny Dogs has shipped to 40 states in less than six months. You can visit goldbelly.com for your corny dog fix.