Ladd Biro, founder and principal of Champion, has spent more than two decades building one of the nation’s premier PR and digital media agencies for restaurant and hospitality brands. With a background that includes senior marketing leadership at American Airlines and the National Association of Manufacturers, he launched Champion in 2002 and today represents nearly 80 restaurant clients nationwide. AdChat DFW had the opportunity to chat with Ladd about his career path, his company’s passion for restaurant brands and how he helped to rewrite the airplane scene in Home Alone.
Ladd: I began my career after business school at American Airlines in marketing. It was an incredible training ground. I had great mentors and was exposed to every aspect of the marketing mix: advertising, PR, promotions, internal and external communications, and more. I eventually became Director of Worldwide Sales Promotion, where I managed American’s sports sponsorships. At the time, American was one of the top sports sponsors in the country, and I had the privilege and challenge of negotiating partnerships with the NFL, NBA, NCAA, America’s Cup, and even making American the official airline of the 1994 World Cup.
There are two fun stories while at American: I negotiated AA’s official airline partnership with The Oprah Winfrey Show directly with Oprah herself…I guess I was too young to realize I should be intimidated…and when John Hughes wrote turbulence into the American Airlines flight scene in Home Alone, I refused to approve that and instead suggested the quirky uncle character attempt to steal the first-class silverware. It made it into the final cut.
From there, I was recruited to Washington, D.C., where I spent nine years at the National Association of Manufacturers, eventually serving as Senior VP of Marketing and President of their educational arm, the Manufacturing Institute. After nine years and three kids later (four in total), my wife and I wanted to return to Dallas and I found a gig at a small sports marketing firm, but soon realized I wanted to run my own company. I had to scratch that entrepreneurial itch. So, in 2002, I launched Champion Management — originally as a sports marketing agency, thus the name and my first big client…in more ways than one… was Hulk Hogan. That let to other niche athletes across freestyle motocross, boxing, bass fishing, drag racing and others. With that business model, it was feast or famine, and I quickly saw the need to bring in corporate clients to stabilize revenue. My very first corporate PR client, GoVision, is still with us 23 years later.
Ladd: PR is still at our core, but our services have expanded significantly over the years. Today, Champion is an integrated omni-channel marketing agency that handles a wide spectrum of services, including national and local media relations targeting consumer-facing, business, and trade media. We also manage organic social media content and day-to-day community engagement and provide best-in-class creative ideation and strategic support for our clients.
On the digital side, our team develops advertising campaigns for both consumers and franchise development, generating leads from qualified franchisee candidates. We run influencer programs in-house, building authentic relationships that extend our clients’ reach, and we support local store marketing efforts to build goodwill, strengthen underperforming locations, open new restaurants and launch brands into new markets.
Our creative services include design, photography, and video production — most of it managed internally, though we also partner with trusted freelancers when a project calls for extra muscle.
And of course, we also offer crisis management for our clients, which has become increasingly important with the rise of social media voices amplifying every issue.
Ladd: It was partly necessity and partly opportunity. Early on, the sports deals were exciting, but inconsistent. You could land a big endorsement deal and get a great payout — but you didn’t have the steady paycheck I had enjoyed in corporate life. Taking on corporate clients brought stability. Over time, those corporate relationships, especially in restaurants, grew, and the sports side naturally became less of a priority.
Now, restaurants are the heart of our agency. We believe Champion represents more restaurant brands than any other PR firm in the country, and we’re second-largest by revenue in the category. We still do occasional NIL deals for clients, which gives us a chance to flex our sports marketing expertise.
Ladd: We’re very strategic about generating attention. For new restaurants, we support openings in markets all over the country, averaging 150–200 openings a year. We drive media coverage at both the national and local level, create compelling digital content and activate influencers to build buzz.
Local store marketing is another critical piece. We help brands introduce themselves to new communities, partner with local organizations and create campaigns to boost underperforming locations. On the franchise side, our integrated digital advertising and PR strategies help brands attract and sign new operators.
We also expanded our footprint to Los Angeles a few years ago, adding team members who know the West Coast media market best. That decision has paid off as our clients are now consistently covered in one of the toughest markets in the country.
Ladd: For a long time, I wanted us to diversify beyond restaurants, but COVID changed my perspective. During the pandemic, our clients leaned on us daily to help navigate an unprecedented crisis. That experience really reinforced how vital our role is in the restaurant industry and how much we enjoy it.
Today, my focus is less on being the biggest agency and more on being the best in our space. The restaurant industry is endlessly dynamic, from QSR to fine dining, national brands to emerging concepts, and we thrive on telling those unique stories.
Champion now has nearly 80 restaurant brands as clients, supported by a team of more than 40 talented professionals, with most based in Dallas – plus our small but mighty group in Los Angeles. Our goal is simple: to be an indispensable partner to our clients, continue innovating in PR and digital media, and grow alongside the incredible restaurant brands we’re proud to represent.
Fun Facts About Ladd
- Baylor gave him his BBA, Harvard gave him his MBA, and American Airlines gave him his wings in marketing.
- Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing (2011) for a series on urban gas drilling.
- Twice named Fantasy Football Writer of the Year (2010, 2011) for his nationally syndicated column
- Hosted a national fantasy football radio show on Sporting News Radio for three years.
- Has shared sushi with Hulk Hogan (yes, off the same plate)
- Went sailing with America’s Cup captain Dennis Conner
- And, as he jokes, “hates name-droppers.”
