The Force Powering Dave & Buster's Digital Transformation

A sit down with Dave & Buster’s Director of Digital Marketing, Yvette Davis

Author

Carlo Palomino
January 24, 2025

Welcome back to The Friday Fortune! We’ve officially made it to the last week of January—the month that somehow feels both lightning-fast and never-ending. If your New Year's resolutions are still intact, congratulations! If they’ve already met their demise, welcome to the club. Either way, we’ve got your weekly dose of marketing inspiration to keep you sharp as we head into February.

Each week, we bring you insights from the boldest CMOs, marketing mavericks, and creative minds shaping the industry. From game-changing campaigns to strategies that turn good brands into great ones, we’re here to make sure you stay ahead of the curve (and maybe even sneak in a win before Friday happy hour).

Here’s what’s on deck this week:

  • A conversation with Dave & Buster’s Director of Digital Marketing, Yvette Davis

  • A timeline of TikTok’s wildest chapter yet

  • Fortune cookies in pop culture

📈 Marketer of the Week

If there’s anyone redefining digital marketing for experiential brands, it’s Yvette Davis, Director of Digital Marketing at Dave & Buster’s. With a career spanning sales, media strategy, and digital customer experience, Yvette has made it her mission to ensure that the fun of D&B doesn’t stop at the arcade—it extends across every digital touchpoint.

Yvette’s journey into marketing was anything but traditional. She originally wanted to be a TV talk show host, inspired by her love of Jenny Jones and Ricky Lake. But after studying broadcast management, a mentor encouraged her to explore marketing, and she never looked back. From there, she built a career that took her through some of the biggest names in retail, including Home Depot, Sam’s Club, and Walmart.

Her big break came at Starcom, where she worked on brands like Intel. That role propelled her career, and her curiosity led her to learn about programmatic advertising—an area outside her direct responsibility—which ultimately helped her land a role at Home Depot. There, she championed multicultural marketing efforts, ensuring diverse audiences were not just included but prioritized.

“Taking a multicultural-first approach to creative really serves the whole general market,” she explained.

After a stint at Sam’s Club, where she became their first trained paid media lead, she made the leap to Dave & Buster’s with one goal in mind: bringing the brand’s legendary in-person energy to its digital platforms. She quickly identified the need for an end-to-end customer strategy, recognizing that there hadn’t been a dedicated digital-centric team before.

From optimizing the D&B app experience to revamping the brand’s digital presence for game day crowds, Yvette’s team is focused on making the brand’s online touchpoints feel just as immersive as their arcade floors. With massive 40-foot screens for watch parties, she knew that Dave & Buster’s had the potential to be a top-tier sports experience. It was just a matter of telling that story and making it easy for guests to find what they need.

At D&B, Yvette has continued pushing boundaries. A standout initiative was the recent March Madness campaign with Barstool Sports. It was a bold investment, but the earned media value put them right up there with brands that actually paid for licensing—except they didn’t. The risk paid off, reinforcing her belief that taking bold swings is key to keeping brands relevant.

Yvette’s Takeaway

For Yvette, great marketing isn’t just about creativity, it’s about collaboration. “A great idea can come from anywhere, just receive it and build together.” she said.

Earlier in her career, she also sometimes compared herself to peers who seemed to be advancing faster. But over time, she realized that her career path was uniquely hers, filled with incredible opportunities that made her the leader she is today, saying “I remind myself that this is my journey”—words that capture her hard-won confidence and wisdom.

To hear more about how Yvette and Dave & Buster's are transforming arcade fun into immersive online experiences, listen to the full episode of CMO Weekly.

✈️OpenFortune Takes the Skies

🥠

Pumped to announce that OpenFortune 🥠 is teaming up with Breeze Airways™ and Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport

To kick off our partnership, we're launching a fortune cookie sweepstakes...

Here’s the deal: Every week, you can crack open a Breeze-branded fortune cookie at participating Providence restaurants and scan the QR code to win:

→ Two round-trip tickets to destinations like Orlando, Raleigh, and Los Angeles

→ $50 in BreezePoints for future flights

→ Discounts for every participant, no matter what

The grand finale? Two vacation packages to Vero Beach, FL, or Myrtle Beach, SC—including flights, a hotel stay, and a car rental.

What makes this campaign special is how it transforms an everyday moment into something unforgettable.

A small gesture, like opening a fortune cookie, becomes an opportunity to connect with a brand—and maybe even change someone’s life.

If you’re in Rhode Island, get ready to fly.

Crack open a handful of the week’s best marketing links—because good fortune favors the curious.

That’s a wrap for this week’s Friday fortune.

If you enjoyed the read, pass it along to your favorite marketer who could use a little extra inspo in their inbox.

Until next time, may your marketing be memorable and your cookies always be fortunate!

— The OpenFortune team