Ep 62: Brandon Rhoten Joins the SOCi Industry Advisory Board

Jun 29

With billions of active users worldwide and counting, social media remains one of the most influential marketing tools available. But how can multi-location brands harness the power of these digital channels to reach both local and national audiences? To help us answer this question, we are joined by our first return guest on Clicks 2 Bricks, Brandon Rhoten! When we first sat down with him in Episode 19, Brandon was the CMO for Potbelly Sandwich Works. He has since moved on and now serves in several advisory roles, the most recent of which is with SOCi, considered the marketing platform for multi-location brands. Brandon is the first to join the company’s new Industry Advisory Board and, in this episode, he shares what this new role entails. Tuning in, you’ll also get Brandon’s unique point of view on how social media marketing has evolved since his pioneering work with Wendy’s, which includes how restaurant brands should be thinking about localization and giving local franchisees, managers, and employees a voice on these digital channels, plus so much more! Make sure not to miss this insightful conversation with the marketer who builds impossible-to-ignore brands, Brandon Rhoten!

Key Points From This Episode:

Another fun fact about Brandon: he’s never been to Cannes, despite winning many Lions!
How the SOCi Industry Advisory Board seeks to serve multi-location brands.
Brandon’s perspective on how national brands should be thinking about localization.
The power of giving local franchisees, managers, or employees a voice on digital channels.
Ways social media marketing has evolved since Brandon’s pioneering work with Wendy’s.
Examples of brands that are doing social media right, from Little Caesars to Duolingo.
Why limiting yourself to using exclusively national talent makes no sense.
Brandon emphasizes the importance of creating tools and rules for local content.
All retail is local; why he believes corporate has to think more broadly about the consumer experience at each location.
Brandon’s decision to move on from Potbelly and what he has been up to since.
How different stepping into a CMO role would be now than it was pre-pandemic.
Brandon asserts that marketers need to be media, channel, local, and national agnostic.
Insight into the process and decision to make the switch to Olo at Potbelly.
Why Brandon views borrowing the talents of external folks as an excellent shortcut.

Tweetables:

“If I’m saying ‘This is what my brand stands for from a national standpoint,’ buying national media to create an opening for a customer to use me, the local is what closes the deal and keeps them coming back. Ignoring that local piece is a [detriment] to a national brand.” — @brhoten [0:06:46]

“There’s talent everywhere and limiting yourself to just using your national talent makes no sense. Everybody wants the brand to grow and there’s no reason—with the right rules and tools in place—you can’t actually take advantage of whatever talent exists anywhere.” — @brhoten [0:19:50]

“You have to think more broadly. Sitting in a corporate office, in a corporate headquarters and not thinking about what actually happens at each physical location and how a consumer actually finds and interacts with you is a giant miss.” — @brhoten [0:27:41]

“Our job as marketers is not to get the most efficient media buy. That’s not our job. Our job isn’t to get the best ROAS in Facebook. Our job isn’t to go viral in TikTok. Our job is to get what the brand needs done. Oftentimes, [that means driving] traffic by building awareness.” — @brhoten [0:32:31]