Ep 19: Clicks 2 Bricks with Potbelly Sandwich Works CMO Brandon Rhoten

Marketing is about growing revenue and differentiating a brand, and getting that second part right requires the willingness, bravery, and know-how to zag where others zig. Today’s guest is Brandon Rhoten, CMO of Potbelly Sandwich Works who is best known for his disruptive and pioneering work at Wendy’s where he helped the QSR brand rise above the sameness of its category and become culturally relevant again through social media and digital. Today we talk to him about his work at Potbelly and Wendy’s, and some of the strategies he has employed over the years to revive and build impossible to ignore brands. Our chat with Brandon begins with him describing the state Potbelly was in when he joined in 2018, how he has used research and testing to shift their marketing, what these new marketing strategies look like, and what business has been like since the pandemic.