“I'm an approachable leader, I'm a curious leader, and I'm an empowering leader. I try to teach everybody, I try to talk to everybody, I try to treat everybody the same.”
— Sean Tresvant

Taco Bell aspires to evolve beyond just food, positioning itself as a lifestyle and cultural brand. To explore this transformative vision, we sat down with Sean Tresvant, who will take the reins as Taco Bell's CEO starting in January 2024.

Before joining Taco Bell, Sean spent almost 17 years at Nike. Most notably, he served as the Chief Marketing Officer for the iconic Jordan Brand. Some of the important achievements from his tenure include establishing the brand Jordan's voice globally, pioneering the Emmy Award-winning "Last Dance" documentary for Jordan, and orchestrating the Fortnite activation in collaboration with Epic Games.

Before his tenure at Nike, Sean held various leadership roles at industry giants like Pepsi and Sports Illustrated. In his current role, he leads Taco Bell's teams for digital, brand management, strategy, creative, consumer data, and business intelligence. Starting in January 2024, Sean will step up as Taco Bell's CEO.

Tune into the latest episode or read the transcript below to delve into Taco Bell's evolution into an iconic lifestyle brand.

• Mixing Tech, Data, and Tradition: Taco Bell's embraces in-store digital integrations across its vast network of over 7,500 restaurants. That’s not even counting the phone application downloads across Taco Bell’s network of loyal customers!. To drive digital transformation, Taco Bell aims to integrate the physical and digital to improve the customer experience, whether it's via drive-through, app-based content, or third-party aggregators. First-party data is an essential element, paving the way for enhanced personalization and loyalty programs.

• Authenticity in Brand Partnerships: Authentic partnerships and interactions play a crucial role in QSR brand promotion. Taco Bell leaned into Doja Cat's off-the-cuff tweet about their Mexican pizza, and tapped into LeBron James to free the "Taco Tuesday" trademark. Taco Bell aims to collaborate with individuals who genuinely resonate with and appreciate the brand.

• Brand Education for International Expansion: While Mexican cuisine is popular in the US, it's less popular in countries like India, China, or Malaysia. To successfully expand internationally, Taco Bell must focus on educating consumers about the cultural aspects of Mexican food, including how it’s eaten and the unique flavors it has to offer.

• The Role of AI in Modern Marketing: In the QSR sector, AI has various applications, from improving creativity to enhancing kitchen efficiency and helping franchisees. Taco Bell aims to harness AI effectively across multiple aspects of its business, including stress reduction in the kitchen, voice ordering in drive-thrus, and internal creative solutions.

• The Cornerstones to Business Success: Leadership separates good and exceptional companies. Sean believes that without strong leadership, you can't achieve business success. So, he dedicates a significant part of his day to working closely with his team, ensuring they're motivated, confident, and prepared to excel. However, collaboration with franchisees is also essential as it directly impacts the customer experience. Sean focuses on aligning their strategies to ensure all franchisees are on the same page in decision-making for present and future actions.