How Wendy’s Social Media Team Revolutionized Playful Brand Marketing
With the rise of social media managers in the 2010s, businesses were challenged to bridge social media and corporate branding in a professional and impactful way. Social media managers curate content that aligns with a brand’s identity, creating engaging posts, visuals, and copy across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Their work ensures that the brand remains relevant, visible, and connected in the ever-changing digital space.
As with any new field, trial and error played a role in the early days of social media management. Brands experimented with different tones, interactions, and content to find what resonated with users. Enter Wendy's, a standout example of a brand that fully embraced the experimental nature of social media.
Wendy’s viral moment came in 2017 after a humorous X (formerly Twitter) exchange with a customer questioning their “fresh, never frozen” slogan. The interaction not only garnered praise from users but also led to a significant increase in their following. Wendy’s X account grew from 2.1 million to 2.4 million followers in six months and today boasts nearly 4 million followers on X.
At the peak of their popularity, Wendy's marketing team, led by Kurt Kane, Marketing Officer, and VP of Advertising Brandon Rhoten, decided to adopt a bold and sassy persona on X. This approach was an unprecedented move for major companies, who typically stuck to safe, corporate tones. Kane explained how he wanted to push for more freedom within the social team’s content to allow them to post creatively, encouraging them to use their expertise to reshape Wendy’s online voice.
Amy Brown, who was hired in 2012, was the mastermind behind this social media shift. In a 2017 interview with Mashable, she claimed to create a persona who was a "challenger with charm," reflecting Wendy's brand voice in a playful and witty manner.
In addition to playfully roasting customers and competitors, another standout moment in Wendy’s social media success came when a user asked how many retweets it would take to win free chicken nuggets for a year and Wendy’s cheekily responded with the ambitious figure of 18 million.
Although the goal wasn’t reached, Carter Wilkerson, the man behind the trending hashtag #NuggsForCarter, gained significant attention and was also awarded his year's supply of free nuggets. His tweet eventually garnered 3 million retweets, making it one of the most retweeted posts on the platform at the time. It held the number one spot until 2024 when it was surpassed by MrBeast and Yusaku Maezawa.
The impact wasn’t just social. Wendy’s saw tangible business growth, with revenue jumping from $129.6 million to $194 million in just one year.
Wendy’s playful and sometimes brutally honest approach set a new precedent for brands online. Their annual #RoastMe day on X, where they humorously roast users and other brands, became a trend in itself, further solidifying Wendy's position as a social media icon.
Wendy’s success led brands like Duolingo, Microsoft, and Tinder to adopt casual, relatable, and sometimes sassy personas on platforms like TikTok and X. These companies now engage with influencers and viral content, often commenting on unrelated topics. For example, Lululemon joined the conversation about Love Island USA’s final four contestants, despite no connection to their products. This strategy helps brands humanize themselves and become part of everyday conversations. By interacting with viral moments and pop culture, they reach a wider audience, increase visibility, and build stronger, more memorable relationships with consumers.
Adopting a casual approach has proven beneficial for marketing and social media teams as it allows brands to meet audiences where they are—participating in conversations, memes, and trends that matter to users in real time, making their presence feel organic rather than purely promotional.
This approach builds brand loyalty and trust because consumers feel that the company is not just promoting something but engaging on a human level.
Brands that show personality and approachability become more memorable, building a competitive edge in a saturated market. This shift from polished ads to authentic, relatable interactions reflects a broader movement toward trust, humour, and relatability as key drivers of success.
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