Breakout marketing moments rarely happen by accident. In this episode of Soul & Science, Jason Harris is joined by Dave’s Hot Chicken CMO Brandon Rhoten, the marketer behind some of the most talked-about brand moments of the past decade—from building the iconic social voice at Wendy’s to driving growth at Papa John’s, Potbelly, and now Dave’s. Brandon shares why great marketing starts with doing the homework: understanding what truly drives traffic, frequency, and long-term brand growth. Brandon and Jason also discuss the merits of chasing trends, how Dave’s Hot Chicken found its brand identity by following its customers’ lead, and why allowing time for research and experimentation is critical to developing campaigns that actually work. ⏱️ Chapters 02:10 – How a Biology Major Became Dave’s Hot Chicken CMO 05:50 – Reinventing Wendy’s Social Media Voice 10:05 – Early Viral Marketing Moments at Wendy’s 13:50 – Why Great Marketing Starts with Doing the Homework 16:50 – Why Viral Stunts Alone Don’t Build Brands 18:30 – Quick-Service Restaurants Have a Value Problem 20:30 – Product Innovation vs. Brand Fundamentals 21:50 – Growing Dave’s Hot Chicken from the Outside-In 26:15 – Scaling with Authenticity vs. Chasing Trends 28:15 – Balancing Big Campaigns with Everyday Marketing 32:50 – The Science of Marketing Brought to you by Mekanism.