Taco Bell has the power to take over on social media, and it’s time to taco bout it.
CMO Taylor Montgomery has been at the center of some of Taco Bell’s biggest campaigns, including recruiting Doja Cat to headline the return of Mexican Pizza, teaming up with LeBron James to fight against the “Taco Tuesday” trademark and bringing back the Volcano Menu with the help of Paris Hilton.
The company’s marketing winning streak is hotter than its Diablo sauce, and Montgomery said part of the strategy is showing up like a consumer rather than a brand.
“We look to humbly understand what is resonating with consumers on social and then decide how our brand can authentically play in those spaces,” Montgomery said. “It’s critical that we don’t show up like a brand and hold ourselves to the same standard as any other content that’s out there.”
The CMO noted that the company is OK to “be vulnerable, to take risks and to listen and engage” with consumers, adding, “We also know who we are—a cultural rebel—and are OK if that’s not for everybody.”
Montgomery is set to speak at ADWEEK’s upcoming Social Media Week, with a session on Wednesday, April 10, on the evolution of marketing leaders. Ahead of that, Taco Bell’s CMO opened up about the company’s social campaigns, how it capitalizes on pop culture moments and keeps things authentically spicy.
ADWEEK: Taylor, you’ve grown with Taco Bell from a senior manager of brand marketing to CMO. Can you describe your career journey?
Montgomery: It’s been a wild and fun ride. I started with Taco Bell as a senior manager of brand marketing and led product innovation, which gave me a crash course in how our business worked, what consumers felt about our brand and what drives overall business growth. Over time, I was fortunate to pick up other parts of the brand and business, eventually leading our brand planning and product innovation for the U.S. Then I got an unexpected but awesome opportunity to be the CMO of our international business, which was very humbling to see how much love for Taco Bell exists around the world and the incredible growth opportunity we have. I then was lucky enough to be asked to be CMO for North America, which is the role I’m in today, with so much growth to still look forward to with Taco Bell.
