Wendy’s, the Ohio-based burger chain with more than 7,000 restaurants across the globe, is on the hunt for an influencer to represent the brand through engaging social content, since enticing thousands of fans to submit online applications to become the company’s first-ever “Chief Tasting Officer.”
Wendy’s publicized the search for the CTO with a March 11 press release, offering $100,000 for the lucky fan ultimately selected as the “ultimate Wendy’s ambassador.” The job posting on the brand’s website included a simple, yet crucial list of qualifications for the new role: a human mouth, a pulse, opinions, creativity and taste.
The CTO role appears to deliberately contrast the rising trend of restaurant brands using artificial intelligence in marketing campaigns, as the job posting included one benefit of the position: “A job AI can’t steal because… no mouth duh.”
Applicants are encouraged to make their case for the gig by uploading a one-minute video showcasing their personality, palate and passion for Wendy’s through a webpage detailing the CTO role. Prospective candidates can also submit their videos by posting directly to TikTok or Instagram using the hashtag #WendysCTOContest and tagging the brand’s social media account in the caption.
“The response has been incredible and exactly what we hoped for – high energy, high creativity and a lot of genuine enthusiasm,” Lindsay Radkoski, U.S. Chief Marketing Officer of The Wendy’s Company, said in a press release. “We’re inviting fans to bring their genuine love for Wendy’s into the spotlight. This isn’t a corporate role – it’s a cultural one, designed to celebrate real opinions, real taste and real brand love.”
The CTO role is open to adults living in the U.S, and the application period concludes 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 30. The initiative continues a trend of restaurant brands using influencers as a marketing tool. According to The 2024 Influencer Marketing Report from Sprout Social, nearly half of all consumers (49 percent) make purchases at least once a month because of influencer posts.
