Taco Bell’s incoming chief executive Sean Tresvant has a vision for the role once he steps up next year. He sat down at Brandweek to outline his focus on leadership while recognizing that it’ll be “a very different job” to the one he currently holds within the fast food restaurant chain.

Speaking to Brittaney Kiefer, Europe creativity editor for Adweek, Tresvant also discussed some of the attention-catching marketing initiatives he has overseen in the role of global chief brand and strategy officer at Taco Bell, which he joined after almost 17 years at Nike at the end of 2021.

A history of disruption

Tresvant recounted Taco Bell’s history of disruption in the quick service restaurant sector by being “different,” something he says continues to be true 61 years after opening its first restaurant. It has now grown to more than 7,000 locations across the U.S. and to over 1,000 internationally as Tresvant has taken its “brand magic” around the world.

“It always starts with the consumer, and we are going to sell to everybody—but we want to speak to someone, and that someone is what we call the cultural rebel,” he outlined. “So for us, it’s really being sharp on our voice, both in the U.S. and internationally. But it really starts with the consumer and helping them understand what the brand is all about.”

To achieve this aim wherever the brand operates comes down to being consistent in its approach but honing the message for local markets, he continued. Taco Bell has always used humor in its ads and partnerships with celebrities from MC Hammer and Shaquille O’Neal in the ’90s through to more recent collabs with the likes of Doja Cat, LeBron James and Devante Adams.

“What we want to do is not the status quo. Not to do what the other brands are doing, but how do we really stay authentic to our consumers and be different than what other people aren’t doing?” Tresvant added.

That is a brand ethos that crosses into Taco Bell’s use of social media, working with major stars as well as micro influencers to share its marketing messages and deals. A campaign with TikTok micro influencers from June about zero delivery charges led to the brand’s highest engagement yet on the platform, he revealed, highlighting the power of collaborating with the right creators, no matter what their audience reach may be.

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