From Behind the Scenes: Why Anything's Possible For This Wendy's CMO · · MediaPost Live
“At Wendy's, we say 'turn our fans into friends.' Unlike a one-way fan relationship, we want a two-way relationship with our customers, making them feel connected and loved by the brand.”
On , Lindsay Radkoski, Chief Marketing Officer of US at WENDY'S CO, spoke about customer engagement during Behind the Scenes: Why Anything's Possible For This Wendy's CMO on MediaPost Live.
Lindsay Radkoski, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Wendy's in the U.S., has discussed the company's approach to engaging with customers through emerging platforms and brand positioning. In a September 2023 interview, Radkoski stated that Wendy's enters spaces like the metaverse based on its brand positioning of "having our customers' backs" and forming relationships, adding, "If our fans are going to be there, we want to be there too." She noted that the company studies platforms before entering them to understand audience dynamics, and said that younger generations "can sniff out like corporate stuffy brand sponsor," requiring authentic engagement. Radkoski also said that customer expectations for speed and accuracy have "never been higher" due to a culture of instant gratification. Radkoski has also spoken about her leadership philosophy and career experiences. She described herself as a marketer who knows her way around a P&L, stating, "We're all in business to make money, and I love connecting what we do with customers to how we make money." She cited the death of a senior leader as a pivotal moment that deepened her loyalty to Wendy's and inspired a personal mantra of leaving things "better than I found them." Radkoski noted that she started a women's employee resource group at Wendy's, which has grown to over a hundred members, and emphasized the importance of diverse perspectives and tough conversations in team execution. She received the Change Maker award from the Women's Foodservice Forum in 2019.