Sassy

One of Fast Company’s Most Creative Companies is Wendy’s. Specifically, the focus of Fast Company’s admiration is the brand’s presence in the worlds of social media and gaming.

Ironically, the brand re-discovered its voice by going back 40 years to the classic “Where’s the Beef” ad, which was a national phenomenon in the days when ad campaigns could more easily scale such heights.  The lesson from that ad was that Wendy’s should embrace a “sassy” persona.

Wendy’s has embraced that mission in its Twitter persona (although it hasn’t posted anything since February, so I’m not sure what is going on.)  It gained attention for playfully skewering its competitors and haters.

It used that success as springboard into other aspects of pop culture, including a partnership with Rick and Morty, and a presence in Fortnite and MarioKart Live on Twitch.

Wendy’s has been effective, unlike many other brands, because it hasn’t micromanaged. As its US president, Kurt Kane, puts it, “Our guardrails are: Don’t be offensive, be proud of our food, and be proud of who we are. Knowing that up front allows us to turn people loose to engage in real time.”