Joining the QSR Evolution Conference agenda this year is Angela Johnson, CMO at Edible. Johnson was promoted to the role in January after serving as chief strategy and innovation officer since 2021.
Before Edible, Johnson was VP of marketing at Krystal and has nearly 25 years of experience across marketing, retail, strategy, and innovation, with expertise in franchise-driven and consumer-facing businesses.
At QSR Evolution, Johnson will join a jam-packed “Marketing Above Your Weight Class” panel at 10 a.m. on September 10.
You can register for QSR Evolution here
And explore the rest of the agenda here
Johnson sat down with QSR to share some thoughts ahead of the event.
In fitting fashion, what is one “Evolution” your company has made recently, or plans to make, that’s really helping drive performance?
The biggest evolution for us has been shifting from a single-brand gifting company to a true multi-brand platform built around meaningful moments. Acquiring Rōti Modern Mediterranean was bold and intentional. It expanded how and where we show up in people’s lives, from special occasions into everyday connection.
But the real driver of performance is how we’ve built shared infrastructure such as supply chain, technology and operational discipline while letting each brand keep its own distinct identity. Rōti stays Rōti. Edible stays Edible. And together they operate smarter than either could alone.
Within each brand, diversified revenue is the engine. Corporate gifting and digital ordering are year-round pillars for Edible. Catering and digital are now core for Rōti. When you reduce dependence on any single revenue stream, you build resilience. And right now, resilience is a competitive advantage.
What’s your best piece of advice on how to get the most out of in-person conferences?
Come with intention, not just an agenda.
Most people show up focused on what they’re going to say. Flip that. Come focused on what you’re going to learn and who you’re going to learn it from. The most valuable conversations I’ve ever had at conferences didn’t happen in the main ballroom, they happened in the hallway, at dinner, or waiting for coffee.
Be honest about where your business is. Nobody grows by performing their highlight reel for peers dealing with the same challenges. Authenticity creates real dialogue and real dialogue is what makes in-person worth it.
And follow up. Everyone says it, almost nobody does it consistently. The relationship doesn’t start at the conference, it starts in what you do the two weeks after you get home.
What’s a theme, from AI to the consumer to value—or something else—you expect to hear about early, often, and after this year’s event?
Relevance. That’s the word underneath almost every conversation I have with senior marketing leaders.
Everyone will be talking about AI, and rightfully so. But the deeper question driving it is: how do brands stay relevant to a consumer with more choices, more information, and less patience than ever? AI is a tool in service of that answer. So is value. So is personalization.
What I’ll be listening for is who has moved beyond the buzzword and into the execution because it’s easy to talk about consumer-centric strategy. It’s hard to operationalize it across a franchise system where it has to be simple, profitable, and consistent for every operator.
The brands that win the next five years won’t be the ones with the most sophisticated technology. They’ll be the ones who used that technology to become more human, more personal, more present, and more purposeful. That’s the conversation I’m most excited to be part of.
The post On The QSR Evolution Conference Agenda: Edible CMO Angela Johnson appeared first on QSR Magazine.