Culver Franchising System, LLC, announced the promotion of Emily Patterson to vice president of marketing. Patterson joined Culver’s in 2006 as an intern, ascending to marketing manager, director of marketing and, most recently, associate vice president.

A Sauk Prairie native, Patterson was initially drawn to the promise of influencing a brand born in her own backyard. While Culver’s food was the initial spark that jump-started her marketing career, she quickly recognized how much she appreciated the people behind the brand and the guests who love it. With an unflappable focus on meeting Culver’s guests where they are, Emily’s relentless commitment to building impactful campaigns for the brand has never wavered.

She was integral to the creation of the original “Welcome to Delicious” campaign that honored the farms, ranches and dairies that produce Culver’s food. Eleven years later, she spearheaded every angle of the campaign’s evolution: the research that unlocked the focus on the brand’s differentiating Wisconsin roots and uncompromising hospitality; the decision to empower the people behind Culver’s to tell its story; and the media that carried the message to the guests it was designed to move.

During her tenure, Culver’s restaurant count increased by 185%. Whether navigating the advent of social media and the early days of influencer marketing or the dawn of digital communications and never-ending advances in data, Emily has confidently led Culver’s marketing team through pivotal changes in an increasingly complex marketing landscape.

In her new role, she’ll continue her focus on increasing brand awareness and fostering loyalty while lending her whole-hearted leadership to growing and developing cross-functional teams across the agency. On the immediate horizon she’ll oversee menu innovation, digital guest engagement and the communications rollout of Culver’s forthcoming loyalty program.

Fast Food, Marketing & Promotions, News, Women in Restaurant Leadership, Culver's