🔥 “Your customers are leaving breadcrumbs everywhere”

5 Takeaways on Making a Brand Irresistible with Jessica Serrano

What makes someone try a restaurant for the first time?

If you are like me, you probably trust Marketing Bestie recommendations (should I drop my 🔥🔥🔥 spreadsheet?) or whatever is popping on Instagram.

But what makes something stick?

What turns a one-time customer into a die-hard fan? What makes them come back, tell their friends, and make your product a must-have?

To answer that, I sat down with Jessica Serrano, Chief Marketing Officer at DIG, to uncover how she turns menu items into cravings and restaurants into obsessions.

Jessica is a food and beverage marketing legend. From running brand at Taco Bell during the Doritos Locos Taco era to leading strategy at Burger King, she has seen it all.

But here is the thing. These takeaways are not just for food.

Whether you are in CPG, SaaS, or any brand that wants customers to come back for more, understanding how to create crave-worthy products is the ultimate skill.

Here is how Jessica does it—in her own (lightly edited!) words.

1️⃣. Test Like a Chef, Not a Gambler

Jessica’s Take:

“People see new menu items, but they don’t realize how much testing happens behind the scenes.”

At DIG, every menu change goes through weeks of R&D, customer feedback, and in-restaurant trials before launch. Sometimes, they even invite top customers to try different versions before making the final decision.

Takeaway:

Loving your own idea is easy. Making sure it actually works is the hard part.

Most brands launch based on gut feelings instead of real validation.

The best marketers test, iterate, and adjust before going all in. If you are not testing, you are guessing.

2️⃣. Your Customers Are Already Giving You the Blueprint

Jessica’s Take:

“Great ideas can come from anywhere, especially your own team and customers.”

DIG did not need a formal research study to realize they needed sandwiches. One restaurant started making them on their own. Employees were choosing that location for the sandwiches. Catering customers were requesting them.

Instead of brainstorming in isolation, they paid attention to what was already happening.

Takeaway:

Your best marketing insights are hiding in plain sight.

Watch what customers are buying, what they are modifying, and what they are asking for. The answers are already there. You just have to listen.

3️⃣. Lead with the Hook, Not the Whole Story

Jessica’s Take:

“Vegetables are core to DIG’s ethos, but they are not an acquisition driver.”

DIG found that marketing their vegetables wasn’t bringing in new customers. People who had not tried DIG saw vegetables and tuned out. But when they led with protein like charred chicken and crispy chicken, they got more attention.

Once customers were in the door, they discovered the standout vegetables—and that’s what kept them coming back.

Takeaway:

What you think makes your brand special is not always what brings people in.

Hook people with what they care about first. Once they are in your ecosystem, you can introduce the deeper value of your brand. Lead with what converts. Let them discover the rest. 

4️⃣. Brand Awareness: If You’re Not Seen, You’re Forgotten

Jessica’s Take:

“Just because people are talking about your brand in one market doesn’t mean everyone knows about it.”

DIG is well known in New York, but even there, plenty of people have never heard of it.

When Jessica started expanding into new markets, she realized even in Manhattan, there were still tons of people who had never tried DIG. That means brand awareness is still a major challenge—even in a city where DIG is established.

Takeaway:

You are not as famous as you think you are.

People need to see your brand at least five to seven times before they even consider buying. Relying on word-of-mouth alone is a slow game. If you are not constantly building awareness, you are falling behind.

5️⃣. Trends Are Tools, Not Shortcuts

Jessica’s Take:

“When Popeyes launched their chicken sandwich, it kicked off the crispy chicken wars. But at DIG, we had to ask—does this even make sense for us?”

Crispy chicken was a hot trend, but DIG wasn’t a fast food chain. Instead of deep frying, they created a baked, crispy chicken that still delivered on flavor but fit their brand values.

They didn’t ignore the trend. They made it their own.

Takeaway:

Jumping on a trend can work. BUT only if it aligns with your brand.

Not every viral moment is worth chasing. The best brands don’t just copy what is hot. They adapt trends in a way that feels authentic to them.

IN A MEME