Fireside Chat: Brand and PR with Matt Prince of Taco Bell

AMA San Diego hosted an exclusive fireside chat with Matt Prince, Head of Brand Communications and PR at Taco Bell at the California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Innovation Hub. Moderated by Zachary Senvisky, President of AMA San Diego, the discussion was packed with insights on how Taco Bell continues to set the bar for brand storytelling, crisis communications, influencer engagement, and social media innovation. A memorable evening filled with humor and tacos, Matt set the tone right away by saying “Every time I say ‘culture’, you have to take a shot of your Baja Blast.”

Matt is a nationally recognized public relations executive with two decades of experience shaping communications and marketing strategies for global brands like The Walt Disney Company and Taco Bell.

Some of the takeaways included:

• Learning on the job and gaining hands-on experience are more important for your success than having a formal education/degree in marketing or PR.
• Successful, fast-acting, and creative marketing teams have the autonomy to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. Taking risks and experimenting with new techniques is key to innovating and staying ahead of the curve.
• Listening to your audience and moving quickly to stay connected with them is critical.
• AI is like a tractor; it’s a tool for production, not a replacement for the farmer.
• One of Taco Bell’s marketing strategies is anchored on identifying and creating content for an aspirational age that all consumers can relate to. Their current target market aspirational age is 25 – whether you are 18 or 15, everyone can relate to the youthful, curious, carefree chapter of your mid-20s.

Here are some photos from the evening.

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