Edible Brands Cmo On Reinventing Legacy Brands And Driving Growth

Angela Johnson of Edible Brands shares why communicators must think like business leaders.

Angela Johnson has built her career by stepping into brands at pivotal moments and helping them find their next chapter. Recently appointed chief marketing officer of Edible Brands, Johnson brings nearly 25 years of experience across marketing, retail, strategy and innovation, shaped by a career that began on the agency side and was sharpened on the brand side. From modernizing Krystal restaurants to leading digital growth initiatives, where she developed the business acumen that now anchors her role as CMO. Those experiences helped her build a toolkit she still relies on today as she evolves brands.

What excites you most about stepping into this role at this moment in Edible Brands’ growth?

I think in today’s environment, having strong brand equity paired with franchise scale — and still having white space to grow — is really unique. Not every brand has that opportunity. I’m excited to reinvent and make a brand like Edible Arrangements more relevant in today’s world through brand marketing and by marrying product innovation with strategy, then amplifying that story and reminding people who we are.

We’ve been around for 26 years, but we’ve reinvented the brand, and I’m excited to put Edible back on the map with a more modern look and feel, restoring relevance and attracting a younger demographic.

With Roti, it’s a similar opportunity. The brand has strong equity, and the focus is on amplifying its message. Modern Mediterranean is the fastest-growing segment in fast casual right now. We currently have 18 locations, including a recent opening in Atlanta, but there’s significant opportunity for growth. The brand is already relevant and sits in a healthy halo space, as consumers are actively looking for better-for-you options. The goal is to grow the brand, expand franchising and continue amplifying its presence.

You joined the company in 2021 and have worn a few different hats since then. What’s been most surprising about stepping into this expanded CMO role?

When I joined in 2021, the company was at an inflection point, with a significant opportunity to expand our portfolio and reimagine the customer experience. I came in as vice president of innovation and merchandising to grow that category. We were known for chocolate-dipped strawberries and arrangements, but we expanded into flowers, a bake shop with cookies, cheesecakes and cupcakes, as well as shelf-stable products.

That work also meant partnering closely with the marketing team to launch new partnerships and amplify the product line, meeting consumers where they are through social and email.

In this new role, I’m able to bring synergy and marry product innovation with brand marketing. When brand, product and execution come together, you win. As CMO, my role is to position both Roti and Edible and bring the brands together through collaboration, while also adding structure and process internally. That includes working more efficiently and effectively in how marketing campaigns come to life and how we measure them.

If you’re not measuring, evaluating and evolving, you’re dying. That’s the truth in marketing. If you’re not constantly testing and learning from those tests, you’re not evolving your brand. And if you’re not evolving your brand, you’re not staying competitive in today’s environment.

You previously spent time at Krystal during a major period of change. What lessons from that experience still guide you today?

I started on the agency side and made the jump from agency to brand with my move to Krystal, where I came on as director of marketing. At the time, I had been working with what I would call challenger brands — Arby’s and Church’s Chicken — brands with strong equity that people love but that needed to evolve and modernize. Krystal was very much in that same position.

The CMO at the time had been a former client of mine, and he called and said he had a great opportunity and would love for me to join his team, knowing it would be challenging. During my time there, we also took the company through bankruptcy. If you want to talk about a challenge of starting and building a brand from the ground up, that was it.

I learned a lot in that role. When you make the jump from agency to brand, it’s no longer just about brand marketing, social, digital and measurement. It’s about business acumen — understanding the P&L, cost of goods, profitability and working within a franchise model. That experience prepared me to step into franchising and work with a larger franchise organization like Edible Brands.

How do you personally stay curious and inspired after decades in the industry?

I’m big on getting outside of the office. That includes spending time in our stores with franchisees and experiencing our brands firsthand, but also visiting competitors. I also intentionally set aside time to meet regularly with other CMOs and marketing leaders to talk through shared challenges. We all face many of the same issues, but different perspectives often surface ideas I might not have considered.

We’re all busy, but taking a 30-minute or one-hour coffee with a peer matters. You’d be surprised how many ideas come out of those conversations when you step outside the office. I’m also a big believer in collaboration. I don’t keep ideas close to my chest — we’re all here to win. Especially for women, there is plenty of opportunity, and I’m passionate about supporting women as they develop and grow in their careers.

What books, podcasts or media do you keep coming back to?

I’m on a podcast kick right now. I really enjoy Emma Grede’s podcast. She’s in the marketing space and has partnered with major brands like Good American and Skims, and I love the leaders and entrepreneurs she brings on. I’m drawn to that entrepreneurial mindset and energy.

I also love The Diary of a CEO. It’s a phenomenal podcast that covers everything from personal health and wellness to career and financial advice, and it’s one I consistently go back to.

Isis Simpson-Mersha is a conference producer/ reporter for Ragan. Follow her on LinkedIn.

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