The CMO playbook for QSR advertising in 2025

Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) have long thrived on volume, getting as many people in the door (or through the app) as possible. 

But in today’s market, volume alone isn’t enough. Consumer expectations are rising, advertising budgets are tightening and heavy media spend no longer guarantees success.

For CMOs, the challenge is clear: How do you make smarter advertising bets that deliver immediate traffic and build your brand long-term?

Here’s three dynamics reshaping QSR advertising and where CMOs should focus to stay ahead.

The days of relying purely on foot traffic growth are waning. Recent industry benchmarks show that only ~48% of QSRs are reporting same-store sales growth. In contrast, loyalty-driven traffic is up 5%, making clear that frequency and brand affinity (not casual drop-in visits) are where the growth is.

This shift is putting loyalty, menu innovation and tech at the center of advertising strategies:

Loyalty programs as revenue engines

For instance, Starbucks’ Rewards members now account for more than half of U.S. revenue, with app-based offers driving repeat purchases. McDonald’s has also credited its MyMcDonald’s Rewards program with boosting digital sales by double digits.

Menu innovation as buzz generators 

QSRs that lean into limited-time offers (LTOs) or “hacks” create social and advertising buzz that drives both trial and loyalty. Taco Bell’s viral menu drops and Wendy’s Frosty innovation pipeline are strong examples of this.

Digital touchpoints as the new storefront 

With more customers ordering online, QSR apps are becoming both a sales channel and an advertising channel. CMOs who treat them as part of the brand experience (not just utilities) are seeing big returns.

Advertising strategies that connect loyalty with innovation, like pushing app-exclusive menu items, are proving especially effective.

QSRs have invested heavily on technology, from personalization to AI-driven media buying. Yet many of these campaigns still fall short when it comes to cross-channel execution.

These gaps show up in three areas:

1. Personalization: While customers expect tailored offers, most QSR ads remain one-size-fits-all. 

2. Attribution: With fragmented customer journeys (for instance: TikTok to app to in-store), it’s difficult to connect advertising to actual sales. Many CMOs are investing in multi-touch attribution but still lack a connected measurement framework.

3. Multichannel consistency: Consumers notice when an app promotion doesn’t match what they see on social media or when messaging feels disjointed across touchpoints. This erodes trust and wastes spend.

But the problem isn’t a lack of tools, it’s the creative process. Too often, creative is developed for single channels and retrofitted for others, rather than designed for fluid cross-platform and connected storytelling.

CMOs who prioritize connected creative ecosystems, where data, insights and assets flow seamlessly, will finally unlock the efficiencies promised by martech investments.

The advertising market is cooling. Growth forecasts have been cut to just 4.3%, and uncertainty in consumer spending is making CFOs more cautious with marketing budgets. For QSRs, this means CMOs must justify every dollar spent.

Key pressures include:

• Media inflation: Even with slower ad growth, media costs remain high, especially for digital video and CTV.

• CFO scrutiny: Budgets are being tied more closely to proven ROI, with less room for campaigns that don’t show early results or insights.

• Category saturation: With nearly every QSR fighting for share of voice, creative effectiveness is what becomes the differentiator.

That’s why validated creative performance is becoming non-negotiable. 

CMOs need evidence that ads will resonate before launch — through consumer testing, pre-market validation and ongoing optimization. Brands that skip this step risk wasting spend in an unforgiving budget environment.

To navigate this landscape, QSR CMOs should focus on three things:

1. Double down on loyalty: Treat loyalty programs not as discount machines but as personalized engagement platforms.

2. Build for cross-channel from the start: Ensure creative is designed for fluid, consistent storytelling across social, apps, CTV and in-store.

3. Validating before you scale: Use consumer insights and testing to prove creative effectiveness and protect budgets from waste.

The QSR category has always been fast-paced and competitive. But with traffic softening and budgets tightening, success now depends on smarter advertising that connects the dots.

This is where Zappi’s connected insights platform comes in. Our advertising suite of consumer insights solutions for the QSR industry gives you the tools you need to ensure your campaigns are cohesive, effective and resonate with consumers — long before your budget is spent, with: 

• 60% more predictive insights to test menu buzz, loyalty offers or value promotions

• Unified measurement across app, loyalty, digital and in-store touchpoints

• Instant AI Quick Reports to pivot messaging on the fly

• Fresh norms to benchmark creative effectiveness in real time

For CMOs in the QSR space, it comes down to this: You need proof that ads will resonate before they launch — and that means leaning into connected consumer insights and creative testing early on in the process.