The Medium is the Modus Operandi: Sonic Drive-In’s Media Revolution

How a fast-food giant rewrote its playbook for the digital media era. Former Sonic CEO Cliff Hudson and co-host Craig Miller reunites with media strategist Rob Jayson (USIM) to dissect Sonic’s landmark 2012 media pivot. Facing a franchise crisis in untapped markets, they shifted most ad dollars from local coops to a controversial national fund—overcoming franchisee resistance that unleashed a run of increased national media and record sales growth. Rob reveals how data-driven GRP reallocation turbocharged brand awareness in developing regions and set the stage for modern hyper-targeting. Now, they explore today’s fragmented landscape: the collapse of traditional TV, the rise of identity graphs, and why owning your CRM is the ultimate hedge against soaring ad costs. A masterclass in transforming media scarcity into competitive advantage.