The most authentic brand story isn’t told by a marketing team. It’s told by the people who live it every day. That’s the core belief behind Portillo’s Internal Influencer Program, led by Chief People Officer Jill Waite.
This new initiative empowers 15 team members to become brand storytellers, capturing genuine, behind-the-scenes content that fuels everything from social media to internal training. The result? A single program that drives employee engagement, provides a cost-effective content stream, and builds the brand from the inside out.
So, how do you get leadership to buy in to an unconventional idea like this? According to Waite, the answer is simple: share the “why” and speak their language.
HR’s actionable takeaway? To get a seat at the strategic table, you must connect your people-focused ideas directly to business outcomes like sales and growth.