fbtechreview.comOCTOBER - NOVEMBER 20258in myviewBy Libby Andrews, Marketing Director, Pho Restaurant More Than Food on a PlateFor me, the most important thing is ensuring a restaurant brand understands what it wants to portray. Every restaurant will say they have delicious food, great drinks and great hospitality. The real question is, what makes you unique?At Pho, it's Vietnamese street food. Our brand pillars are healthy and fresh; we've been open about that for years by sharing our nutritional information online. Our food is designed to fit into everyday life as part of a healthy diet. At the same time, we don't take ourselves too seriously. We're not a health brand. We're a fun, slightly sarcastic brand and I think that balance makes people feel they can connect with us.When it comes to content, it's not enough to just show tasty food. We look for partnerships and stories that are entertaining and relevant, the kind of content that makes people want to engage with us. It's always about going beyond the food to tell the right stories and bring the brand to life. I want people to engage with the brand naturally, not in a forced way. You can care about wellness and healthy eating, but also want to enjoy life. That's the spirit we try to bring into everything we do.Why Passion Beats AlgorithmsWhen I think about social platforms from a brand perspective, the most significant shift has been how people find and engage with content. It used to be all about followers. You'd measure loyalty by how many people chose to follow you and engage with what you posted. But the algorithms have completely changed that. Now your content can reach thousands, even millions, of people who don't follow you at all.I always say social media content must come from genuine love and excitement for the brand. It can't just be about ticking boxes or putting out the same type of posts. People can feel when content is made with real passion, whether for the food, the drink, the people or the brand as a whole.TURNING MEALS INTO MOVEMENTSA communications specialist with deep expertise in brand and marketing, Libby Andrews has shaped food and hospitality storytelling for nearly two decades. She began her career at a London PR agency, leading campaigns for chefs, restaurants, cookbooks and retail products. Andrews later joined Pho in-house as head of marketing when the company had only a few restaurants. Over the years, she guided the brand's growth to 50 locations across the UK, eventually becoming Marketing Director. Today, she oversees PR, digital, social, new openings and brand development, serving as Pho's brand guardian. In this interview, Andrews emphasises the importance of building authentic connections with guests, protecting brand identity through rapid growth and ensuring consistency while leaving space for creativity. She also highlights the role of storytelling, culture and community engagement as central to sustainable hospitality leadership. Libby Andrews
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