P.F. Chang's has promoted Patrick Benson to Director of Marketing Communications, a newly created role that formalizes the 300-unit Asian-dining chain's influencer-and-PR function following what the brand describes as one of its strongest sales years on record.
The Numbers
The promotion comes on the heels of a campaign cycle that generated more than 200 million video views through creator partnerships — with more than 100 influencers activated — and delivered $11 million in earned media value. Those results supported what the Scottsdale-based chain characterizes as record guest engagement and strong comparable sales performance, though specific comp figures were not disclosed. P.F. Chang's now operates more than 300 restaurants across 23 countries, including U.S. airport locations, a footprint that gives earned-media campaigns unusual geographic leverage.
Scope of the New Role
Benson will oversee public relations, corporate communications, influencer strategy, and social media under the newly established Marketing Communications department, reporting to Chief Marketing Officer Holly Smith. Smith credited Benson with transforming the brand's digital presence through what she called "creator-first storytelling," citing his ability to connect social, influencer, public relations, and brand narrative across campaigns including Lunar New Year, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and a Summer in Tokyo series that featured talent from major entertainment properties.
Before joining P.F. Chang's, Benson spent more than 15 years in social and digital marketing for NBC, FOX, CBS, and El Pollo Loco, accumulating recognition on Business Insider's Top 16 Influencer Executives list, Nation's Restaurant News' 2024 Power List, and Brand Innovators' 40 Under 40 West Coast.
Why It Matters for Operators
The structural move reflects a broader shift in how full-service and polished-casual chains are organizing their marketing stacks. As paid media costs rise and organic reach tightens, chains with strong earned-media engines are increasingly treating influencer and PR operations as a distinct discipline rather than a subset of brand marketing. For a brand like P.F. Chang's — which competes in the polished-casual Asian segment against both independent concepts and fast-casual disruptors — culture-driven storytelling has become a differentiation lever alongside menu innovation and daypart expansion.
Creating a dedicated function also signals investment in institutional knowledge: rather than relying on agency relationships to anchor influencer and PR output, P.F. Chang's is building an in-house capability that can maintain continuity across campaign cycles and protect the earned-media flywheel that contributed to last year's sales lift.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
