Leading A QSR Brand Growth Across 21 States with 10x ROAS and 80% AOV Lift

Since 2022, I have been leading brand and marketing for Tsaocaa, a fast-growing franchise offering boba tea, fresh fruit tea, Korean fried chicken, and Hong Kong–style egg waffles. Working closely with the founder, operations manager, accountant, and China-based team, I have transformed the brand from a local neighborhood chain into a 70+ location franchise across 21 states, and I continue to lead the brand today, building the foundation and marketing engine that power its nationwide growth.

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The Challenge

When I began leading brand and marketing in 2022, the brand had just over 10 locations concentrated in Chinese-populated neighborhoods, where it primarily resonated with Chinese-speaking customers. While this base provided proof of demand, growth potential was limited unless the brand could expand its appeal from Chinese speakers → Asian Americans → mainstream U.S. consumers, while proving the model across highly competitive bubble tea markets.

The challenge was twofold:

  1. Brand Identity & Awareness — The brand lacked a unified identity, consistent storytelling, and scalable marketing assets, making it challenging to establish recognition beyond its initial niche.

  2. Scalability in Competitive Markets — With national players dominating the category, the brand needed a repeatable marketing framework that could support rapid franchise expansion, from soft openings to grand openings, while ensuring franchisees could execute localized strategies effectively.

My Role

Since 2022, I have been leading brand and marketing end-to-end for Tsaocaa as the sole marketing leader, responsible for scaling the brand from a neighborhood chain into a national franchise with 70+ locations across 21 states. Acting as both the strategist and execution lead, I worked closely with the founder, operations manager, and China-based team to align business objectives with marketing execution and long-term growth goals.

Key areas of ownership included:

  • Brand Leadership & Identity

    • Created the brand deck and marketing playbook to unify positioning, messaging, and voice across all locations.

    • Expanded brand appeal from Chinese-speaking customers → Asian Americans → mainstream U.S. audiences while preserving authenticity.

    • Oversaw brand consistency across merchandise, in-store collateral, social media, and national promotions.

  • Franchise Support & Expansion

    • Built a grand opening playbook to support franchisees from soft opening → launch → retention, ensuring record first-week sales.

    • Partnered with franchisees on 70+ openings across 21 states, customizing local campaigns while protecting national brand standards.

    • Developed scalable SOPs and frameworks that made franchise-level marketing repeatable and effective.

  • Go-to-Market Strategy & Campaigns

    • Designed GTM strategies for seasonal drinks, product innovations (boba tea, fruit tea, Korean fried chicken, egg waffles), and limited-time offers.

    • Launched geo-targeted paid media campaigns (Meta, TikTok, Google, YouTube, Yelp) to drive local awareness and store visits.

    • Led influencer and UGC programs that doubled engagement and achieved virality on social media platforms.

  • Performance Marketing & Data-Driven Insights

    • Managed 6-figure annual ad budgets, achieving 10x ROAS, reducing CPA by 35%, and lowering CPPV to $0.14 (well below industry benchmarks).

    • Connected with the POS provider to link digital campaigns to in-store sales and loyalty transactions.

    • Leveraged cross-platform data (Meta, TikTok, Yelp, Google Analytics, POS reports) to guide brand strategy, expand audience reach, and scale into the mainstream market.

  • Content & Community Building

    • Managed social content calendars across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Yelp, YouTube, Threats, and Google with consistent storytelling.

    • Elevated review management, improving Yelp and Google ratings to boost organic search and customer trust.

    • Built the strongest community base to date through localized campaigns, influencer partnerships, and UGC-driven storytelling that turned customers into advocates.

  • Sales Enablement & PR

    • Equipped teams with product flyers, product videos, and press releases to support franchise sales and consumer acquisition.

    • Coordinated PR campaigns, influencer activations, and social hype for grand openings and seasonal launches to maximize visibility.

Outcome

Through this integrated approach, I transformed Tsaocaa’s marketing into a scalable growth engine:

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Result

  • 10 → 70+ locations scaled nationwide in under 3 years

  • Expanded into 21 states, proving scalability across competitive markets

  • 200x increase in social engagement fueled by organic posting, a strong community-based, influencer campaigns and UGC virality

  • Improved Yelp & Google ratings/reviews, boosting organic discovery and local SEO

  • Grand opening playbook lifted first-week franchisee revenue by 40–80%

  • Franchisee sales grew 30% YoY supported by scalable marketing and brand systems

  • Paid media performance:

    • 10x ROAS across Meta, TikTok, Yelp, and Google Ads

    • CPPV as low as $0.14, well below industry benchmarks (~$3–$5)

    • CPA reduced by 35%, lowering acquisition costs while scaling new audiences