Taco Bell promotes Brian Niccol to president

Taco Bell has promoted two of its top marketing executives, citing a plan to double its sales over the next decade.

Brian Niccol, formerly chief marketing and innovation officer, has been promoted to president, reporting to chief executive Greg Creed, Irvine, Calif.-based Taco Bell Corp. said Tuesday. As president, he will continue to oversee marketing and food innovation, as well as operations, restaurant excellence, technology and public affairs, the company said in a statement.

Niccol was named CMO in October 2011 and served previously as general manager and CMO of Pizza Hut, which, like Taco Bell, is a division of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! Brands Inc.

Chris Brandt replaces Niccol as chief marketing officer. He was formerly vice president of brand marketing at Taco Bell. He joined the chain in 2010 as senior director of marketing and was promoted to vice president last year. Prior to joining Taco Bell, he was vice president of marketing for food company Odwalla.

Both Niccol and Brandt have been actively involved in Taco Bell’s revival in recent years, which has been driven by the launch last year of the Doritos Locos Tacos platform, as well as the Cantina Bell menu created by celebrity chef Lorena Garcia.

The 6,000-unit Taco Bell also rolled out a new “Live Más” advertising campaign last year. And the chain is moving into the breakfast daypart, now in available at about 800 locations across the West.

Creed has pledged to increase sales at Taco Bell from $7 billion to $14 billion over the next 10 years.

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