In this Pitch The Tide session, Runbin Dong, CEO and founder of Scale Social, shares how his family’s restaurant roots led him to rethink modern restaurant marketing. Drawing from firsthand operator experience, Runbin explains why authentic customer content consistently outperforms polished ads and influencer campaigns. He introduces Scale Social’s QR-driven platform, which turns everyday guests into brand advocates by capturing real moments in-store, rewarding participation instantly, and amplifying the best content across paid and organic channels. At its core, the platform helps brands close the authenticity gap, drive measurable traffic, and scale genuine customer storytelling without adding operational complexity.

Interview Takeaways:

• Authenticity Outperforms Ads – Customers trust real people more than polished campaigns or paid influencers. User-generated content created in the moment consistently drives higher engagement, stronger recall, and better performance than traditional marketing.
• Turn Guests Into Growth Engines – Scale happens when everyday customers become active participants in telling a brand’s story. By lowering friction and rewarding participation instantly, operators can transform casual diners into repeat advocates without asking them to be creators.
• Brand Safety Meets Local Voice – National brands need consistency, but growth depends on local relevance. Platforms like Scale Social bridge that gap by capturing authentic, location-specific content while maintaining control, quality, and measurable ROI at scale.

Episode Links:

• Runbin Dong LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/runbindong/
• Scale Social: https://www.getsocialscale.com/
• Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/
• Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/
• Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

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