When a Brand Finds Its Voice in the Most Unexpected Place

Papa Johns has always been built on a simple promise: better ingredients, better pizza.

But a brand can only repeat a line for so long before it needs a new way to make people believe it. That’s where voice, values and personality come in.

Papa John’s isn’t flashy. It’s not trying to be the most gourmet brand in the room. Its strength has always been consistency, comfort, warmth and a kind of everyday pride in the craft. That’s the real brand attribute: reliability with a human pulse.

Then someone like Doughtoli shows up online. He’s one half of the “Dough Twins” (he and his twin brother, known online as Dough Joe) and he styles himself a “doughtivational speaker”, his Instagram bio reads: Decided to BE better and DO better one day at a time.

He didn’t arrive as a traditional ambassador. No polished scripts. No staged moments. Just a guy who genuinely loves the process.

Dough in his hands.
Flour on the counter.
Playful energy.
A tone that feels alive.
He isn’t talking about “better ingredients.”
He’s proving it by showing how the work is done.

And suddenly the brand’s voice becomes clearer, not louder.

Doughtoli fits the Papa Johns narrative because he carries the same DNA: pride in the craft, a sense of fun, a grounded personality that makes people lean in rather than scroll past. His presence turns a global chain into something more human, more relatable and more credible.

It’s the kind of synergy you can’t manufacture in a boardroom. You only recognize it if you understand what a brand is beneath the slogans.

From a LEVEL11 perspective, this is the lesson many founders and teams miss.

A brand ambassador isn’t someone you “hire to promote.”
A true ambassador is someone who naturally expresses the story you’ve been trying to tell all along.
They make the brand feel lived-in.
They translate your values into behavior.
They turn your promise into moments people want to watch, share and believe.

Papa Johns didn’t reinvent its brand. It simply found someone whose voice carries the same truth in a new medium. And that’s the real formula: not just better pizza, but the right person who shows why it matters.

If you’re building a brand, ask yourself one question:
Who is already living your story better than your tagline ever could?

And if you want a simple way to spot that person, use this as a compass:
1- Look for the one who behaves the way your brand claims to behave.
2- Look for the one whose energy mirrors the emotion you want people to feel.
3- Look for the one who can show the work, not just smile with the product.
4- Look for the one your audience already believes before you ask them to.

If you find that person, don’t script them. Let them translate your brand the way Doughtoli does for Papa Johns through presence, craft, and a voice people trust.

Check out Doughtoli instagram's page: https://lnkd.in/dWqJfVMk