Koto Rebrands 2020-Born Franki for Community-Led Restaurant Discovery
Updated
Updated · Creative Boom · Jul 22
Koto Rebrands 2020-Born Franki for Community-Led Restaurant Discovery
2 articles · Updated · Creative Boom · Jul 22
Summary
Franki’s new identity recasts the app from a restaurant-discovery tool into a community-led platform built around sharing recommendations, rewards and repeat participation.
Koto based the rebrand on the line “make time dance,” using a warm yellow palette, rounded typography, motion-heavy visuals and a flexible symbol to make the app feel joyful rather than transactional.
The shift supports Franki’s business model: users earn cash back through linked-card offers and additional rewards when their posts drive visits, while restaurants pay only when content leads to a verified transaction.
Founded in Austin in 2020 by Eugene Varricchio and Nick Bennett, Franki is trying to stand out against Google, Tripadvisor, Yelp and newer video-first discovery rivals with a brand designed to keep users posting and returning.