The NOW Gen

Brand Strategy

Unleashing Speed: Insights from Industry Experts at CES 2024

We started the year at CES 2024 and got to talk to experts from various industries. They all agreed that the NOW generation of consumers is looking for speed. Listen to what they had to say about their experiences and the current technological advancements presented at CES 2024.

KEY POINTS:

  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • AI in Action
  • Brand culture and DEI
  • Sector Trend
  • Home & Beauty
  • CPG Innovation
  • Health Technology

Authentic Connections and Storytelling with NFL Fans According to Sarah Bishop

The NFL brand is widely recognized worldwide, making it one of the most well-known brands. Despite having a long-standing fan base, they consistently strive to innovate in order to engage with the current generation. In this podcast episode, we spoke with Sarah Bishop, the NFL Vice President of Brand and Consumer Marketing. She shares insights on establishing emotional connections with their audience, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and humanizing NFL players as crucial elements for their success. Tune in to her episode to discover more about the NFL’s activities during the off-season and how they continuously prioritize their fans in all their endeavors.

Guest

Sarah Bishop

KEY POINTS:

  • Her career and background.
  • Marketing at the center of developing customer engagement.
  • The ability of the NFL to create emotional connections.
  • Storytelling in the sports industry.
  • Human interactions towards important causes.
  • Leading your marketing efforts with authenticity.

RELEVANT QUOTES:

“I’m coming at this from a marketing perspective, but I would probably argue that, you know, marketing is at the center of really helping to develop those connections and engaging fans.”


“I’m always really impressed about how the NFL, from a marketing perspective is able to kind of build those, again, emotional connections with fans around key moments in the season, and also is able to continually innovate to kind of meet fans where they are.”


“The NFL fan base is changing. It doesn’t look the same way that it used to look from a demographic perspective 10, 15, 20 years ago. And I think that, you know, I’m continually impressed by how innovation continues to sort of be the red thread that ties everything we do from a branch and marketing perspective together at the league.”


“I think that, you know, the main sort of mission and vision that we’re focused on is how do we really keep football at the forefront of culture in order to connect with all of those groups.”


“We have an entire team at the n f that does amazing work continuing to innovate in that space, whether that is across social channels or expanding our footprint in the metaverse, or, you know, finding these influencers that are genuinely also rabid fans of the NFL to, to continue to tell the story through their voice.”


“The last piece is really, you know, continuing to communicate the purpose that the NFL serves and, and all of the different cause initiatives we have that underpin, um, everything else that we do on a weekly basis to bring the games to life. Uh, and I think that that has also been, um, a real point of connection for fans across our different demographics, especially our younger demographics.”


“And then I think the biggest thing that kind of, you know, is not new anymore, but our, when our CMO, Tim Ellis joined the company a number of years ago, he brought with him this idea of helmets off storytelling and, you know, getting to know your favorite players, not just in terms of how great they are on the field on a Sunday, but who are they, where are they from, sort of, you know, who’s inspired them to get involved in the game. And, and understanding that you know, we have a diverse set of players that obviously have a diverse, um, set of experiences and, and backgrounds. And being able to tell those stories has also been really helpful for us in being able to connect more authentically with a, a sort of new and next generation of fan.”


“We’re not only focused on continuing to get youth involved in playing tackle football, but we also really see flag football as an amazing, amazing, amazing opportunity to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of the sport, um, especially with girls and women.”


“I thought that that was such an important message. Yeah. Um, not just about the sport for everybody, but also for, for little girls to really see a place for themselves in the brand and, and to be able to start that connection from a young age and grow with the brand. I thought that was incredibly special and, uh, such an important message to be able to put out there.”


“I think because we feel like we have a duty with the platform and the reach, we have to bring awareness to some of the important causes that exist, um, across, you know, our ecosystem and across everything that’s happening in the world.”


“They give an opportunity to humanize our players and showcase the causes that our players really care about. And they also give us an opportunity for fans to get involved, whether that is through, you know, content and, some of the user-generated content or that’s through, you know, supporting some of these causes through merch. Um, so I think that that’s definitely a focus.”


“So I think that one of the beautiful things about the NFL is there is always, there’s always something happening even outside of, you know, the main season. Um, and I think the, the wonderful thing about the, the marketing team on our end is, you know, there are a number of different platforms that we have within the NFL ecosystem across social media.”


“And so there are a number of stories that we continue to be able to tell, and we have the platforms to reach the right people and reach, um, our audience to be able to tell those stories. So outside of the season, you know, when you don’t have action on a weekly basis, there are still a number of incredibly compelling storylines to keep fans engaged and keep them informed and educated heading into the next key mile set of key milestones.”


“I mean, gaming is a continued focus for us all throughout the year, whether that is, you know, roadblocks from more of a kid perspective, Fortnite, when we’re looking at teens or Madden, which, you know, continues to be, um, incredibly popular across multiple different age ages.”


“We’ve built platforms that allow us to connect with people and have them participate in the game, even if it’s not physically throughout the course of the year.”


“I think it’s critical to be honest, for any brand that you work on nowadays and with sort of the continual change of preferences and, you know, everything like that. But definitely, it’s critical for the NFL.”


“I would say there are a number of different ways we continue to innovate, um, especially in season. Um, so we sort of focus on, you know, three or four things, but more and better football, which is, you know, something that happens on the field, um, more digital streaming of the games. That’s been a, a shift that’s been incredibly important for us, again, from a speed perspective, but to continue to keep up with changing preferences.”


“When we talk about changing preferences and, you know, the fact that our fans, uh, you know, come not necessarily all speaking English and have different ways that they want to consume watching a game, um, the technology that we’ve been able to tap into through our broadcast partners to create these, what we call alt casts, alternative broadcasts of games, has also been a huge point of innovation.”


“I would probably say leading with authenticity is the most important thing. When you talk about kind of like how the NFL connects with some of these different audiences, everything is done thoughtfully, respectfully, um, strategically, but all through this lens of being authentic, to foreigners and by the audiences.”


“I think what has really been key to the success of everything that we’ve been able to do here is we’re really focused on how we authentically connect, which means finding the right people, highlighting the players, and the stories that matter most.”

Alicia Enciso’s Relentless Transformation is the Mindset that will Keep Brands Relevant

Brands are constantly working to be relevant for their ideal customers. Older and younger brands are trying to be on trend for the NOW generation. In this episode, guest Alicia Enciso, CMO at Nestlé USA, gives us her takes on what makes a brand remain relevant while bringing new ideas to the table. Her experience has made her one of Brand Innovator’s Top 100 Women, among other recognitions. Listen to her episode to learn more about Nestlé’s innovation.

Guest

Alicia Enciso

KEY POINTS:

  • From Brand Manager, growing business, to becoming CMO of Nestlé USA.
  • #RelentlessTransformation, her way of leading transformation in her team.
  • Innovation crucial for an effective growth strategy.
  • Being consumer obsessed to better understand and connect with them.
  • Brands are propelled by purpose, is what they live by.
  • From advertising to engagement, changing the way we approach customers.
  • Continuos transformation will help your brand remain relevant.

RELEVANT QUOTES:

“Being innovative is, is absolutely part of our, our growth strategy. And I think that it is being innovative about the transformation.”


“Any innovation that we do, be it in terms of products or be it in terms of our capabilities we call it, is absolutely consumer obsessed. What we’re aiming to do, of course, is to really understand and connect with our consumers.”


“ It is not only about your physical health, but as you know, well, it is also about your emotional health. It has become much more important to think about both together and even at a, at a global level or, or, you know, or a broader way. It’s not only about physical and emotional, but it is also about the planet, right?”


“ Making sure that we’re taking sustainable or making sustainable choices that will ensure the health of ourselves, our communities, and the planet.”


“We’re very ambitious about what we wanna achieve in terms of digital transformation and e-commerce over again during, within this, let’s say 10 years that I’ve been on the job, um, I have that the privilege of during three years leading our e-business organization.”


“Expect us to be with very strong foundations, very strong brand, but definitely leaning in into, again, relentlessly transforming to make sure that we are you know, meeting our consumers in the best possible way.”


“What I think is really also exciting as is that, again, why the hashtag is relentless transformations, because you never end. You never end, you know, we, for example, at the beginning, we created a huge digital agency ecosystem that they would do, you know, creative for the different platforms.”


“I would tell you in terms of content, we’re definitely moving from what we call advertising to engagement. I would say, including the consumer, we are engaging with the consumer, and we are co-creating them anyway.”


“And each platform requires very different kind of, I would say customization for the content and also in terms of retail. So when we go into winning in retail, the type of content that we have, and, and there are so many ways in which you can or you need to be present in, in, in, in, in retail or for consumers to be able to shop you, um, that I think it is, it is definitely creating a lot more expertise that is needed, um, and, and tons of, as you can imagine, innovation learning, you know, testing.”


“We are very ambitious in terms of sustainability. Um, and again, our our sustainability promise, of course, is primarily in the area of, you know, what we would say is regenerative agriculture.”


“In terms of packaging, we have an objective and also in, in terms of 2025, in which we want all of our packaging to be fully recyclable.”


“ I think that when you are obsessed of where the consumer wishes to go or wants to go, many times, even if you can articulate it, um, of course that is what ensures that you, you know, that you are bringing it to, to the marketplace and relentlessly transforming so that you continue to, you know, to be their choice now and in the future.”


“The more, again, that we lean in to driving what I would call cultural relevancy for our brand is disproportionately important in order for us to, again, to continue to market to the next gen, right? So again, it is about ha you know, hashtag relentless transformation, and it is about hashtag consumer obsession, right? The more that you obsess with what they, they really care about what matters to them you will continue to be very relevant.”

Guillaume Simon Touches on Innovation and Adaptability in the Confectionery Industry

Sweets are part of everyone’s life. We love candy. The confectionery industry in the U.S. has managed to stay relevant even after major global events like the pandemic. In this episode, we have Guillaume Simon, Chief Growth Officer at Ferrara Candy Company, a Ferrero-affiliated company. We talked to him about all things candy. His expertise and insights about innovation and strategies are spot on. Don’t miss out on this episode to learn more about what is coming for the confectionery industry, from innovation all the way to e-commerce.

Guest

Guillaume Simon

KEY POINTS:

  • Confectionery Industry: Guillaume’s global experience.
  • Planning for brand growth.
  • Strategy beyond marketing, your strategy should include all parts of your business.
  • The two kinds of Innovation at Ferrara.
  • E-commerce growth and its importance.
  • FMCG brands are able to change the lines

RELEVANT QUOTES:

“Probably the most notable thing in the US is the launch of Kinder, which is, as you mentioned it, fortunately, a big success. So, we have built here the, how would I say, the foundation of something that has brought a new way of eating chocolate in the US I think.”

“So it goes through planning. Planning is a part of it. So not only short-term planning but also midterm, and long-term planning, because we know that to achieve, our ambition, we need to be able to plan it.”

“Strategy is one but you can imagine, it has an impact on different functions, sales, marketing, and HR, because we need also to have the capabilities to build, the capabilities to deliver this growth. So, you act in a lot of different areas, but I would say the common point is that you prepare your focus on mid-term, long-term growth, and not only short-term growth.”

“The transformation or innovation can take five years, 10 years, but for row, some innovations, you know, that are in the market right now have been developed over 20 years, right? When you have a real technological barrier, or you want to build a real technological barrier when it requires a change in the way you manufacture the product, when it required a big investment in new technology when it requires a long research pass.”

“We know that time has a value when you develop innovation, in particular when it’s about fine tuning and making sure that your innovation meets the needs of the consumer or create a new need in the market.”

“E-commerce is growing for sure. It’s still pretty small because for e-commerce, for impulse needs to be managed differently. And because impulse works with visibility in the store, you need to create the same visibility in e-commerce.”

“If you are just present in e-commerce, it’s not enough, right? You need to create visibility in e-commerce. And there is a specific strategy for that.”

“I think what makes a difference in FMCG markets is the capacity to move the lines. So, to bring to the market projects, ideas, innovation that really can transform the way the consumer behaves.”

“It requires to be transformational with the speed it requires to win every day. And this balance, which is not hard to achieve, is what, for me, makes the difference in the end.”

Brands and Globalization: How to Conquer New Markets

Globalization is a part of our daily lives. We live in a globalized world. But for brands, it can be hard to arrive at a new location especially if it is across the world. Alexandre Ronsin, our episode’s guest, has not only done this in East Asian countries but explained to us what he’s learned from the experience. Along with our host, Francisco Serrano, they discussed globalization, culture adaptation, and brand identity. Listen to hear their valuable insights.

Guest

Alexandre Ronsin

KEY POINTS:

  • From France to Mexico all the way around the globe.
  • Marketing globalization in CPGs.
  • Similarities and differences in consuming patterns around the world.
  • Becoming a local brand, without losing your uniqueness.
  • Optimization for the benefit of your consumer.
  • There’s no secret recipe, make your own recipe.

RELEVANT QUOTES:

“So I’ve been traveling a bit across the globe seeing different, perspectives, but also a lot of commonalities between geographies. You know, now we believe that every country is unique and specific, but we see also as well that there are plenty of things that are extremely common now to see across countries, and generations, and it’s quite interesting.”

“There are a couple of industries that despite the crisis will always be successful and food and beverage are one of them. This is also one luxury that we have in this industry.”

“What is common is the celebration in the sense that people like to celebrate, people like to give gifts to their family, to their relatives, to their friends. And this is the same. Now we have, here in Asia, lots of celebrations that are unique, like Chinese new year, lunar new year, Middleton festival in China, Chuseok in Korea.”

“The really tricky key point is you need to find the local insights that make your product relevant and to find a way to enter and leverage these local insights, without forgetting where you come from, without forgetting the DNA of your brand, the heritage of your brand and making successful leveraging on one specific local insight, to be relevant.”

“So in order to really be relevant for the local consumer, they have developed this unique model now, so you see the different styles of adaptation to the market. So either you find brands that have understood a local insight and develop a product accordingly, or you find another set of brands not changing anything to the recipe or to their positioning, or trying to find a way to anchor their brand to local insight.”

“The first thing to really understand the consumer journey, the shopper journey, and say, what are the drivers and barriers to consumption, to try to find some sweet spots where you could enter quite easily.”

“If you want to be internationally or locally relevant, you need to be open. You need to be pragmatic as well, and less dogmatic. Because if not, you might face a lot of challenges. This is one thing. The second one is that you need to really, understand who you are speaking with. You need, if you want to be successful, you need to be locally relevant.”

The Multidisciplinary Approach in Business

Do you enjoy outdoor experiences? Having business success is like going camping. You need the right resources and the correct strategy to know where is the ideal camping site and be rewarded with a great view. Grace Guerra understands the importance of embracing something that makes a difference when working with brands. The market is changing and presents more challenges to marketers. She reminds us of the importance of designing and innovating new strategies to have more adventures.

Guests

Grace Guerra

KEY POINTS:

  • Grace’s fun work experience at Disney, in the Disney College Program.
  • Enjoying her career was a must for Grace.
  • Experiencing nature and the outdoors is a big part of who she is.
  • Seasonal Brands in the NOW Gen.
  • Weather implications in the outdoor brand industry.
  • Global brands and COVID impact.
  • E-commerce is relevant in all industries.
  • Branding is about creating a story for our consumers.

RELEVANT QUOTES:

“I wanted to be passionate about my work and that was something that I felt every single day.”

“I saw my career going after that it was going to be centered and focused on enjoying it and having fun and, um, you know, picking each new day and seeing what I could do with it and mold it into, into what I needed it to be, to continue, you know, the business, but as well as just personal growth for me.”

“When I’m working on branding work, it’s all about creating a story and, and helping our consumers for the brands that I work on, go on adventures.”

“E-commerce and the trends and social, like anything that has to do with web and digital is moving and changing every single day.”

“You have to listen what the other person doesn’t don’t like about you, and you’re aware and have self-awareness and be able to change because that’s, that’s the biggest selling.”