Scroll

Latest Episodes

The NOW Gen

Hit enter to search or ESC to close

Innovation

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

admin
December 5, 2022

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

admin
November 30, 2022

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

admin
July 15, 2022

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.”

PepsiCo Labs: Faster, Stronger, Better through Tech Innovation

admin
March 11, 2022

Innovation, start-ups, and the everchanging consumer’s expectations are challenges the NOW Generation brands are experiencing. In this episode, Jenny Oh, GM of PepsiCo Labs, tells us about everything that they are doing to integrate new technology from dynamic and innovative tech startups to launch one of the world’s best-known CPGs for the future. From looking for solutions, and having quick trials, to understanding data that allows them to find the best fit for their consumer needs. Her conversation is delightful and filled with knowledge. Listen to this episode to learn more about her approach to life and work.

Guest

Jenny Oh

KEY POINTS:

  • Her role in Pepsico Labs.
  • Emerging Tech Solutions.
  • Constantly changing consumer demands and expectations.
  • Using data to effectively target your audience.
  • Brand innovation.
  • Having fun in what you do.

RELEVANT QUOTES:

“So just to explain, in a nutshell, what we do at PepsiCo labs, in my role, we’re all about bringing in emerging tech solutions, really focusing on startups that solve critical business problems for Pepsi.”

“One key area is enabling our business to respond to, you know, the constantly changing consumer demands and expectations.”

“If you think about a company like PepsiCo and the areas where consumer expectations and demands are evolving, I think you can kind of think about it in three buckets. One is around our product. The second bucket is around our brands. And then the third one, which increases by the day, is around, kind of social values.”

“So with the wealth of data out there, consumers more and more wanna be spoken to in a way that resonates with them. And so if we can use that data in an effective way to provide you the content that you want, I think that’s another effective way and tools that we’ve brought in to enable personalization at scale.”

“And I think brands like Pepsi need to test and learn. Now, I think we’re at the stage now in the hype cycle where we can test and it doesn’t have to be, you know I think people are forgiving of certain misses at this stage.”

“We go out looking for the solution and while things are quickly evolving, some of the things that we look for are building competitive advantage and building an advantage that is sustainable for some period of time. So, you know, while there may be hype around certain things, we wanna make sure that it’s a solution.”

“I actually consider it successful that we don’t let every company that we pilot get through to scale up because that would not be a workable model.”

“And I think traditionally CPG companies have thought about innovation as in, okay, what products are we putting out there, but with the quickly changing piece of technology today, it’s really and again, kind of on that point, technology is no longer just in the realm of it. So it’s really every single, as you mentioned, every single area of our business is touched by this culture of innovation.”

“I think the other part has been having fun in our roles, which is kind of novel in some ways, I think you have fun in your role. And everyone on my team super loves what they do. So I think that enthusiasm carries through every time we start a program and we partner up with our different business partners.”

Innovation and Brand Portfolio Strategy

admin
December 22, 2021

What is the advantage of Eduardo Vivas, an ex-salesman in the marketing world? First, he has the eye to see an opportunity to connect with the consumer directly at the point of purchase, learn about the market and not only hear but see in action all the strategies and make decisions, remembering every time goes faster and faster. No brand should miss out on portfolio strategy; otherwise, consumers won’t find relevant brands for them.

Guest

Eduardo Vivas

KEY POINTS:

  • How was the moveed of sales department to marketing.
  • Understand what sales are telling you about.
  • How to deliver against that location with the right portfolio strategy.
  • NOW Gen get actually buying power.
  • The consumers are open to trying very new and different experiences to engage deeper with the brand.

RELEVANT QUOTES:

“Consumers are looking for brand while it is important for them.”

“The only thing that is constant is change and the change, every time goes faster and faster”.

“Look at the consumer and don’t be afraid to test. Don’t be afraid to learn and, and understand what the consumer will tell you, um, and go sometimes with those things and optimize as you learn”.

“You have to segment the market, you have to understand what are the locations that you are going after. After those locations, you have to understand how to, how to deliver against that location with the right portfolio strategy.”

Creating Marketing Strategies for Premium Luxury Brands

admin
August 24, 2021

Luxury brands can be intimidating sometimes, but our episode guest Morgan Jennings, the Digital Marketing Strategist at Audi of America, helps us to understand what premium/luxury car brands are truly all about. Her experiences and insights really gave us a look into what car dealerships are going through after the pandemic. From not being able to have people at the dealerships to implementing online services, it sure has been a roll. Listen to our episode to learn from Morgan about how marketing and consumer experience change from CPGs to Premium/Luxury brands.

Guest

Morgan A. Jennings

KEY POINTS:

  • From ready-to-wear fashion to cars.
  • The impact of COVID on the car industry.
  • Luxury cars as more than just a luxury brand.
  • Making the customer experience as lush as their new car.
  • Importance of being flexible.
  • Confidence to accomplish more as an individual.

RELEVANT QUOTES:

“So when you look through the history of cars and fashion, they’re very, very closely intertwined. We’ve been creating fashion for cars since the beginning. When we first had the cars, they had no covers. So we were creating certain coats and goggles and hats to wear for the cars that people were buying.”

“We’re not just feeling it, every OEM is feeling it from inventory shortages to part shortages, to technician shortages. I mean we’ve truly felt that the hit of it and we’re blessed to be doing so well. But COVID has been an interesting time, for sure.”

“So for us, it’s really about making sure that the dealership is making these customers truly feel special and, and making them understand that we appreciate them, and we’re going to do what we need to do to make them happy while you wait for your car.”

“It’s definitely making the dealership have to adapt and come up with processes where in-person and internet sales are both getting credit. And so, it’s definitely an interesting time. And it’s interesting to see how people are reacting to the online buying process.”

“I think it’s very, very important for these dealerships, no matter if you’re luxury versus non-luxury, it’s about creating a true organic following so that you can build rapport with your community. So you can show people that we’re more than just this brand.”

“It’s really about just being in the moment, being present, and being your biggest supporter. And I think as long as you can support yourself and you’re willing to put in the time and the effort and the hard work, you will, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.”

Subscribe Podcast on:

apple podcast
spotify
youtube

Discover what’s happening to brands, learn about their strategies and tools used to survive in this fast changing market.

Subscribe:
Apple Youtube Spotify Linkedin

Copyright © 2023 | Privacy Policy
The NOW Gen All Rights Reserved