Sophie Kelly

This month, the news broke that in the USA, after more than a century of pitched battle – including ad skirmishes, frantic marketing, and taste tests on both Earth and in space – Pepsi, was no longer No 2. Instead, a new challenger had climbed into second place: Dr Pepper. Coca Cola remains the clear No.1. The coup de grace was delivered by Beverage Digest, an Atlanta-based trade publication that, in late May, released an updated ranking of the top 10 US carbonated soft drink brands in 2023 based on sales volume. There, at the top, was Coca-Cola Classic, with a 19.2% volume share of the market, followed by Dr Pepper, which squeaked by Pepsi, 8.34% to 8.31%. Pepsi had enjoyed a 15% share back in the glory days of 1995. Dr Pepper was pleased. Executives praised its innovations in spicy flavor and its appeal to the coveted gen Z demographic, which favors more unusual flavors in its soft drinks So what happens next? Are the cola wars really over? According to Mintel, despite the rise of spicy and fruity sodas, cola is still holding on as the top soda flavor. When you take Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar and other offshoots into account, Pepsi is still the No 2 soda, behind Coke. Besides, the taste of Dr Pepper is too distinctive to mount anything comparable to the old-school Pepsi Challenge. #cola #drpepper #pepsi #pepsico #softdrinks Nina Riggins Farrah Gilsenan Carol Dunne Marc LEJEUNE Erlon Pereira Sheelagh Pentony Elizabeth Horvath Simon Bellchambers Richard Heapes Simon Redshaw Scott Glennon Gwyneth Kelly Paul Villis Mark Allen David Deeley Christina Furlong

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Cultural Relevance for Brands. Great discussion this morning organised by Creativebrief and Exposure Some points that resonated / that I thought useful to remember: 💬Raoul Shah "People don't really care about your brand they care about their own lifestyle / what makes them tick / what enriches their own communities and culture" 💭Cultural marketing does not mean sponsorship 💭Convincing investors / stakeholders of the long term approach towards building a sense of culture into campaigns is hard work but worth the effort. 🫣Brands have nowhere to hide in today's world 💃🕺Engulf yourself and your teams in culture in a genuine way and that will resonate in your marketing. 💭💡As brands we need to think at depth (do build credibility) and with breadth (to cast a wide enough net to the right community). i.e. How do we show up? Where we show up? The best mix for any brand trying to " tap into cultural relevance" is to not tap in at all... it's always better to fully commit. Find your purpose and combine it with good entertainment. Sophie More : from her Red Bull days: "WOM" SCORE - a finger in the air Word of Mouth score for each idea... scientific, data led decisions can easily become a barrier to creativity... Jed Hallam "Put more emphasis on anthropology over the economics and you'll find your place within the right communities." Create your energy and ppl will come to you Or Go to where the energy is and ppl will be there waiting. #marketing #creativeagency #production #contentproduction #speakers #events #networking #business

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Do well by doing good. As leaders in business, we're constantly seeking the ROI on virtually everything. But here's the real question: Are we measuring the right things on our initiatives? .......... Too often, businesses fall into the trap of assuming a zero-sum game with spending and returns. .......... But the truth is, compounded impact is on our side when we do the right thing: ☑ Investing time, effort, and resources in people leads to fulfillment, motivation, and impact on the team. ☑ Investing in creating community with your brand results in loyalty, retention, and virality for your solution. ☑ Investing focus, prioritization, and resources in your mission creates a future state of the world that you, your stakeholders, and consumers want. ......... I've seen this firsthand. From Nuun Hydration, to Caldrea, to Kashi Company, and to SC Johnson. In every case, we did really well by doing good for the world. ......... How are you compounding your goodness as a team? #cultureFIRSTleadership PS: The facts support this hypothesis, see below 👇

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The Ready to Drink cocktail category has continued to grow over recent years and is showing so signs of slowing. N/A cocktails are rapidly gaining share, and the latest entrants have been soft drinks - either through partnerships, or simply being ‘spiked’. This can be a dangerous space to play, and one that should be handled carefully. Read our latest Sister Mary Reflection for some tips on how to do it successfully, and responsibly. #branddevotion #brandlove #powerofart #beautyofideas #packagingdesign #branddesign #packagingstrategy https://lnkd.in/eWHVvUKF

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As we close Alcohol Responsibility Month, I sat down with Stacey D. Stewart, MBA CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), for a fireside chat with the Diageo community to discuss the importance of partnerships to address the harmful consumption of alcohol.   In February, we joined forces with MADD to support their mission to end impaired driving, which has helped save nearly 400,000 lives and served nearly 1 million victims in the last 43 years. We were also honored to become the inaugural member of the MADD Network.   As part of this partnership, MADD joined Diageo’s Multicultural Consortium for Responsible Drinking, a working group established with influential members of the Black, Latino and Native American communities to explore a new approach that helps reach distinct demographic groups in the U.S. with resources and education.   Reflecting on our shared mission, I’d like to share two key takeaways from my conversation with Stacey: It’s not just what you communicate, it’s how you communicate it. An important part of MADD’s work is ensuring its message and mission to end impaired driving is broadcasted widely and part of the public discourse, so partnerships like those with Diageo North America, National Football League (NFL) and other corporations help expand their reach. There is a role for everyone to play to help end impaired driving. We discussed the importance of more individuals and organizations joining us in the MADD Network to help end this public health crisis. Interested people can learn more at https://lnkd.in/ekk8CR7Y. It was a real honor to exchange ideas with Stacey on the opportunities ahead. With our combined expertise, networks and educational resources, we are stronger together to raise awareness and help save lives. Watch this clip from our conversation:

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Modernizing legacy brands for a new generation of consumers is no easy feat. Earlier in my career, I was fortunate to work on teams that accomplished that for two legacy Kraft Heinz brands: Jell-O and Crystal Light. Critical to those successes were the same lessons Gail Hollander discusses in this article: * how to successfully update a brand by understanding its role in the culture and category without walking too far away from the brand truth and its DNA * creating winning marketing strategies by leveraging the art (creative thinking) and the science (data-driven decisions); and * breaking down silos to align the entire organization around long-term brand building I took these lessons I learned and recently wrote an article about how integral they also are for building successful CX strategies: https://lnkd.in/ecPhFpMz

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In Kantar's first ‘Diary of a CMO’ Mary Kyriakidi discusses with Prof. dr. Koen Pauwels whether attitudes drive sales? … or is it sales that drive more sales? 🌴 🌞 😎 As my thoughts are focused on my imminent holiday next week, I wanted to ground what Mary Kyriakidi and Prof. dr. Koen Pauwels discuss with evidence we’ve picked up within #Travel and #Tourism on our #Kantar #BrandDynamics trackers. -         🏆 Mary and Koen discuss how BOTH attitudes and sales are important - and we find a very close correlation between behaviour and predisposition in Travel sectors. In fact, the correlation sits within the top 20 of all categories on #Brandz -         🏆 We know situational factors like routes and availability drive behaviours for many brands, Ryanair - Europe's Favourite Airline is a great example where Presence unlocks sales -         🏆 Perceived Difference helps creates penetration – look at Emirates, Airbnb and Booking.com – all exhibiting a strong differentiational-pull! And not only does Difference make your brand stand apart and drive sales but it also makes your brand worth paying more for and reduces price elasticity  -         🏆 And the importance of both long-term planning as well as short-term executional wins - having strategies that build predisposition longer-term as well as driving immediate behaviours – I could site so many Travel Brands here but let me pick a few I haven’t mentioned TUI, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays.com, British Airways Please catch Mary’s video here… Piers Lindsay-Taylor Suzannah Rowland Debbie Lawson Ben Krzysica Jamie Donovan

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Circana's 2023 analysis shows sweet and savory snacks continue to dominate, with a noteworthy trend: younger consumers are increasingly turning to quick-service restaurants (QSRs) for their snack fixes. 🍫🍿 This shift highlights the need for snack brands to rethink their marketing strategies and distribution channels. #FoodTrends #SnackMarket #QSR https://lnkd.in/gmkfmVyr

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Final day of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Here's the Brutally Simple M&C Saatchi Group South Africa snapshot for Day 5. Neo Mashigo, Jacques Burger and I will be sharing a consolidated thought piece off our time at Cannes this year - what this space. > IN A WORD < Commitment From hearing Ynon Kreiz (CEO, Mattel) talking about how their commitment to the Barbie brand's purpose ("To inspire the limitless potential in every girl") and the role of Barbie the movie (which prior to the movie was one of the top selling toys in the world, so no it wasn't sales) to hearing from Ipsos, Burger King and Karen Nelson-Field PhD, what is clear is that we are living in the age of average. A world where everything looks, sounds and feels the same and therefor hard to get attention. It seems the safety and comfort of the familiar outweighs the risks of standing out (the very job marketing should be doing!). Ynon commented that when they saw the concept and the script for the Barbie film it was impossible to compare it to anything, it stood out. To achieve brand distinction takes full organisation-wide commitment, and what's clear is that it isn't easy. > IN A QUOTE < "Mr President, I just need an aircraft carrier." - Jacques Séguéla to the President of France Séguéla was awarded the Lion of St Mark honours for lifetime achievement on the last day. At 90 this advertising legend is full of insight, and still full of energy. He spoke about the commitment needed to make brave ideas happen. When he had an idea of a Citroën car racing a fighter jet off an aircraft carrier production houses around the world said it couldn't be done. So he took it upon himself to go ask the then President Mitterrand if he could use one of France's aircraft carries for the iconic French car brand's ad. He said yes. A quick search using these words should find it for you: Citroen aircraft carrier ad > IN A PIECE OF WORK < Corona - Sunset Bottles Such 'Brutal simplicity of thought' in this work. Designed to run in markets with limited budgets, the team simply found low cost stock images of sunsets (they cost $100 each!) and placed their logo on them. And it works beautifully and brilliantly. But only because the brand has remained committed to its brand assets. The most important question - are you and your teams clear on what you are committed to as a brand?

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Great interview on Jon Evans' Uncensored CMO, with David Boscawen, Group MD of VCCP London, and Gui Ferreira Global Brand VP at Cadbury, as they talk about the thinking behind the great Cadbury's Dairy Milk 'Generosity' campaign. There's much to unpack there and some great insights including: - Drawing on the heritage of the brand (Glass and a half in every bar) - A genuine agency/client working relationship - Investing in the brand, not just short term solutions - How to write a good brief It's an intelligent story, well worth a listen on the way to work. https://lnkd.in/gS7BtCyd

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Today I joined the Heinz family, famous for its 57 varieties.   You see, it’s my birthday, 57 today. Kindness is at the heart of everything I do, so I'm celebrating in a different way.    In the absence of a cake full of candles, here’s 57 daily nuggets for you to nibble on… enjoy! 🎂    - Kindness: do it for the cause, not the applause.   - Everyone deserves to feel seen, heard & valued.   - You’ve just got to keep going.  - Practice gratitude, not attitude.  - Learn to compete peacefully.  - Aim for action, not perfection.  - Start small, start simple, just start.  - You have one life, make it a good one.   - Your job doesn’t define you. You define you.   - Make time for people who give and glow, don’t give energy to the haters.    - Win the morning, win the day.   - Breakfast for dinner is always a winner.  - Own your shit.  - You never regret a swim.  - Kindness costs nothing but means everything.   - Do the task in front of you first.   - Always have one thought to share in a meeting.  - Create space for innovation without recrimination.  - Be more you.   - Sometimes things need to fall apart to find out where you’re truly meant to be.    - Practice Actionable Kindness ™   - Don’t let perfection get in the way of good.  - People work for people, invest in them.   - “I don’t know, what do you think?” is empowering for a leader to ask.  - We get 1442 minutes every day, use them wisely.   - Know your role in a crisis.  - If you don’t do it when you’re alive, when will you?   - Kindness isn’t random, it’s an action & is intentional.   - Pause to accelerate.   - If you can’t be kind today, scroll on.    - Learn to listen to understand, not just to reply.  - People can only walk over you if you’re lying down.   - You only have to do something for the first time, once.  - Your legacy starts today, don’t wait to be kind.   - Find joy in the little things, every day.  - Kindness wins. Every time.   - It’s okay not to be always ‘on’.  - Always book your next vacation, when you’re on vacation.   - Simplicity & momentum are two of the biggest drivers in business.    - No one had a good idea whilst being chased by a tiger.  - You can always rely on someone to let you down.   - Be bold, be kind, be well.  - Kindness is a catalyst to reduce friction & maintain momentum.   - Focus on the things in your control.   - Losing a job is part of the journey, not the destination.   - You’re a human ‘being’, not just a human ‘doing’.  - Asking ‘How has your day started?' is better than ‘How are you?’   - Nature is nurture.  - There’s enough time, just don’t waste it.    - ‘I don’t know’ is often shorthand for ‘Can you help me?’  - Your time is your product, protect it whenever possible.   - Growth is hard, ask a plant.  - We’re all more than just a number.   - There’s life after burnout.  - It’s always a good day for making memories   - Kindness is like love, nobody owns it, but lots of people can benefit from it.   - It’s never too late to start something. 

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THE MAKING OF... MINGLE SEASONING They say good things take time or is it persistence? Either way, it was over a year ago when we first reached out to Jordyn Evans. We heard so much good stuff about Mingle Seasoning and we just couldn't wait to share Jordyn's story. Not to spoil anything... we're starting to see a bit of a pattern here. Female founder. Challenger brand. Awesome product. Bootstrapping. A single-minded focus on a category. And great partnerships with experts in their field. Follow the link below to read her story. #LFG #brand #founder #marketing #business #fmcg #cpg #challenger #bootstrap #launch #scale #venturecapital

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How are consumers feeling about the economy today?   My hot off-the-press data from last week shows April's consumer sentiment inching more positive. We’ll take any good news we can get!    23% of people report spending as usual, while 31% report having stopped spending. The gap between the two groups has narrowed from 11 pts last month to 8 pts in April. Higher positivity leads to more spending. As we move through Spring and into Summer, we'll be monitoring. Stay tuned, more insights and implications to come. Thanks Victor Fernandez Mary Hamill GuestXM - Now Powered by Black Box Intelligence™ for sharing my data in your Q2 State of the Industry Webinar!
#economy #spending #journeybacktojoy

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It’s simple: Purpose is effective when purpose is done for a brand and company whose values and intentions are authentic.

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🦔 Hedgehog alert! 🦔 Tillamook County Creamery Association has had an unrelenting focus to reset America's dairy standards for years. With a hedgehog-like focus (where my Jim Collins fans at??), the brand has been chipping away at this 5-year brand ambition through smart and thoughtful product and sub-category expansion (cream cheese launch, butter product improvement, differentiated shredded cheese, ice cream pints), intentional geographic expansion, consumer-led positioning, rebranding and packaging updates, and last but not least, ownable marketing messaging. I should know, having had the pleasure of leading the ice cream category for several years in service of this broader goal. What are some other hedgehog brands (and companies) you love?

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Costco Wholesale is launching an ad network built on its 74.5 million loyalty members' data. This move will position Costco as a significant player in the $166 billion retail #media market, leveraging targeted #advertising based on shopping habits. It doesn't stop here. Starting January 2025, Costco warehouses will sell #books primarily during the holiday season. This change reflects the evolution of the publishing industry, where more readers are shifting from physical to digital content. Read the original article by MediaPost for more data and details on this game-changing move from one of the most successful retail models on the planet. #futureoffood #futureofretail

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Since the last quarterly sales performance reporting from Starbucks ☕️ much has been said and written about the company’s performance, strategy and what the company can and should do next, to improve short terms sales and long-term term growth. On this topic there was a good piece written in the Harvard Business School review, which is on the link below. In the article, the authours argue that the company should shift its focus back to the in-person experience and suggest ways to do that. Its problems illustrate how companies that had succeeded by offering customers exceptional experiences can succumb to the temptation to pursue goals like efficiency and volume and, in the process, commoditize themselves. The recommendations are all about how those who have strayed can return to the path. However.....I would add that there is no escaping the market and financial realities of the need to quickly improve sales performance, and it is very hard to see how this can be done without looking at price and promotional offers. 💵 💲 #Starbucks #coffee Matthew Norman Andy Bradbeer Aoife Mc Donald Elaine Druhan Daniel S. Gillian Raftery Carol Dunne Gwyneth Kelly Sheelagh Pentony David Deeley Brian Short Ena Ryan Karen Colgan Louise Kerrigan Johanna Kelly Jim Watson Joe Pine Patrick Cole Declan Liam Goode Adrian Coulter Emer Wallace Sam Hickman Dunne

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