Anibal discusses how CPG marketers should react to the current uncertainty, what they should be excited about in the future, and which recent Coca Cola ad has won his heart.
Given the current macroeconomic, geopolitical, and technological volatility, what’s the most important question CPG marketers need to be asking themselves?
“How should I react to this uncertainty?” There is a tendency to go for the tried-and-tested, a slam dunk, or hyper targeting. But this type of gut reaction may end up making marketing investments ineffective due to an overly narrow focus. Marketers should also investigate data-informed opportunities that the uncertainty is creating, so that they can strike a better balance between doing what they know works and exploiting potential new strategies.
What is it about the CPG sector that you find most interesting?
I’d say the complexity of the category is one of the things I find particularly interesting. Most consumers are unaware of the slight differences between the same products that a brand sells at multiple price points across different retailers and channels, for example. Managing that ecosystem and measuring the impact is a very challenging endeavor.
What’s the best or most innovative advert you’ve seen recently?
The Coca-Cola Masterpiece ad. It’s amazing not only because of all the great art showcased – I’m a bit of a museum nerd, so the ad quickly won my heart! – but also because of the use of generative AI in its creation. The marriage of old paintings and sculptures with cutting-edge technology is truly remarkable.
Looking ahead, what should CPG marketers be most excited about?
Getting to that elusive “one source of truth”. Technology has made it easier and more plausible to have a unified view of the impact that marketing activities have on a company’s bottom line. And we’re not talking about marketing in a silo anymore – marketers can plan their campaigns around supply chain disruptions, which cost a lot of money in terms of ads that are wasted when shelves are empty, for example. Increasingly, these campaigns can also be optimized and the results analyzed in near real time.
Contact Anibal to discuss any of the issues raised in this Q&A.