Raines International CMO Lisa Mann on 'playing in culture' — and that iconic Oreo tweet

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A tweet about a cookie changed Lisa Mann’s life.?

As the then-VP of cookies at Kraft Foods, Mann was the executive who greenlit Oreo’s iconic “You can still dunk in the dark ” tweet during the 2013 Super Bowl power outage that left the stadium in total darkness.?

Though the brand had purchased an in-game ad , the “Dunk in the dark” tweet got everyone’s attention. It’s still cited as one of the best (and earliest) examples of real-time marketing in history and an industry turning point. ?

You can read more on how the tweet came together, but it was a career-altering moment for Mann, who says she can’t believe people still talk about it.?

“People don't realize it was two years in the making,” Mann laughs. “It's always getting the right people involved and then creating freedom in a framework.”?

It’s a running joke in many industries that once a brand does something garnering lots of attention, leaders at other companies frantically ask, “What’s our version of that — our Dunk in the Dark? And can we do it tomorrow?” ?

Today, we expect brands to weigh in on culture. It’s part of the rise of corporate activism and an effort to stay relevant. But in 2013, rapid response social media wasn’t what it looked like now — especially in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) space that was more risk-averse.?

Yet Mann didn’t see the tweet as a risk: “I really thought, ‘We are a brand that's in culture, and we're going to play in culture.’”?

But nearly a decade later, are brands over-indexing on culture??

In some cases, yes, she says, adding that many brands “have lost their sense of self and they're only playing in culture.”

Reflecting on her time working on Oreo, she says, “We played and we learned and we found our voice.”

“Our ambition was to really understand the brand's DNA.”

Since her time at Kraft, Mann has held a top marketing role at PepsiCo, where she was president of the $7B Global Nutrition Group, and KIND Healthy Snacks, where she was CMO and EVP. Now she’s the CMO and managing director of the consumer practice at the executive search and talent advisory firm Raines International. In addition, she recently joined MidOcean Partners as an operating partner to advise on the private equity firm’s investments in the food and beverage space.?

She points to her recent moves and describes the “learning agility” required to move into new spaces like executive search and private equity.

?But finding analogs is key to gaining comfort, she says.

“In marketing, we always talk about data and analytics, art and science. It's not dissimilar here,” she says of matching candidates and companies or finding investment opportunities.

“It's been fascinating in teaching an old dog new tricks,” she laughs.

In her time in the industry, Mann has seen marketing’s role change tremendously. She points to the evolution of who is “responsible” for the customer, noting that departments like procurement play a significant role as consumers become more interested in a product’s ingredients.?

She says the industry should think of the marketer as “the chief collaboration officer” with a much bigger opportunity to work across the business in packaging, product portfolio, supply chain and sustainability.?

“The marketer can be the one that stitches across [it] all,” she says.?

Below, she shares more of her story.

1. What has had the most impact on your perspective as a marketer?

My kids. I thought it was when I became a mother. But now I know it’s seeing the world through my 3 twenty-something kids’ eyes. They’re adults now, and I’m fascinated by their choices in food brands, clothing, media, technology, health and wellness, everything. They have strong points of view, they’re smart and educated, and they are living on their own incomes. That means they define what is of value and worth paying for. They all meal prep and no longer think $5 lattes are worth it. They constantly and consistently change my perspective as a marketer.??

?2. What’s changed the most about your job as a marketer over the course of your career?

I could say the internet or tech, but I’m going to say the impact of Facebook, Google, and Amazon on brands and consumer connectivity. It’s now so hard for brands to achieve scale. When I started my career, it was TV, radio and magazines. Now, it’s not “digital,” instead, it’s the power that Facebook, Google, and Amazon have to reach your consumer and build your business.

3. What’s the hardest part of a marketer’s job today?

For big legacy brands, it’s maintaining relevance. With all the disruption and fabulous new brands, legacy brands cannot sit on their laurels and expect loyalty from their heavy users. They need to be innovative, not just in product offerings but also with their marketing. For an emerging brand, the challenge is achieving scale. In the past, you could reach a wide audience just through television. It was expensive, but you could achieve scale quickly. In this fragmented world, it’s a whole new ballgame! You need to build a brand, convert through all commerce channels, and then earn loyalty. The reality is you have to get that cycle right for every single purchase. With barriers to entry for new brands lower than ever, marketers need to deliver a strategically played 3D chessboard every single day! Today, many good brands can achieve $10 million in revenue, but it’s really hard to get to $100 million.?

4. Tell us about the marketing campaign you’re most proud of working on in your career.?

That’s easy. Oreo’s 100th birthday , including the Oreo Daily Twist campaign and the Dunk in the Dark tweet during the Super Bowl game. Seriously, it was the most fun ever. For Oreo Daily Twist, we challenged ourselves to be a part of culture every single day for 100 days by publishing in real-time on all social channels - Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram. Please remember that in 2012, all these platforms were early days or brand new, and brands weren’t really present on their platforms nor did they know how to engage. We played and we learned and we found our voice. Oreo the cookie shared what they saw going on in the world, e.g., celebrating Gay Pride, the Mars Rover landing, women’s gymnastics winning gold at the Olympics, and many more. It was incredible to watch these posts be picked up and shared by late-night comedians, traditional media, and our wonderful Oreo community.?

I must also say that turning around the Quaker Oats business, starting in 2016, and setting it up for future success was just as much fun. We wanted to do for Quaker what P&G did for Old Spice - be relevant for a whole new generation. We did that by cleaning up the ingredient line (no artificial anything!), creating a new look and feel to reflect the brand’s true health and wellness credentials, and delivering new marketing programs and communications that reflect the interests and passions of these new consumers. Specifically, we went from targeting “moms who love their children” to all adults who want to eat healthier and live a health and wellness lifestyle. It was an exciting transformation for us as a team and a business.?

5. What’s a marketing campaign you wish you’d thought of and why?

Nike’s Just Do It . That’s still the most strategic and impactful campaign. So smart. The idea that “everyone is an athlete” and Nike enables you to achieve. When I get stuck, I still think to myself, “just do it.” Some things really do stand the test of time.

6. What’s your must read, watch or listen for all marketers?

I’m dying to read Indra Nooyi’s book “My Life in Full, ” her memoir which is coming out this fall, and Sukhinder Singh Cassidy’s book “Choose Possibility ” coming out in August - two books written by extraordinary businesswomen I love and admire. For a daily dose of good reading and listening, I love TheSkimm, a media empire founded by two talented women.?

7. What’s an under the radar brand you’re watching and why?

Oatly , not really under the radar… but I’m obsessed with this brand. They’re not just a brand. They’re a lifestyle. Over a very short time horizon, they’ve changed the landscape of plant-based food and beverages.

?8. Name a product you can’t live without (that doesn’t connect you to the internet) and tell us why.

Lily’s no-sugar-added chocolate. Just over a year ago, I was struggling with some health challenges, and my nutritionist/acupuncturist recommended I give up sugar, grains, and dairy. She swore I wouldn’t have to suffer if I was open to trying new brands. The gift she gave me was a bar of Lily’s no-sugar-added chocolate. Saved my life.

9. Finish this sentence. If I weren’t a marketer, I would be…

A talk show host. I love meeting new people, and I especially love one-on-one conversations. My favorite thing to do is to meet friends over a cup of coffee. I include new friends in that category too! A hot cup of coffee in a cozy locale is the most fabulous social lubricant. Combine that with my real curiosity to connect and be a good friend… it’s the best 1-2 hours ever.

10. Finish this sentence: The marketer I most want to see do this questionnaire is…

Jon Halvorson , VP of Consumer Experience at Mondelez - what he’s doing in the digital media space is groundbreaking. Sophie Kelly , SVP Whiskeys at Diageo - she’s been CEO of a best-in-class agency and made this move to Diageo a few years ago.

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