The CPG Guys Podcast: Integrated Marketing Experiences with Coca-Cola’s Robin Kendrick Triplett

Date: October 15, 2025
Host(s): Peter V.S. Bond (PVSB) & Sri Rajagopalan
Guest: Robin Kendrick Triplett, Vice President, Integrated Marketing Experiences, The Coca-Cola Company

Episode Overview

This episode explores how Coca-Cola leverages integrated marketing experiences to drive brand resonance, performance, and innovation in an omnichannel world. Robin Kendrick Triplett details how her team at Coca-Cola bridges creativity, data, technology, media, and commerce to connect with consumers across every touchpoint. The conversation emphasizes the criticality of listening, data-driven strategy, cross-functional collaboration, and creating measurable business outcomes. The discussion ranges from global campaigns like "Share a Coke" to performance marketing engines, all the way to personal leadership insights inspired by Robin’s marathon pursuits.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. What Is 'Integrated Marketing Experiences' at Coca-Cola?

[07:51]

• Robin oversees nine disciplines, ranging from data strategy to creative and multicultural marketing, paid media, social, retail, and design.
• Goal: Create integrated solutions for customers and brands while harnessing cross-functional expertise across the US and Canada.
• Quote:

  "When we talk about marketing at the Coca-Cola Company, one of the key pieces of our marketing transformation is focused on experiences... Marketing is about emotions and feelings and memories that consumers have just as much as it is about our amazing products." — Robin Kendrick Triplett [07:51]

2. Consumer-First, Data-Led Approach

[10:59]

• Coca-Cola prioritizes understanding consumer needs, wants, and barriers, resisting marketing by 'averages and algorithms.'
• The company delivers both "mass moments" (e.g., Olympics, FIFA) and "micro moments" in daily life.
• Quote:

  "It's really important for us to not lose ourselves and lose sight of the fact that we need to ensure that algorithms and averages are not the way in which we market..." — Robin Kendrick Triplett [10:59]

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration at Scale

[13:04]

• Robin highlights the power and necessity of enterprise-wide collaboration with diverse teams.
• Coca-Cola’s organizational structure leverages both subject matter expertise and an enterprise (company-first) mindset to deliver collaborative success.
• Quote:

  "It's really important to have the expertise and the enterprise mindset mixed with the accountability for those that came before you and those that will come after you for the brands and company that we support." — Robin Kendrick Triplett [13:04]

4. Learning from Consumers: Social and Field Listening

[15:35]

• The company uses social listening, analytics, and feedback from bottlers and customers in the field to spot trends, viral moments, and grassroot behaviors (e.g., the viral "protein Coke" mix).
• Deciding when to engage directly or simply let consumers enjoy the brand is a conscious, strategic choice.
• The organization embraces a 'learning mindset,' balancing legacy with future-focused curiosity.
• Quote:

  "Having that intentionality around what we are listening and learning to and how we decide to lean in or just let people enjoy our brands and our products... is okay." — Robin Kendrick Triplett [15:35]

5. Data Strategy & Integrated Marketing Campaigns

[18:32]

• Coca-Cola employs a hybrid approach (first, second, third-party data), leveraging strong retail and food service partnerships.
• The company focuses on nurturing consumer relationships and delivering value based on deep data insights—even when they lack direct transaction data.
• Quote:

  "When you don't necessarily have direct access to transactions... that's where the hybrid data approach is really critical..." — Robin Kendrick Triplett [18:32]

6. Digital to Physical: Bridging Social and Retail

[21:21]

• Success begins with a "clear job to be done"—brand connection and/or behavior change.
• Coca-Cola’s philosophy: “Fall in love with the AND”—blend brand building for the long term and performance marketing for immediate sales.
• Omnichannel integration is critical: the consumer journey is fluid between digital/social and physical retail.
• Quote:

  "A lot of people talk to us and we're heavy in brand marketing... but it is also about performance. And so I think that's a bit of a new discussion... that we have to be very attribution minded..." — Robin Kendrick Triplett [21:21]

7. Innovative, Cross-Functional Projects

[24:33]

• Share a Coke: An iconic campaign that originated outside the US, scaled globally; exemplifies system-wide alignment—from marketing to in-store execution to digital personalization.
• Performance Marketing Engine: A new, data-driven initiative to create a closed learning loop for media attribution and optimization—bridging brand media, retail media, and commerce at scale.
• Quote:

  "Share a Coke... is the probably the most beautiful manifestation of the core of what Coca-Cola stands for... But maybe an unexpected one... is our Coca-Cola performance marketing engine... a constant learning loop of what's working, what's not..." — Robin Kendrick Triplett [24:33 – 26:18]

8. Measurable Outcomes and Attribution

[28:27]

• The Coca-Cola media organization begins every plan with clear objectives and attribution as the top priority.
• A sophisticated measurement suite tracks both brand equity and performance (sales, frequency, new-to-brand, etc.).
• Attribution and analytics are required competencies for both internal teams and agencies.
• Quote:

  "Attribution is key. It is priority number one. We are intentional about our objectives... measured with every dollar." — Robin Kendrick Triplett [28:27]

9. Future-Proofing: Trends, Technology, and Culture

[30:29]

• Rather than chase fleeting trends, Coca-Cola focuses on emerging, lasting consumer behavior shifts through technology and data (e.g., AI, immersive media).
• Emphasis on building organizational muscle for learning, agility, and “humble confidence.”
• Quote:

  "Future proofing our company starts with future proofing our people... Embracing a learning and an experimentation mindset." — Robin Kendrick Triplett [30:29]

• Quote:

  "It is a way of working to be super confident in what you know, but humble enough in what you don't." — Robin Kendrick Triplett [33:26]

10. Leadership and Personal Insights: Marathons and Mindsets

[36:02]

• Robin is a "6 World Marathon Majors" finisher (and all 7 continents), using marathon training as a metaphor for discipline, resilience, and leadership in business.
• Focus on perseverance over natural talent; attitude and effort matter most, both on the road and in the organization.
• Quote:

  "Find joy... in something you're not good at really requires you to... push forward, learn how to move through when things get really difficult. And so it has taught me quite a bit about discipline and resilience..." — Robin Kendrick Triplett [36:02]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Peter:

  "What I loved... was how they start with attribution and all their plans. Outcomes are key. Their systems are focused and measured against every dollar and the associated attribution." [40:53]

• Sri:

  "Listening... importance of listening to the bottler, the people who are actually getting it done in the field for you every day. They have grassroots... Listening as a skill set cannot be re-emphasized enough." [40:05]

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Content | |-----------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 07:51 | Defining 'Integrated Marketing Experiences' at Coca-Cola | Robin’s role, disciplines, and goals | | 10:59 | Consumer-First Approach | How consumer-centric insight and data guide strategy | | 13:04 | Cross-Functional Teamwork | Managing, empowering, and connecting distributed teams | | 15:35 | Social and Field Listening | Turning viral moments and field insights into authentic engagement | | 18:32 | Data Strategy in an Indirect Sales Model| Hybrid data use and the importance of relationship-nurturing | | 21:21 | Bringing Digital to Physical | Omnichannel strategy, Share a Coke, performance marketing | | 24:33 | Notable Campaigns & Performance Marketing Engine | Share a Coke and internal innovation | | 28:27 | Measurement and Attribution | Connecting marketing experiences to sales, brand, and business outcomes | | 30:29 | Future-Proofing & Trends | Technology, AI, learning culture, staying ahead of meaningful behavioral shifts | | 36:02 | Marathon Mindset for Leadership | Personal growth, leadership parallel, and lessons from running | | 40:05 | Hosts’ Takeaways | Sri & Peter reflect on lessons and insights from the episode |

Episode Tone and Engagement

Conversational, insightful, and energetic, with hosts blending industry expertise and humor. Robin’s candor about listening, her humility regarding personal achievements, and Coca-Cola’s blend of bold tradition and innovative foresight make the episode engaging for both CPG professionals and marketing enthusiasts.

Summary

This episode delivers a masterclass in modern marketing leadership — emphasizing that lasting brand resonance is built at the intersection of tradition and transformation, data and creativity, and a relentless focus on consumer-centricity. Coca-Cola’s approach to integrated marketing experiences, as shared by Robin Kendrick Triplett, is equal parts art, science, and agile learning.