Podcast Summary: The Big Impression

Episode: Nestlé’s Antonia Farquhar on why KitKat and F1 joined forces
Date: September 24, 2025
Host: The Current (Damian Fowler & Ilyse Liffreing)
Guest: Antonia Farquhar, Global Head of Media and Partnerships, Nestlé

Brief Overview

In this episode, editors and co-hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing speak with Antonia Farquhar, Nestlé’s Global Head of Media and Partnerships. The conversation centers on Nestlé’s evolving approach to media strategy—particularly its landmark KitKat Formula 1 partnership—and how the brand is responding to the transformation in media consumption, connected TV, and retail media. Antonia shares insights on fostering long-term brand relevance, experimenting with channels, and advocating for "fewer, bigger, better" campaigns in a fragmented digital landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

KitKat and F1: A Strategic Partnership

• Heritage and Consistency:
  • The long-running “Have a Break, Have a KitKat” campaign forms the backbone of KitKat’s identity (01:02).
• Modern Relevance:
  • The Formula 1 partnership injects freshness into the decades-old brand message, connecting with younger, more diverse, and global audiences (01:02–02:08).
  • Quote: “The break is more important than ever in a busy world…F1 has gone from being…a petrol head sport to…bringing in different audiences—so younger, more diverse across the genders.” – Antonia Farquhar (01:02)
• Unexpected Spaces:
  • Nestlé intentionally seeks out “unexpected places” for its brands to create attention and relevance—F1 being a surprising but impactful choice for KitKat (03:13–04:20).

The Role of Sports in Brand Engagement

• Appointment Viewing:
  • Sports remain one of the last bastions of live, appointment viewing—making them invaluable for timely, communal brand engagement (02:15).
• Cultural Conversation:
  • Aligning with major sports events places brands at the heart of cultural moments and conversations (02:15–03:13).
• Other Sports Integrations:
  • Coffee Mate partnered with the Super Bowl, showing Nestlé’s broader commitment to seizing “real excitement” moments (02:15).

Fragmented Media & Fresh Attention Strategies

• Fighting for Attention:
  • With attention spans shrinking, brands must stand out—often by defying expectations about where and how they show up (04:20–05:45).
  • Quote: “It’s not predictable for that brand to be in that particular place…It’s bringing an edge…and pushing people and brand experiences to a different level.” – Antonia Farquhar (04:26)

Experimenting with Channels: CTV, Retail Media & More

• Multi-Channel Effectiveness:
  • “The more channels you’re in, the higher your effectiveness.” – Antonia Farquhar (06:03)
  • Emphasis on doing “fewer, bigger, better” media activations for maximum cut-through (06:03–08:41).
• CTV Growth:
  • Connected TV is rapidly scaling globally, not just in the US or UK but in markets like India, the Philippines, and Australia (06:03–07:29).
  • Covid-19 accelerated the shift as more people invested in better home entertainment (06:03–07:29).
  • Quote: “In the last few years, the amount of ads that we serve on those [CTV] devices has more than doubled.” – Antonia Farquhar (06:03)
• CTV + Retail Media Integration:
  • There’s excitement about the intersection of CTV, retail media, and e-commerce (07:29–08:22).
  • Modern CTV enables direct purchase prompts (QR codes, clickable links), closing the gap between awareness and conversion.

The “Fewer, Bigger, Better” Philosophy

• Organizational Shift:
  • Nestlé has consolidated its agency model and campaign strategy to focus on impactful, scalable ideas (08:41–10:13).
  • Quote: “Fewer, bigger, better is a phrase I feel like I say every single day in the office.” – Antonia Farquhar (08:41, 15:17, 20:39)
• Agency Transformation:
  • Transformation allows more creativity, faster scaling, and sharing of best practices across Nestlé’s 188 markets (08:41–10:13).

Local vs. Global: Tailoring the KitKat Experience

• Brand Heritage with Local Flair:
  • Staying true to “Have a Break, Have a KitKat” is key, but adapting to local tastes (e.g., green tea KitKat in Japan) drives excitement (13:30–15:04).
  • Quote: “For me, it’s about staying true to those foundations…but you can also have fun with it, with different flavor rotations too.” – Antonia Farquhar (14:01)

Data, Effectiveness, and the Future

• From ROI to Brand Building:
  • Antonia champions long-term thinking—using data to argue for sustained investment rather than short-term wins (15:04–16:12).
• Marketplace Challenges: Measurement and Fragmentation:
  • Unification of reach and frequency management across CTV is the “dream”—Antonia wishes for better tools to avoid ad overload (17:04).
  • Quote: “I would love more unification…to manage reach and frequency more consistently…that would be my dream.” – Antonia Farquhar (17:04)
• Quality Over Cheap CPMs:
  • The industry is shifting from cheapest possible buys to quality, effectiveness, and business outcomes (18:22).
  • Quote: “It’s not about that [cheap reach]…we’re here to drive business and brands…did they convert, did they do anything, do they feel differently about your brands? These are the questions I’m really interested to answer.” – Antonia Farquhar (18:22)

Regional Media landscapes

• Asia’s E-commerce Leadership:
  • Seamless online shopping in Asia (especially on mobile) challenges classic marketing timelines; platforms like WhatsApp will play an increasing role (11:56–12:02).
• Media Focus:
  • Social, retail media, and CTV are Nestlé’s biggest opportunities—always balanced with cultural relevance and local context (12:02).

Memorable Campaigns and Personal Favorites

• Nespresso and Milo:
  • Antonia praises the Nespresso-George Clooney ads for their “timeless” art direction (19:21).
  • Milo in Asia-Pacific is lauded for its sports-based storytelling (19:21).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “The break is more important than ever in a busy world…F1 has gone from being…a petrol head sport to…bringing in different audiences—so younger, more diverse across the genders.”
  — Antonia Farquhar (01:02)

• “Fewer, bigger, better is a phrase I feel like I say every single day in the office.”
  — Antonia Farquhar (08:41, 15:17, 20:39)

• “In the last few years, the amount of ads that we serve on those [CTV] devices has more than doubled.”
  — Antonia Farquhar (06:03)

• “It’s not predictable for that brand to be in that particular place…It’s bringing an edge…and pushing people and brand experiences to a different level.”
  — Antonia Farquhar (04:26)

• “I would love more unification…to manage reach and frequency more consistently…that would be my dream.”
  — Antonia Farquhar (17:04)

• On effectiveness:
  “It’s not about that [cheap reach]…we’re here to drive business and brands…did they convert, did they do anything, do they feel differently about your brands? These are the questions I’m really interested to answer.”
  — Antonia Farquhar (18:22)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:53 — KitKat’s partnership with Formula 1: motivations and strategy
• 02:15 — Why sports, and why appointment viewing matters
• 03:13 — The value of “unexpected places” in brand marketing
• 06:03 — The rising power of connected TV and retail digital media
• 08:41 — The origins and execution of the “Fewer, Bigger, Better” approach
• 13:30 — KitKat’s global/local flavor strategy and brand consistency
• 15:04 — Advice for marketers moving to long-term brand building
• 17:04 — Wishlist for CTV: unified measurement and campaign effectiveness
• 19:21 — Antonia’s favorite Nestlé ad campaigns: Nespresso and Milo

Tone and Closing Thoughts

The conversation is candid, insightful, and energetic—reflecting both Nestlé’s legacy and its forward-looking approach. Antonia Farquhar balances reverence for classic brand-building with a keen appetite for media innovation and effectiveness. Listeners are treated to both strategic frameworks and on-the-ground brand stories, making this episode a rich resource for marketers aiming to bridge tradition and transformation in their own organizations.