Podcast Summary: The Speed of Culture – "Flavor Forward: How Mondelēz keeps Oreo and Chips Ahoy relevant by staying ahead of the curve"

Date: December 23, 2025
Host: Matt Britton, Founder and CEO of Suzy (with AdWeek)
Guest: Kuhn Bergauts, President of Sweet Snacking at Mondelēz International

Episode Overview

This episode explores how Mondelēz International, particularly its iconic brands like Oreo and Chips Ahoy, stay relevant and drive growth in the fast-changing snacking industry. Host Matt Britton and guest Kuhn Bergauts delve into shifting consumer behaviors, the importance of cultural relevance, innovation, and leveraging new technology like AI and digital platforms. Kuhn shares lessons from his global career across leading food and beverage companies and provides advice for the next generation of marketers and business leaders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Kuhn Bergauts’s Career Journey & Philosophy

• Global Perspective: Kuhn reflects on his path from Europe (including roles at Procter & Gamble and Danone) to leadership at Mondelēz in the US. He highlights the diversity of European markets and contrasts them with the US regarding speed and ambition in business decisions.

  • (03:28) “P&G is really well developed in defining the problems and having a standard template for all the solutions… it gives you all the theory and all the tools to be successful as a manager.” — Kuhn Bergauts

• “North Star” Approach: At PepsiCo and now Mondelēz, Kuhn learned to work “future back”—envisioning long-term success and mapping backward to the steps required today.

  • (06:13) "We call it the North Star. Write up our future state not only from a consumer standpoint, but also from a technology standpoint, from a product deliverable standpoint.” — Kuhn Bergauts

The Challenge of Balancing Speed & Vision

• Short-Term vs. Long-Term: The need to deliver quarterly results is strong, but Kuhn argues for maintaining the overarching strategic vision.
  • (07:05) “You might slow down in the quarter, but you still need to make progress… It's a very live debate.” — Kuhn Bergauts

Consumer and Snacking Trends

• Premium Indulgence, On-the-Go, and Better-for-You: Consumers want small treats and are willing to pay for “premium indulgence” even in tougher economies. On-the-go and "better-for-you" are also driving product innovation.

  • (08:45) “There’s always a need for a small treat… we call that premium indulgence. That is a clear area for us to focus on… We also look at better-for-you as a big trend shaping up snacking.” — Kuhn Bergauts

• GLP-1s and Functional Snacking: Kuhn notes the industry is watching trends like GLP-1 medications and changing wellness expectations, which influence how “better-for-you” is defined.

  • (09:28) “People are looking for snacks to deliver different benefits than maybe like 10 years ago.” — Kuhn Bergauts

E-Commerce, Omnichannel, and Changing Consumption

• Rise of Delivery & Online Grocery: COVID-19 accelerated the shift to online grocery shopping and multiservice delivery, affecting product development and the need to adapt to different “delivery systems.”

  • (10:24) “You need to show up in very different channels on Amazon as well.” — Kuhn Bergauts

• Experimentation Mindset: The digital landscape is dynamic; constant adaptation and a willingness to experiment are now essential.

  • (11:21) “You need to have like an experimental mindset to figure it out and try and test and learn and adapt.” — Kuhn Bergauts

Cultural Relevance & Brand-Building

• From TV to Social Media & Cultural Play: Big legacy brands, once built on mass TV, now must engage in real-time and shape culture (not just reflect it). Oreo’s “Dunk in the Dark” Super Bowl post is cited as an example of driving culture, not just participating.

  • (12:55) “Oreo has its very specific ritual and people are playing with that… we actually shape culture.” — Kuhn Bergauts

• Collaborations and “Coopetition”: The new Oreo x Reese’s product (a partnership across company lines with Hershey) shows how combining brand strengths delivers experiences solo brands cannot.

  • (15:26) “You can deliver a consumer experience that we individually as brands cannot deliver… The whole mix makes it very interesting." — Kuhn Bergauts

• Consumer Centricity and Social Listening: Social media is now a critical channel for staying close to consumers and responding quickly to their preferences, often leading product innovation.

  • (16:44) “We invest a lot to be just close to culture… That is 70 or 80% of the conversation I have with my teams.” — Kuhn Bergauts

Storytelling, Gen Z, and the Creator Economy

• Storytelling Beyond Ads: Modern marketing prioritizes content and storytelling, particularly to reach Gen Z moms and young consumers on “the small screen” (mobile), often through partnerships or creator collaborations (e.g., Chips Ahoy x Stranger Things).

  • (18:47) “It is a bit of taking the Oreo Playbook… and making sure that it becomes relevant for other brands… If you do it, you need to go all the way.” — Kuhn Bergauts

• AI in Creativity: Generative AI (“GenAI”) is empowering real-time storytelling and character development (e.g., “Chip” from Chips Ahoy), as well as hyper-personalization in media delivery.

  • (20:55) “We leverage AI to generate stories in real-time for our characters… But the true unlock for me comes in… content and starts to drive storytelling.” — Kuhn Bergauts
  • (21:57) “The new brief is the prompt, almost.” — Matt Britton

The Enduring Value of Creativity and Team

• Creative “Horsepower”: Despite new tools and AI, Kuhn maintains that creative ideas that resonate across cohorts remain the most important agency asset.

  • (22:14) “Creative horsepower triumphs everything… I would never compromise on the creative horsepower and make that your unique identity as an agency.” — Kuhn Bergauts

• Teamwork, Learning, and Conviction: Kuhn encourages humility, learning from others, and the courage to test hypotheses.

  • (23:11, 25:19) “You need to be humble… you need to build on others, you need to learn from others and quickly distill what is relevant for you.” — Kuhn Bergauts
  • (25:19) "Mine is: never stop learning." — Kuhn Bergauts

• Advice for Young Professionals: Initiative and risk-taking are crucial in the age of AI; those who lean in and experiment, even with uncertainty, will thrive.

  • (24:45) “The beauty of GenAI is that you can experiment with a low cost, a low barrier of entry without a lot of technical knowledge… and fast.” — Kuhn Bergauts

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | | --------- | ----- | ------- | | 01:05 | “You need to be humble. The external environment is changing so fast… You need to work with convictions, you need to work with hypothesis assumptions that you validate over time.” | Kuhn Bergauts | | 06:13 | “We call it the North Star. Write up our future state... not only from a consumer standpoint, but also from a technology standpoint, from a product deliverable standpoint.” | Kuhn Bergauts | | 10:24 | “For Mondelez, it's more what we call the delivery system… you need to show up in very different channels, on Amazon as well.” | Kuhn Bergauts | | 12:55 | “Oreo has its very specific ritual… but we actually shape culture.” | Kuhn Bergauts | | 15:26 | “You can deliver a consumer experience that we individually as brands cannot deliver... one plus one is more than two.” | Kuhn Bergauts | | 16:44 | “We invest a lot in a company to be just close to culture… that is 70 or 80% of the conversation I have with my teams.” | Kuhn Bergauts | | 18:47 | “It is a bit of taking the Oreo Playbook… and making sure that it becomes relevant for other brands.” | Kuhn Bergauts | | 20:55 | “We leverage AI to generate stories in real-time for our characters… the true unlock for me comes in that it starts to drive content and starts to drive storytelling.” | Kuhn Bergauts | | 21:57 | “The new brief is the prompt, almost.” | Matt Britton | | 22:14 | “Creative horsepower triumphs everything. So whatever we think about GenAI, it is about this brand idea that really travels across cohorts, travels across cult.” | Kuhn Bergauts | | 25:19 | “Mine is: never stop learning.” | Kuhn Bergauts |

Key Segment Timestamps

• [01:05] Career Philosophy: Humility and Speed
• [02:38] Early Career at P&G and Lessons Learned
• [04:12] Differences in Leading European vs. U.S. Markets
• [05:17] “North Star” Planning and Long-Term Thinking
• [08:45] Snacking Trends: Premium Indulgence, Better-for-You, and On-the-Go
• [10:24] Impact of E-Commerce and Omnichannel Retail
• [12:34] Cultural Relevance & Brand Innovation (Oreo’s cultural leadership)
• [15:04] Brand Collaborations: Oreo x Reese’s
• [18:03] Reaching Gen Z Moms, Content and Storytelling, Creator Economy
• [20:33] AI as a Tool for Creative Storytelling and Brand Personalization
• [22:14] Future of Agencies: The Enduring Value of Creativity
• [23:11], [25:19] Advice for Young Marketers: Humility, Learning, and Conviction

Takeaways for Listeners

• Stay Culture-First: Mondelēz’s success is rooted in its ability to engage with and shape culture, not just push products.
• Innovation is Multidimensional: Embracing AI, partnerships, and new delivery systems are all part of staying relevant.
• Experiment Constantly: Whether it’s testing product ideas or new creative approaches, agility and hypothesis-driven action are essential.
• Brand Building is Still at the Core: Creative horsepower and strong brand ideas remain the foundation even as tools and channels evolve.
• Career Growth Means Never Stopping Learning: Kuhn’s repeated mantra stresses the importance of humility, curiosity, and conviction.

Summary prepared to capture the rich, conversational insights of Matt Britton and Kuhn Bergauts as they discuss the future of food brands, marketing, and what it takes to thrive at the speed of culture.