Podcast Summary: Uncensored CMO - Mars Brand Building Masterclass with Rankin Carroll

Podcast Information:

• Title: Uncensored CMO
• Host: Jon Evans
• Guest: Rankin Carroll, Chief Brand Officer at Mars
• Episode Title: Mars Brand Building Masterclass with Rankin Carroll
• Release Date: May 21, 2025
• Description: Exploring the truths about marketing theory and practice, focusing on brand building within one of the world's leading brand-led organizations, Mars.

1. Introduction to Rankin Carroll and His Journey at Mars

Jon Evans opens the episode by introducing Rankin Carroll, the Chief Brand Officer at Mars, highlighting his 20-year tenure and extensive experience in brand marketing.

• Rankin Carroll: "I started my career, I'm Canadian. I started in marketing actually I started in banking..." [00:59]

Key Points:

• Early Career: Rankin began in banking but shifted to marketing, working with Tricon's Pizza Hut and Pepsi.
• Advertising Experience: Gained deep insights into creativity, working with advertising agencies, and the importance of clear briefs.
• Joining Mars: Influenced by a colleague, Rankin transitioned to Mars, initially working on candy brands in Toronto before moving to the UK.
• Leadership Roles: Held various regional and global leadership positions, including managing the ice cream business.

2. Structuring Brand Stewardship at Mars

Jon Evans inquires about the distinction between the roles of Chief Brand Officer and Chief Marketing Officer within Mars.

• Rankin Carroll: "We run a growth office, so we call it..." [06:05]

Key Points:

• Growth Office Structure: The Growth Office encompasses Brand Stewardship, innovation, data & analytics, and business strategy.
• Brand Stewardship: Focuses on brand foundations, compasses, and keys, ensuring consistency and relevance across all regions.
• Regional Collaboration: Works closely with regional CMOs who manage specific brand priorities and deployments.

3. Modernizing Media Spend and Personalization

Jon Evans references Unilever's shift toward influencer marketing and asks Rankin about Mars' media investment strategy.

• Rankin Carroll: "Fundamentally we've made shifts. Number one, in terms of media spending..." [08:09]

Key Points:

• Shift to Digital: Mars transitioned from 60% linear media (e.g., TV) and 30-40% digital in 2019 to a more balanced digital-first approach, reducing linear spend to 25% in the US.
• Addressable Media: Emphasizes personalized targeting and real-time optimization to maximize media effectiveness.
• Content Modernization: Focuses on creating engaging content that aligns with consumer behavior and cultural trends.
• Personalization at Scale: Aims to co-create with consumers, fostering deeper relationships beyond one-off interactions.
• Experimentation and Measurement: Encourages trying new strategies, measuring outcomes meticulously, and balancing short-term performance with long-term brand equity.

Notable Quote:

• "Personalization at scale and co-creation that's opening our minds to what the Unilever CEO is talking about..." [12:55]

4. Balancing Performance and Brand Equity

Jon Evans and Rankin Carroll discuss the perennial debate between performance marketing and brand building.

• Jon Evans: "...there is both obviously but it's really fascinating..." [14:30]
• Rankin Carroll: "We have to balance performance and brand equity..." [15:14]

Key Points:

• System One Study Insights: Combining performance and brand marketing yields a 10-20% ROI improvement over performance-only strategies.
• Long-Term vs. Short-Term: Emphasizes that performance marketing should not undermine long-term brand equity; both are interdependent.
• Consistency as Competitive Advantage: Highlights the importance of maintaining consistent branding to avoid the costs of re-educating consumers.

5. The Importance of Partnerships and Agency Relationships

The conversation shifts to the critical role of long-term partnerships with agencies like BBDO and DDB in sustaining brand consistency and creativity.

• Rankin Carroll: "We have long term partnerships with the BBDOs and the DDBs of the world..." [20:01]

Key Points:

• Trusted Partnerships: Long-standing relationships with creative agencies ensure a deep understanding of brand values and effective execution.
• Collaboration Dynamics: Successful campaigns result from mutual trust, shared understanding, and coordinated efforts between brand and agency teams.
• Changing Teams, Maintaining Core: While team members may change, maintaining core strategic players is essential to preserve brand integrity.

Notable Quote:

• "If the suit can't bring it together and navigate it both internally as well as with us, it will go nowhere and we will waste a lot of really precious resource." [29:34]

6. Navigating Brand Assets and Cultural Relevance

Jon Evans commends Mars' consistency and the powerful brand assets like M&M's characters. They delve into how Mars maintains cultural relevance while preserving brand identity.

• Rankin Carroll: "We have a remarkable asset that's survived..." [41:20]

Key Points:

• Iconic Characters: M&M's characters are treated as living personalities, maintaining their backstories and relevance through cultural tie-ins.
• Adaptation with Integrity: When adjusting characters for inclusivity, Mars ensures changes are authentic and align with brand values.
• Humor and Consistency: Keeps campaigns light and humorous to navigate potential cultural sensitivities without compromising brand essence.

Notable Quotes:

• "It's the characters that have been built up for many years, great personality association of the brand, are outperforming pretty much every celebrity you can think of in a Super Bowl." [45:56]
• "They’re both famous and delicious." [48:07]

7. Case Studies: Twix and M&M's Campaigns

Twix Campaign:

• Twix's Quiet Rise: Despite being a billion-dollar brand, Twix was underutilized until recent strategic campaigns.
• "Two Is More Than One": Embraces cultural trends of maximalism, emphasizing the unique dual-bar concept without forcing a choice between left and right.
• Interactive Engagement: Introduced a Super Bowl "second screen stare down" game, resulting in high engagement ("[34:27]").

M&M's Campaign:

• Cultural Tie-Ins: Successfully integrates M&M's characters into major cultural events, maintaining high engagement and brand visibility.
• Inclusivity Efforts: Expanded character diversity without losing brand humor or authenticity, navigating public reactions gracefully.

8. Advice for Aspiring Brand Leaders

In the concluding segment, Rankin Carroll shares valuable insights for those aspiring to leadership roles in brand marketing.

Key Points:

• Cultivate Curiosity: Stay inquisitive about consumer behavior, culture, competition, and technology to drive innovative branding strategies.
• Foster Creativity: Build a culture where creativity thrives, attracting top talent and encouraging creative partnerships.
• Trusted Leadership: Emphasize trust and collaboration within teams and with external partners to navigate complex marketing landscapes.
• Relentless Measurement: Continuously measure and analyze performance to inform strategic decisions and optimize brand equity.

Notable Quote:

• "No one person does anything that matters in this business. You've got to have a group of willing, trusted leaders who are coming together to drive something through." [52:09]

9. Closing Remarks

Jon Evans wraps up the conversation by expressing gratitude towards Rankin Carroll for sharing his extensive knowledge and experiences, emphasizing the value listeners can gain from the discussion.

Jon Evans: "Thank you very much for listening or watching uncensored cmo. I hope you enjoyed that..." [52:37]

Conclusion: This episode of Uncensored CMO provides an in-depth exploration of Mars' brand-building strategies through the expertise of Rankin Carroll. Key themes include the balance between performance marketing and brand equity, the importance of consistent and culturally relevant brand assets, strategic partnerships with agencies, and the role of curiosity and creativity in sustaining brand leadership. Listeners gain valuable insights into maintaining brand consistency while adapting to modern marketing trends and consumer behaviors.