Move fast. 
Embrace the chaos. 
Be prepared. 
Dare to jump on the bandwagon when something is about to go viral. 
Measure the impact of all your marketing activities. 

Those are some key take aways shared during the panel discussion “The New Rules of Brand Management”. A diverse panel with experts from food companies, communications and marketing agencies, video creators, and law firms exchanged views on the evolving landscape of brand management. Saverio Spontella, Senior Vice President Sales, Marketing & Innovation at Land o’ Frost, stated that “the ‘what’ in Brand Management has not changed, but the ‘how’ has changed significantly.” Ashley Findlay, Senior Director of Brand Marketing at Simple Mills added that, “the fundamentals haven’t changed: you still need to build a brand, articulate what you stand for, and, in the case of food, focus on taste, because that is what customers buy on, for starters.” 

Moving to the ‘how’, panel member Jessica Barrutia, Executive Vice President at Edelman illustrated it with this example: “the Today Show and Oprah used to represent the pinnacle of brand public relations success. Today, when your product appears on these platforms, it signals that the hype has already peaked and the product’s lifecycle is nearing completion”. 

Another important shift is the disappearance of the “linear consumer journey’” as Ashley noted. Content can originate from anywhere, leading to a much faster-paced environment. Sometimes, brands must seize emerging trends and take risks, even if actions are not fully aligned with all relevant departments. Land O’ Frost experienced this when their product appeared on the TV show Succession. The company responded by creating content in a “quick and dirty way,” which was appreciated in social channels and successfully enhanced the brand’s relevance. 

Preparedness and collaboration are essential for responding effectively in this fast-moving era. Tracy Hatfied, CEO of Social Snacks Video explained how her company supports clients by providing a ‘kitchen’ of video footage and clips, tailored to various audiences and showcasing different aspects of their products. With the growing importance of video in marketing, it has become an integral part of the early stages of campaigns. 

Janet Garetto, Intellectual Property Partner & Co-Leader of Food, Beverage and Agribusiness Practice at law firm Nixon Peabody, emphasized the importance of involving legal teams early in the brand development process. Once a brand concept gains traction within a company, it can be difficult to modify it if legal protection issues arise. The essentials for brand protection remain unchanged, but there definitely are some emerging trends such as portfolio refreshes, creating new marks and rebranding to reconnect with audiences. Globalization also raises a new challenge of how to safeguard brands in new markets around the world. 

Given the proliferation of content channels and diverse messaging, collaboration is critical, according to Ashley. If partners such as sales teams, retailers, agencies and PR teams are not aligned and sharing plans, “it can feel like working with one hand tied behind your back.” 

Data and the ability to measure marketing efforts have had a significant impact. Steve Gaither, EVP of Growth and Strategy at 1o8, highlighted that current metrics enable brands to measure expenses and compare data across all sales channels. This connection to specific Return on Investment measures is critically important and a newer tool in the brand manager’s toolkit. Saverio added that this data-driven approach also facilitates clearer discussions with management, as conversion data provide strong support for proposals. 

In summary, having a great brand alone is no longer enough to help your product succeed. It must continually build and demonstrate its relevance. But it is harder than ever to stand out, especially in the food & beverage industry. Effective branding still gives you that extra edge to win. No, brand management is not dead, but some of the tools and techniques historically used to achieve branding goals may now be outdated. But today’s fractured media environment requires new and creative tools to successfully keep your brands relevant and in front of consumers.