“It is not business-to-consumers, but human-to-human. The future is bright for marketing.” — Valérie Hernando-Presse
When Danone CMO Valérie Hernando-Presse took the plenary stage on
Thursday at SB’19 Detroit, she
did not espouse the health benefits of yogurt (for which there are
many). Instead, she shared current changing consumer preferences — in
particular, to connect to the food they eat and partake in a better food system.
Hernando-Presse asserted that each consumption act is a political act of voting
for the agriculture and nutrition consumers want in their lives.
Embracing this food revolution, Danone is on a journey to bring its “One Planet.
One Health” vision to life. This strategic agenda reflects Danone’s commitment
to help people eat better as well as an internal action call for employees to
change business systems. Becoming a B
Corporation
is testament to this vision; Dannon US is currently the world’s largest B
Corp.
As the dynamic landscape shifts from powerful people to people of power, the
role of consumers is moving from passive onlooker to actor and activist citizen.
Hernando-Presse proclaimed, “In this people-powered world, the way we’ve done
marketing — selling more stuff to more people — is over.”
As a woman of color living in France, Hernando-Presse admitted that she does
not fit the usual mold. However, she has used that personal perspective to
rethink marketing at Danone. She shared that she is reimagining marketing with a
new vision that encompasses people-powered brands, content and innovation — and
new ways to connect with local communities.
Navigating the Complexity of Corporate Political Responsibility in 2024
Join us as Elizabeth Doty, director of the Erb Institute's Corporate Political Responsibility Taskforce, shares Principles for Corporate Political Responsibility and how to use these non-partisan principles to weigh decisions and articulate positions in an environment of distrust — Thurs, May 9, at Brand-Led Culture Change.
“We want all our brands to put Purpose at the center and commit to this food
revolution,” she said. “Some brands are moving from ‘storytelling’ to ‘story
showing.’”
To illustrate, Hernando-Presse shared a few examples within Danone’s global
portfolio of bottled water, specialized nutrition and dairy and plant-based
products, including:
-
Bonafort — this
Mexican water brand fights for gender equality, supporting women’s
empowerment for 20 years
-
Happy Family Organics — this US
brand is on a mission to give babies their healthiest start by offering
organic, thoughtfully made food
-
SGM Eksplor — a
well-established infant formula brand in Indonesia that relentlessly
tackles stunting
Hernando-Presse revealed that ‘making it personal’ is the most complex part of
the company’s marketing transformation. Her role as CMO is to carve out space
for brand teams around the globe to be entrepreneurial and purpose-minded
marketers. She invites these teams to bring their convictions, soul and personal
authenticity to the workplace in order to build trustworthy connections with
their tribes.
“It is not business-to-consumers, but humans-to-humans. The future is bright for marketing.” — Valérie Hernando-Presse
Published Jun 6, 2019 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST
Sustainable Brands Staff