Ann Mukherjee is chief global commercial officer at SC Johnson. Formerly, she was President, Pepsico Global Snacks and Chief Marketing Officer, Frito-Lay North America.
She’s a fast-talking client who understands what it takes to build brands. This is a quick, insightful video. Let’s hear what she has to say.
Like many accomplished people Mukherjee speaks her industry’s native tongue, which for marketers sounds exactly like this:
This point about brand distinction is so important, because if you don’t have it—other than the fact that you’re not creating competitive insulation—you’re probably going to cannibalize yourself. This is why I love being a Booth alum because this is the place that taught me about the intersection between the rigor of science that unlocks the disruption of art. What are the attributes that matter? Can you be predictive of choice? What are the attributes that matter in a particular context and how then do you leverage the distinction of your brand to own it? The more you play against that, the more you own that, the more distinction and the advantaged position you have in the marketplace.
I love the line, “the rigor of science that unlocks the disruption of art.” It’s academic but interesting. Translated into ad speak, I believe it means “show me the data, so I can learn from it and act on it.” It’s also a great line because it’s perfectly balanced. One aspect is not more important than the other. The two forces that propel brands are interdependent.
Of course, it’s not every day that a client asks its agency for “the disruption of art.” Raise your hand if you’ve seen (or placed) this sort of lofty but strategic request in a brief.
