Todd Kaplan on Redefining Consumer Engagement at Pepsi

Building Brands for the Modern Consumer

The rules of brand building are changing. Todd Kaplan, Chief Marketing Officer at Pepsi, sits down with Matt Britton to discuss how one of the world's most iconic beverage brands is rethinking consumer engagement, brand positioning, and marketing strategy for an era of rapid cultural change and digital transformation.

Pepsi's legacy spans generations. Yet Kaplan's approach reveals how even the most established brands must evolve their understanding of consumers, embrace new channels, and build deeper, more authentic connections to stay relevant and drive growth.

From Broadcasting to Authentic Dialogue

Traditional brand marketing relied on one-way messaging: brands broadcast carefully crafted messages to passive audiences. This model is obsolete.

Modern consumers expect authentic dialogue with brands they support. They want to be heard, respected, and understood. They expect brands to take positions on issues they care about. They evaluate brands not just on products, but on values and cultural relevance.

Kaplan discusses how Pepsi is transitioning from broadcast marketing to genuine consumer dialogue. This requires fundamentally different skills, organizational structures, and decision-making frameworks than traditional brand management.

Understanding what consumers actually care about—in real time—is essential to this shift. Platforms like Suzy enable brands like Pepsi to listen to consumers continuously, understand emerging values and expectations, and respond authentically rather than reactively.

Cultural Relevance as Competitive Advantage

Brands succeed when they understand and reflect the cultural values of their target audiences. For a global company like Pepsi, this means understanding not just demographics, but the deeper values, concerns, and aspirations that drive consumer behavior across different markets and communities.

Kaplan emphasizes that cultural relevance isn't a one-time positioning exercise—it's an ongoing capability. Consumer culture evolves constantly. Brands that listen continuously, adapt thoughtfully, and stay authentic will thrive. Those that cling to outdated positioning will fade.

This cultural intelligence informs everything from product innovation to marketing partnerships to talent acquisition. Modern brand leaders understand that culture is the lens through which consumers evaluate everything a brand does.

Digital Transformation and Consumer Connection

Digital channels have fundamentally changed how brands interact with consumers. Rather than relying on traditional media and retail partnerships, brands now engage consumers directly through social media, digital platforms, and direct-to-consumer channels.

This digital transformation creates both opportunity and risk. Brands have unprecedented access to consumer conversations and feedback. But they also face greater accountability: every marketing misstep, every tone-deaf communication, every disconnect between stated values and actual practices gets amplified and critiqued in real time.

Kaplan discusses how Pepsi navigates this new landscape: by listening more than broadcasting, by being authentic even when imperfect, and by genuinely trying to understand and serve evolving consumer values.

Key Takeaways

• The era of one-way brand messaging is over—authentic dialogue is now the expectation
• Cultural intelligence and consumer understanding are core competitive advantages, not marketing tactics
• Digital channels require different skills, mindsets, and organizational capabilities than traditional marketing
• Brands must stay continuously culturally aware—values shift faster than traditional strategy cycles accommodate
• Authenticity matters more than perfection—consumers respect brands that listen, learn, and evolve
• Real-time consumer insight enables brands to respond to cultural moments and emerging values proactively

Rethinking Your Brand Strategy

Whether you lead a global consumer brand or manage marketing for a growing company, the principles Kaplan shares are essential. Brands that understand culture deeply, listen continuously, and build authentic consumer relationships will outperform those operating with outdated models.

To explore how your brand can build deeper consumer connections and stay culturally relevant, reach out to our team. For deeper insights into culture, consumer behavior, and brand strategy in the modern age, read Generation AI: The Book.

Interested in having Matt Britton speak at your brand strategy conference or marketing leadership retreat? Learn more about keynote speaking on culture, consumer insights, and modern brand building.