At Carlsberg Britvic, Performance and Brand “Work Best When They Work Together”

In January of this year, two giants in the drinks space merged to become Carlsberg Britvic. Munnawar Chishty, then Britvic Great Britain’s marketing director, was named chief marketing officer of the new entity, adding responsibilities for brands including Carlsberg, Birrificio Angelo Poretti and Brooklyn Brewery, alongside her pre-existing responsibilities for brands like Robinsons, Tango and J2O.

Prior to this, Munanawar was the vice-president and global category director for beauty at the Walgreens Boots Alliance and says that the transition to beverages “has been an incredibly rewarding experience” adding “there are a number of underlying similarities.” She notes how both “are fast-paced, consumer-centric and driven by emotion and lifestyle choices. Whether it’s skincare or soft drinks, you’re building brands that become part of people’s daily lives – and that requires real emotional resonance.”

When Munnawar first joined the drinks industry, it had a different rhythm “compared to beauty.” But it’s evolved, shifting “towards brand-led storytelling and emotionally driven campaigns, which is a space I’ve loved helping to shape.

Integrating giants

Cultural alignment was key to integrating Carlsberg and Britvic, two“heritage-rich businesses, each with strong legacies” that share “a passion for innovation and a belief in brand-building,” Munnawar says. Today the brands are working under one banner as a “dynamic, multi-beverage powerhouse” by “tapping into the breadth of our combined portfolio – beer, cider and soft drinks – to meet consumer needs across every occasion. The opportunities ahead are enormous.”

Munnawar’s leadership style centres around being a growth leader, evolving a CMO’s role to drive commercial impact beyond traditional marketing, brand awareness and campaign metrics. She’s investing in “driving measurable, commercial impact – whether that’s market share, revenue or brand equity.” Vital to this is the need to be “deeply embedded in the business, fluent in the language of creativity and finance,” Munnawar explains.

How do CMOs help brands achieve resonance in a landscape as crowded and noisy as it is today? “By being crystal clear on their brand purpose – and bringing it to life through rich, engaging content that resonates, connects emotionally, and drives action. It’s not just about showing up; it’s about showing up meaningfully,” she says.

One ofMunnawar's priorities has been championing ROI. "Last year, our soft drinks business delivered outstanding financial results which was underpinned by a significant increase in marketing investment. Britvic plc increased its advertising and promotional spend by 30.9% compared to 2023 – a strategic move that unquestionably played a critical role accelerating brand growth. ”

There’s nothing accidental about that level of investment. “It stems from creating shared understanding across teams – particularly with finance and business leaders – and consistently demonstrating how marketing fuels both short- and long-term growth,” Munnawar says. Bold move and risk-taking are encouraged, “all while ensuring
everything we do is measurable. That’s how we know what is working, what’s not and where to double down to truly unlock growth,” Munnawar says.

Munnawar is careful to balance short-term performance with long-term brand equity, steering away from the temptation to “lean heavily into performance marketing,” saying it stems “from short-term pressures to achieve immediate, measurable results.” When budgets are tight – as they are in the current economic climate – it’s easy to reach for a solution that has such a direct relationship between investment and spend. “But leaning too heavily on it can mean sacrificing long-term brand equity for short-term gains.”

“Brand marketing, on the other hand, is about building emotional connection and loyalty – outcomes that are harder to measure in the short term but critical for sustained growth. Ultimately, the choice often comes down to business goals – which is why it’s crucial to demonstrate the value of marketing through clear strategy and measurable ROI,” she adds.

For Carlsberg Britvic, performance and brand marketing are not in competition with one another because “they work best when they work together,” she says. “You can’t drive performance at scale without a strong brand, and you can’t justify brand investment without proving it delivers commercial results.”

Iconic brand assets

“One of the ways we maintain that balance is by investing in iconic brand assets – including distinctive cues and emotional hooks that drive recognition over time,” says Munnawar. Many campaigns over the years have demonstrated the value of this approach like Carlsberg’s “ability to trademark the phrase ‘Probably the best beer in the world’ at an EU level, thanks to consistent use since the 1980s,” she says, “a great example of a long-term brand equity that continues to drive recall and relevance.”

She points to recent ads from other big brands that have achieved true cultural resonance, so much so that “many don’t even need to show their name to be recognisable – their assets, whether it’s a typeface, sound, colour, or tone, do the work. That’s the power of building distinctive, long-term equity.”

Carlsberg and Britvic are both known for bold, playful campaigns leaning into humour often – and boldly. “It comes down to understanding the gen z mindset,” says Munnawar. “This demographic has finely tuned ‘BS’ detectors from being inundated with endless online personas and media saturation. They deeply value authenticity over anything too polished or disingenuous. What cuts through that noise is brands willing to take humorous risks, embrace imperfections, poke fun at themselves, and forge genuine connections through transparency and self-aware irreverence.”

That tone is embraced at brands like Tango “which thrives on boldness, cheek, and a rule-breaking spirit” though, crucially, “it’s not about being outrageous for the sake of it, but about creating a brand world that feels confident, culturally in tune, and distinctly unfiltered.” Another example is Hobgoblin where the Hobgoblin itself is so much more than a mascot, and is “a mischief-maker with attitude, brought to life through campaigns that are deliberately “Still Ugly” and proud of it. The brand leans into its folklore-inspired roots while updating its look and tone to stay relevant with modern drinkers,” says Munnawar.

Consumer trends

With experiential marketing regaining traction post-pandemic, Carlsberg Britvic is using real-world activations to build deeper, emotional resonance with audiences by creating immersive, real-world activations. Going beyond products, “they offer participation, emotion, and shared memories.” The ‘Wicked’ x Robinsons partnership, two limited-edition, glitter-infused drinks inspired by the film’s iconic characters, Glinda and Elphaba, saw the brand launch an augmented reality in-store experience “that allowed shoppers to see themselves transformed into Wicked characters in real time. It was theatrical, fun, and completely shareable,” says Munnawar.

She continues, “On the emotional side, The Nation’s Favourite Squish photo booth was a pop-up activation that captured something more personal – inviting people to share their ‘squish’ moments with loved ones. It was playful and tactile, but also tapped into post-pandemic emotional dynamics, where physical affection and connection have become more meaningful than ever.”

Consumers’ increased interest in health and well-being hasn’t gone unnoticed by Carlsberg Britvic and its tapping into it with Plenish Run Club: an opportunity for people to engage with the brand through “movement, community, and shared purpose. It’s not just about sampling products but supporting healthier lifestyle choices in a way that feels inclusive and real.”

Now a few months into the merger, Carlsberg Britvic is on a path of success with a vision of being a “dynamic multi-beverage powerhouse” thanks to a portfolio spanning “beer, cider and soft drinks, we have the unique ability to serve every consumer, wherever they are, whatever the occasion.” The marketing strategy that’s already in motion aims to unlock that potential. It looks like “bold, culturally relevant campaigns, continued investment in marketing effectiveness, and harnessing innovation across everything from products to media channels.”

Munnawar concludes, “We’re guided by the mantra printed on our office walls: ‘Where possibilities are huge and opportunities are vast.’ That’s the mindset we bring to every brief, every brand and every consumer moment.”