Firebrand: Todd Kaplan’s ‘Intrapreneurial’ Secret Sauce
Todd Kaplan is no stranger to huge organisations. Prior to joining Kraft Heinz this summer as chief marketing officer of North America, he was at PepsiCo for 18 years, eventually becoming CMO at their flagship brand Pepsi. But don’t let that company man exterior fool you - within beats the heart of an entrepreneur. At college he started two businesses, and throughout his career he has channelled that wheeler-dealer impulse to become what he calls an ‘intrapreneur’.
“As we think about what’s needed to succeed in today’s world as a brand, it’s important to be agile, fast, and scrappy – and those happen to be skills that come more naturally to me. So, I try to instil an ‘intrapreneurial’ mindset within each of my teams, building the right skills that will empower the team to take smart risks and meet challenges head on.”
Todd’s secret to intrapreneurial success is that he often treats his teams like small start-ups within the walls of a larger company. He encourages them to behave with the same doggedness and hustle that characterises early stage founders.
“Sometimes, big companies can inadvertently add layers or risk aversion that can slow down a really big idea, so I like to tell my teams to take ‘no’ as a request for more information. What I’ve often found is that some of the best creative problem solving can be done by truly listening to the company’s concerns while maintaining the integrity of the idea being pursued. And it usually gets the project in a better place as our teams collaborate to find the right solutions.”
Indeed, part of the reason Todd was drawn to his new home at Kraft Heinz was that very same spirit and its ‘Agile@Scale’ approach that runs across the organisation. From his perspective, that’s been the bedrock of the transformation we’ve seen at the company in recent years.
“It allows us to be nimble, but with the scale of a large company,” explains Todd. “Similar to how software companies use agile principles, we’re taking a test and learn approach across the business – rolling out ‘minimum viable products’ and innovative solutions to gather feedback from customers and consumers.”
There’s no denying that the visible transformation at Kraft Heinz, and in its marketing in particular, has proven irresistible. “Kraft Heinz has undergone a major company transformation over the last handful of years, putting a real focus on marketing as the cornerstone of its evolution. There's a big ambition to invest in and build upon these iconic brands within their portfolio, tapping into the power of creativity as a real competitive advantage. I’m really excited to join this team to build upon some of the momentum they have been able to generate to help take these brands and the business to that next level.”
The new role is also a chance to have a real impact on people’s lives. Kraft Heinz Company is the third-largest food and beverage company in North America, and the fifth-largest in the world, counting eight brands that generate over a billion dollars. “It’s also truly exciting to have an opportunity to help shape the future of food and food culture, as there is a commitment to innovation and becoming a ‘leader in elevating and creating food that makes you feel good’ at Kraft Heinz,” says Todd. “When you combine this bold ambition with the rich legacy of Kraft Heinz and its iconic brands with a presence at just about every North American table… that’s powerful.”
The fruits of Kraft Heinz’s innovation and transformation is plain to see in the creative work pouring out of both its own inhouse agency, The Kitchen, and agency partners around the world like Rethink, VML and Wieden+Kennedy. 2023 marked a particular turning point for its flagship ketchup brand as it launched a new global campaign, prompting the LBB team to ask whether the brand was having a 'Burger King moment'. Indeed, last year, Kraft Heinz was one of only three brands to nab a coveted Immortal Award for its deliciously biting print and poster campaign ‘Heinz Ketchup Fraud’ (it also nabbed a Commendation in 2021’s awards for its adorable ‘Draw Ketchup’ campaign). This year, the culmination of all that work under the ‘It Has to Be Heinz’ platform saw the brand awarded the 2024 Creative Effectiveness Lion at Cannes.
As a fan of creative marketing, Todd is full of admiration for what the team has achieved. “What I love about some of the recent work at Kraft Heinz is how it is strategically grounded in real insights and consumer truths about our brands and products,” he says. “For example, Heinz recently launched its first-ever global campaign, ‘It Has to Be Heinz’, which is centred around fans’ unwavering love for the brand. The platform has spurred all sorts of creative executions that re-assert the brand’s dominance in the category, but in a way that reminds consumers just how deep their love is for this iconic brand. And that is just one example of some of the smart work taking place here.”
As well as harnessing that creative momentum and amplifying it even further, another key part of Todd’s remit at Kraft Heinz is to drive the innovation agenda. And that’s a broad umbrella, encompassing product innovation to tech innovation and everything in between.
“Today’s marketing landscape is evolving quickly, and today’s brands need to continue to think fast on our feet – in terms of the products being offered, the communication strategies, and the creative being developed,” explains Todd. “My ambition is for Kraft Heinz to become a hub of modern marketing activity where we can meet our consumer’s needs in the right ways, at the right time, with the right messaging – while being able to move and adjust in real-time given how agile today’s marketers really need to be.”
From his perspective, marketing and innovation are as naturally complementary as ketchup and mustard (a pairing showcased in Kraft Heinz’s recent collaboration with a certain ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’).
“When thinking about marketing and innovation at Kraft Heinz, I believe the two concepts are inextricably linked – all in service of the consumer,” he says. “So, when it comes to innovation, it isn’t just about having great new products. Of course we will need to build the right future-facing products to meet the needs of tomorrow’s consumer, but it is really about ‘end-to-end’ innovation thinking to meet those needs. How the brands are built and expressed around those products. How creative and communications are developed. What media channels and formats are utilised to reach the consumers in new and interesting ways. Where the products are enjoyed and sold via omnichannel experiences. And of course, technology will be a big enabler fueling each of these areas as well.”
“So yes, product innovation will continue to be a core centre of gravity as we look at the many categories across our Kraft Heinz brand portfolio, but we will look at innovation more holistically to ensure we are well set up to truly meet the changing needs of consumers – both now and in the future.”
As Todd gets to know his new colleagues at Kraft Heinz, it’s striking that this experienced marketer with nearly 20 years in the food and beverage space very nearly went down an entirely different path.
After leaving university with a BA in economics, Todd started his career in the world of sports marketing, running global sports marketing for VISA. After four years, he headed to Yale to study for an MBA. It was there he saw PepsiCo’s former CEO, Indra Nooyi, give a talk.
“After the talk, I went up to her to ask if they recruited MBA interns for marketing, and that essentially is how my time at PepsiCo started. I was fortunate to have had amazing opportunities to grow, stretch, and flourish – coming in as an MBA intern and leaving as CMO of Pepsi,” says Todd.
Reflecting on everything that one conversation sparked - including an 18 year stint at PepsiCo - it’s one of those ‘sliding doors’ moments that has provided Todd with endless fun and inspiration. “I’ve had a range of experiences and have achieved more than I ever dreamed of – from big cultural moments to successful innovations to company transformations. But, what I’m most proud of throughout my career journey is that I still have a ton of fun every single day. I am so passionate about marketing’s ability to create and inspire. I love what I do.”
Having been with PepsiCo since 2006, the decision to leave was not taken lightly. Todd’s time at the brand had seen him work on game changing marketing projects. “I had the privilege of leading a lot of incredible work at PepsiCo and encountered so many remarkable people along the way there – it truly is a special place. I was given the opportunity to do some incredible things, from creating new brands like Bubly; to getting to write new chapters around iconic brands like Pepsi and Mountain Dew; to leading big cultural moments like the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show; to reimagining Pepsi’s new logo and visual identity,” he says.
However, that inner entrepreneur would eventually, inevitably, feel the need for a fresh challenge. “Reflecting on my time at PepsiCo, I felt I was simply ready for new challenges, as I am someone who always wants to push myself to try new things, learn new businesses, and continue my own learning and growth as a leader. I cherish the time I spent at PepsiCo, and I feel it has well prepared me for my current role here at Kraft Heinz. There are so many great memories from over the years – as I’m proud of all we achieved at PepsiCo – and I can’t wait to make some new ones here at Kraft Heinz.”
And Todd has certainly chosen a juicy time to make that move. Not only is Kraft Heinz undergoing seismic transformation, it seems that the whole marketing world is in a state of flux and disruption. For some, that challenge and change might feel too big to get one’s head around, but for Todd, the eternal intrapreneur, it’s thrilling.
“What really excites me is the pace of change that’s taking place in marketing right now – especially thinking about how disruptive the media landscape is today and how quickly technology is evolving. You have to think on your feet and continue to learn new skills in order to stay on the cutting edge and ensure you can reach consumers in the most effective ways and formats,” he says.
“At the same time, consumer behaviours and the ways people consume information continue to adapt and change. As an industry, marketing has been moving so fast to create, build, and capitalise on these changes. While clearly some would view this as a massive challenge, I truly believe it is a great opportunity, as it keeps us fresh and unlocks countless new possibilities of where we can take our brands.”
It is still early days for Todd - his arrival at Kraft Heinz was only announced in mid July - but with so much buzz and energy both internally and externally across the industry, Todd is raring to go and full of ambition.
“I can’t wait to dig in with the team and build creative, smart, and culturally-relevant work across this portfolio of over 70 brands here in North America,” he says. “These brands already play a role in people’s lives today, so it will be exciting to continue to forge a deeper connection to cultural passion points – from sports to music and beyond – with these amazing brands. I believe our best days are ahead of us at Kraft Heinz, and I look forward to working with the team to fuel our next wave of creativity, innovation, and growth.”
