Jason (00:51)
Hi Mel, it's great to see you.

Melanie Batchelor (00:53)
Hi Jason. Good to see you again.

Jason (00:55)
Well, thank you. Welcome to the Wise in Five I can't wait to dive into these questions with you. But before we do that, I would love if you could just share a bit of your amazing journey with the folks who are watching and listening to this podcast.

Melanie Batchelor (01:10)
Sure, Jason, again, thank you for having me. I'm really looking forward to sharing a few moments talking about my experience, but had a long career working across many countries across the globe and came up through the ranks of marketing and work primarily across beverage, both on the alcoholic and non-alcoholic side. So as 12 years with PepsiCo, where I had the opportunity to start my career, as you can tell from my accent in Australia, but I got to work across Southeast Asia.

in their global HQ in Purchase New York and also across Europe. So it was a great experience. And I then joined the alcoholic beverage side with Campari Group. And again, I had a great opportunity to work across multiple markets in both their global strategic marketing organization, then on the local side of marketing. But in the past five years, I pivoted and I moved into general management and ran their business, businesses both in Canada and back in the US.

Jason (02:07)
That's wonderful. And I know with Campari you're managing one of my favorite brands, which is Wild Turkey. So.

Melanie Batchelor (02:13)
Absolutely, one of my favorites as well, the Russell family,

three generations, absolute legends in the industry. it's a beautiful brand, which I was really proud of the work we did to bring the story of the Russells to life.

Jason (02:25)
Well, totally. mean, that's it's amazing because how it got refreshed this heritage brand, right? You think about the bourbon industry and then the heritage brand that is wild turkey and you did an amazing job, you know, freshening it up.

Melanie Batchelor (02:37)
Yes, absolutely, absolutely. Well, there was lots to work with. It's a great story. As said, an incredible family, a really great quality story. So it's much easier when you've got lots of those ingredients to work with.

Jason (02:49)
Yeah, I agree. Well, before we dive way in, I want to ask you a question that I ask all of my guests, which is, where do you find inspiration just in daily life?

Melanie Batchelor (02:59)
Yeah, lots of places actually. I get a lot of inspiration from my three beautiful step kids. The third one's just gone off to college, but it's been wonderful having a hand in raising them and they inspire me every day. lots of places I look for inspiration. I love learning and so I listen to lots of podcasts. I listen to lots of audiobooks. I don't get that much time to sit down.

So audio books are a great resource. I love the culture code. One of my favorites. Actually, Arrive and Thrive, which I got the pleasure of being on the webinar with the author last week was a great book. Adam Grant is someone I really respect and learn a lot. And I think he brings great guests onto his podcast. I really enjoy his podcast as well.

Jason (03:34)
that's cool.

Melanie Batchelor (03:45)
Also the people I work with, I've had the opportunity to work with some amazing people that inspired me daily, not only from within the organization, but also externally. One consultant I worked with, Andrea Carter, worked a lot in teaching me how to evolve my thinking from focusing on diversity to building belonging and the impact that that can have on workplace culture. So I'm really thankful for the lessons. So lots of different places I get inspiration.

Jason (04:12)
I love that. And we're going to dive deeper into some of the mentorship pieces that you're involved with. But I had a question for you. So you've been this incredible leader, right? As you mentioned, starting with PepsiCo, I think that was 11 years at PepsiCo. And then, you know, with Campari 14 years and your last role as general manager, president, CEO of Americas. But I'm curious, like, is there a pivotal moment?

that shaped how you approach the way you make decisions and how you look at taking risk in businesses.

Melanie Batchelor (04:44)
Yeah, absolutely. I wouldn't say it was a huge

risk, but one of the key things that I learned around making decisions was some great advice I got from my boss when I moved into general management, and that was about making choices and as much strategies about what's saying no to as it is about what to focus on. So as I reflect on the last 10 years with Campari, the brand that I think we're all very proud of is Afro.

and what we did to build the Afro spritz both in the US and Canada. But that came down to making choices and actually saying, no, we have a portfolio of 50 brands. So a lot of different brands, a lot of brands that we're investing good amounts of money from. And so it was hard to pull back that investment, but making the decision to see that that opportunity with Afro was a big one in the US. We'd obviously have Pari group had done a phenomenal job across Europe, but ⁓ making that investment real.

and seeding the brand back in 2017 and seeing what it is today I feel really proud of.

Jason (05:46)
that's incredible. mean, I don't think, especially over the summer, you can't go anywhere without someone offering you an apparel spritz. So another incredible job. So, ⁓ I want to go a little bit deeper into the industry and some of the things that are happening. So there's shifting consumer trends, at least that I see in terms of more kind of health conscious drinking and, people doing non-alcoholic beverages and then

Melanie Batchelor (05:52)
Absolutely.

Mm-hmm.

Jason (06:09)
On the other side, you have all these THC infused beverages that are starting to emerge. So I'm just curious, how do those shifting trends influence product development, marketing? How do you see that impacting some of the things that you were doing before that are different today?

Melanie Batchelor (06:26)
Yeah, absolutely. I think there's been more change in the industry in the last few years than there has been probably in the last decade, which is really exciting and opens opportunities and also challenges. So today consumers have more choices than they ever have. Think on the better for you side and people becoming more conscious. That's not a new trend. In fact, in my days at PepsiCo and that's going back

more days than more years than I'd like to admit, but going back 15, 20 years, we were starting to look at the better for you space and really how to innovate in the CSD, the carbonated soft drink space with healthier options. so that's not a new trend, but I think from a spirits perspective, the companies have been a little bit later to the game, but we're seeing now, you know, the rise of non-alcoholic beverages. There's been

a myriad of new brands launched in the last few years in that space. I think they're just getting started. I think there's going to be more fragmentation in that space. And THC you touched on is another really interesting category. I mean, look, I think that's going to change and evolve. It's still very unclear from a regulatory point of view. There's been some news and change on that just in the last couple of weeks that's going to impact that.

category and its development in the US. So I think that still is bit of an unknown, but you just have to walk into a liquor store in Illinois where you're from and you see how much shelf space. So I think the consumer has definitely spoken. And so I think, you know, with all these change, I think the fundamentals will still be there that this consumer needs to be front and center as you're thinking about new products and marketing. And I think that that was true 20 years ago when I worked in the innovation side in Pepsi and it's still true today.

just being in touch with those trends and trying to look far enough in the future because I think you know what my experience has been if you jump on trends once it's already in the market you're probably too late and then it becomes really really challenging to succeed. really saying okay well what's next and how do you get ahead of those trends?

Jason (08:25)
Mm-hmm.

I fully agree. think there's that delicate balance between jumping in too late and jumping in too early. So something may have been a blip and a fad versus something as a trend. Have you figured out, there kind of some indicators that you can say, no, no, this is really becoming something and we should get in now before it's too late.

Melanie Batchelor (08:45)
Yeah, absolutely. In fact, back in the day, we launched an all natural Pepsi Cola product back in probably 2010. And it was a fantastic product. Tasted great, all natural ingredients, a cool pack. It was probably a bit ahead of its time. So ⁓ one of the things that we ⁓ learned to do was better map flavor trends and to really think about mapping those trends.

looking at what stage in the life cycle was ideal to launch, but then taking that back depending on your development timeline. So you could find that sweet spot. And we did that at PepsiCo and also on the Campari side with Flavor Innovation, because if you came out with something that was just too niche, it didn't work for a product that was selling across the US. It might work in fine dining, but it's not ready for this Walmart shelf. So getting that timing right was critical.

Jason (09:40)
Yeah, that's especially when you're, would think knowing a little bit about the industry, the distribution challenges, right? Different in the adult beverage sector versus just traditional grocery. You know, it just takes time to move it through those distribution channels.

Melanie Batchelor (09:57)
Yeah, well

on the BEV outside the distribution and route to market is very different in the US because there's what's called a three tier system. So suppliers sell all of their products through a wholesaler who then is selling that to the retailer. So there's that added step of really understanding that second tier, the wholesale tier and how to make sure you have the right programming for both the wholesaler and also the retailer.

And there's been a lot of change in that tier over the last decade. You see distributors like Southern Glaziers that have really built a national footprint and they have a huge amount of power and influence in the industry. So it's critically important to be able to understand that tier as well as the end consumer. So it's a very interesting space. was a big shift for me even coming from Australia where there's basically two retailers that dominate the space to then

moving to the US with these unique market dynamics. But I think at the end of the day, you need to build brands that consumers are going to be drawn to because there's no point selling a lot of product to a distributor if it doesn't move off the shelf. So being close to the consumer is still fundamental.

Jason (11:08)
Great advice. So you were part of this unbelievable roundtable that we just did a week ago. It was a kickoff for our Women in Leadership series, and it was you, and we had Janet Fowdy, who was the Chair and CEO of Deloitte, and Vaz Nair, who was a CHRO from Alcoa and Estee Lauder, and Catherine Janicek, who was just this unbelievable force who was helping to navigate and keep everyone on track.

Melanie Batchelor (11:14)
Mm-hmm.

Jason (11:33)
But the wisdom that came out of there was incredible. And I wanted to go a little bit deeper on one of the elements, which it's, you know, what, if you can share some steps that you think female leaders can take to expand their influence, you know, based off of what, you know, the journey that you had, how can they expand their influence and lift others up as they're climbing the ladder for their own journey?

Melanie Batchelor (11:56)
For sure, Jason, I think it's a great question and I agree with you. I thought it was a really good discussion. I learnt a lot from it. I felt quite privileged to be in such great company. But I think there are a few themes that came out of that. And one of them was around, you know, taking your career into your own hands. And I think that's something that I have learnt through experience, you know, not through getting it right from the get go. And Janet talked a bit about

the different roles of allies versus mentors versus sponsors and the importance of having all three. And so I think, you know, for me, one of the things that I took out of it and that I really think is true is that you need to go and seek out those opportunities in your career. You cannot get there on your own. And I think, you know, that's something that I'm really thankful for is the people that I've...

you know, have the privilege to get to know in my career that have provided that support either as a sponsor or a mentor in my journey. And even more recently, as I've transitioned and moving into a new stage of my career, the network that I found within the spirits industry, both male and female mentors have been incredible in terms of providing advice and support. So, you know, it still holds true today in the same way.

that I did when I was a junior trade marketing executive.

Jason (13:16)
Absolutely. So and given that piece, I'm going to jump back into industry just for second based on all the great leadership perspectives that you have. you know, talking about mid-sized food and beverage companies, how do you feel they can stand out now in this crowded market? What are some things that they could do where, as you said, I mean, there's just so many different things that are shifting probably more than ever before.

Melanie Batchelor (13:21)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, well, in a way, it's a great opportunity for small and mid-sized brands now and easier to reach the consumer versus, you know, going back a couple of decades where the mass media model is what worked and dollars is what counted. And, and actually one thing that I always said to my team when I was on the marketing side is no matter how big or small you are, you need to act like a challenger because even if you're big within a category, you're small within the context of

brands that consumers are exposed to every each and every day. So, you one of the things that I did with my team, which was a great experience is we worked with an agency called Eat Big Fish. And actually they've done quite a lot of work with Campari, their Challenger brand experts, and they've shaped and continue to shape some of the strategy and positioning for the brands that have been really successful. But what we did, which was something a little different was

I got them to come in and partner with me to help build that mindset of a challenger amongst all of my team members. And so some of the exercises we did was how do you walk in your consumer shoes? I don't want to hear that you don't have a big budget on your brand because it's a smaller brand. Like let's go and spend time where the consumer's hanging out and watch and observe and really walk in their consumer shoes. How do you build drama?

in the messaging because consumers are getting thousands and thousands of messages every day. So even if you're a big player in your category, you still need to stand out. for me, think acting like a challenger, no matter how big you get, is something that I think is absolutely critical as a marketer. So coming back to my first point, I think for mid-sized companies today with the changing media landscape, it's actually, there's a much bigger opportunity.

you to connect and and that's been one of the things that I love to see for example in the spirits industry I've seen you know small brands really you know make an incredible impact which would have been challenging in in the the previous you know generations where unless you had the dollars to be on tv it was really hard to break through.

Jason (15:48)
Absolutely. So we're on my last question. ⁓ Where have you gone for mentorship and advice when you've taken on new challenges or just gone into a new experience that you haven't had before?

Melanie Batchelor (15:51)
Mm-hmm.

Absolutely. I've

just, and I mentioned this a little bit on the podcast, you know, in a few circumstances, I just asked for help. So, you know, when I was making the transition from marketing into general management management, I asked our regional CFO to become a mentor for me and to support me in that transition. And he was so generous with his time and, and really gave me confidence to step into a very different role with the knowledge and the understanding and the language.

that I needed. you he was someone that I hugely respected and I'm super thankful for the role he played in me being able to make that transition. But also outside the industry, I mean, one of the great things about the spirits industry is that I, I do believe there's a lot of competition, but also a lot of friendly support. And, and, you know, I've, I've asked colleagues like Jessica Spence and Claudia Schubert who came from

bigger companies to be a sounding board for me as I was navigating change and they've been really fantastic mentors during my career as well. I think you can look inside the organization, you can look outside, think about people that can bring different skill sets to what you have knowledge of. And I said this before, I think people generally wanna help.

And that's something that I've taken as well that when someone asks, I'll always do what I can to support young executives growing in the industry because I think that made such a difference for me and I want to be able to pay it forward and help those coming up through the ranks as well.

Jason (17:38)
That's wonderful. It makes you such a great leader. And one of the things that came out from our roundtable, which it was this theme of courage, right? And so I think there's people on one side who are willing to help, but I think on the other side, the people who are looking for advice sometimes don't know how to take that first step, right? They feel like it's a sign of weakness versus a sign of strength to reach out to someone. So.

Melanie Batchelor (18:02)
Yeah, no, I think that's very true. But I think as a leader, can help build those opportunities for people. So for example, one of the things we did at Campari is we formalized a mentorship program. So it was very easy. We sent out a short survey and just had a platform that ⁓ we had so people could go and sign up, which I think is a lot easier than knocking on the...

marketing VP's door and asking for help. So we made that platform and then we built that as part of your responsibility as a leader. We encouraged all the people managers in the organization to participate in the program. And we had really a great number of people participating both as mentors and mentees. So I think that's a role for leaders to unlock those opportunities, whether they're formal or informal, that everyone has the opportunity to participate.

Jason (18:53)
Yep, agreed. That mentorship platform, that's a really smart idea. It's like having a mini-wiserie within Campari, which is cool.

Melanie Batchelor (19:02)
Yeah, and there's

software that exists. So I don't recall the name of it, but it was a great platform, easy to use, and it just helped facilitate that. And we went through multiple times. We learned to tweak a few things on how we did the matching of people. But in general, it was a really, really great initiative.

Jason (19:21)
That's great. So we're done with our wise in five questions. You passed with flying colors. No, but I have one follow up question, which is when folks reach out to you on the wise array, what advice, what questions can you help them answer when they engage with you?

Melanie Batchelor (19:26)
Thank you, Jason.

No, absolutely. So obviously I've had the opportunity to work across many markets. So as brands are thinking about scaling internationally, I can provide some great perspective there and obviously have deep knowledge of the US, both on the CPG and the BEV outside. But I also think in terms of organization and leadership, I've gone through a lot of transformation in my time and I can lend a hand in thinking through organizational change as well.

Jason (20:05)
That's wonderful. Well, I am thrilled to have you as an advisor on The Wisory I'm excited for people to engage with you because you have so much wisdom and kindness to share. And I can't thank you enough for making the time for our Wise in Five questions today. So thanks, Mel. Great seeing you. Take care. Bye.

Melanie Batchelor (20:19)
Thank you, Jason. Thank you. Thank you. Bye bye.