Live from Brandweek 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona, the Marketing Vanguard podcast welcomes Sofia Colucci, CMO of Molson Coors, for an in-depth exploration of modern marketing leadership.
In this dynamic conversation, Colucci shares his remarkable journey from innovation specialist to CMO, offering insights on building world-class marketing capabilities and leading business transformation.
Colucci reveals how Molson Coors is revolutionizing its approach to creative assessment with the innovative Muscle framework, designed to balance data-driven decisions with creative intuition. She discusses Molson Coors’ strategic transformation from a traditional beer company to a comprehensive beverage company, highlighting how it is adapting to changing consumer preferences and behaviors through portfolio diversification and transformation digital.
“What often happened was we got really good at the science…but our teams, even though we were creative, were relying so much on that data that they weren’t building on their instincts,” said Colucci on the site. podcast.
Before becoming CMO in 2023, Colucci spent seven years driving innovation and brand management at Molson Coors, after holding senior roles at PepsiCo and Maple Leaf Foods. She is known for balancing data-driven decisions with creative intuition and building strong partnerships with distributors.
Key points to remember:
12:05 Building marketing capabilities — Colucci explains how Molson Coors developed its own internal definition for evaluating creative work, creating the Muscle framework: magnetic (does this make you feel something?), unique (would your family message you this topic?), simple (can you explain it to your Uber driver?), brilliantly designed, linked to a long-term platform and essence of the look and tone of the brand. This framework helps balance data-driven decision-making with creative intuition.
09:32 Adapting to the modern media landscape — Colucci explains how Molson Coors has shifted its media mix to meet consumers where they are, investing more in digital and social channels while maintaining a traditional media presence. She uses their partnership with Yellowstone for Coors Banquet as an example, explaining how they combine traditional product integration with streaming digital advertising on platforms like Peacock.
05:49 Working with distributors — Colucci emphasizes the importance of treating distributors as true partners and valuing their perspective: “I think the most important thing is to really see them as partners and value. So, for example, we might have a great marketing idea, but if it doesn’t work when you go to a Walmart at the time of purchase, forget it.
