The growth playbook behind Mike & Ike's We Got'chew with Meenakshi Trehan, Chief Growth Officer at Just Born

0:04Meenakshi Trehan:Hello, everyone. Welcome to Question Everything, a podcast all about learning from the successes and the failures of those who dared to, well, question everything. This podcast is part interview, part therapy, and part price is right. We even have our own game board stacked with questions that'll make even the most successful CMO sweat. I'm your host, Ashley Walter, CMO and partner here at Curiosity. On today's episode, I sit down with Meenakshi Trehan, Chief Growth Officer at Just Born, the century-old company behind iconic brands like Mike and Ike's Peeps and Hot Tamales. We dive into the strategy behind Mike and Ike's new campaign, directed by Kenan Thompson, and explore how one of America's oldest candy companies continues to think and grow like a challenger.

0:47Meenakshi Trehan:On this episode, you'll learn the four rules every legacy brand needs to stay relevant, how family-owned companies outmaneuver shareholder pressure, how NBA star Josh Hart earned a promotion from influencer to president of Candy Operations, and what it really was like on set with Kenan Thompson. So crack open a box of Mike and Ikes and calm your anxieties. This episode has a lot to chew on. Let's get started.

1:21Meenakshi Trehan:Manakshi Trehan is the chief growth officer at Just Born, the company behind iconic brands like Mike and Ike, Peeps, Hot Tamales, and Goldenberg Peanut Shoes. Before becoming one of Candy's biggest growth leaders, Monokshi drove innovation and strategy at Campbell's and Organic Valley. Now she's one of the architects behind Mike and Ike's We Got You campaign, which was directed by SNL legend Kenan Thompson. Whether it's finding unexpected growth opportunities, outplaying competitors, or helping a brand win the Super Bowl while saving$7 million, Minakshi has built a career on making new audiences fall in love with established brands.

2:05Meenakshi Trehan:Minakshi, welcome to the show. Thank you, Ashley. I'm so excited to be here. Oh my gosh, I am so excited too. What an exciting time we are in right now. Just yesterday, you just dropped we just dropped an incredible mike and ike campaign congratulations thank you you know what i've been on my social media the whole morning uh just like reading reviews and i'm so excited uh for the campaign and what's to come i am too i mean the reviews have been incredible uh variety magazine you had adage covered it muse covered it i'm like i just i love like popping in to see who's commenting on it and keenan like huge story there he's sharing the love which is incredible yeah it is you know um i can get into like you know a little more about the campaign if you'd like i mean sure i'm sure there's a question on the game board about it too but yeah i'd love to like why don't we get to the game board then you want to go straight to the game board yeah let's do that all right let's do that i want to be empty your questions all right Well, you know how the show works.

3:13Meenakshi Trehan:I have a game board stacked with 12 spicy questions. You don't know what's behind each number, but that's kind of the fun in it. So you get to pick first where you want to go. Oh, I'm nervous, but I'm going to go with five. OK, number five. Don't be nervous. This is a safe show. All right. Legacy brands love to say they have heritage. But when does heritage become an excuse for not changing fast enough? Oh, good question. So as I think about heritage, I think it can be a huge asset if you don't think about it as a constraint, but as a foundation. OK. Right. So it's not about, you know, it's not about saying that, you know, I'm going to continue doing what I did in the past.

4:05But it's like truly understanding, you know, what really made that connection, those memorable connections your brand had with your consumer and then bringing those truths forward, but in a more relevant way. Right. As I think about brands who confuse, you know, I'm always like looking at brands, heritage brands who actually confuse consistency with sameness.

4:31Meenakshi Trehan:Right. So I always ask myself and my team the question, like, what is going to stay the same? You know, it's our purpose. It's our values. And then what's got to change? Right. Packaging, innovation. As I think about Mike and Ike, you know, we've done a lot of work together, you know, over the last nine months. And obviously, Mike and Ike has such a strong equity. You know, consumers have told us repeatedly, and it brings a smile to my face and a huge shout out to my R &D team. You know, we have the best flavor in the category. And, you know, consumers love the chewy aspect of it. And it's not about giving that up, right?

5:08It's about bringing that and then bringing innovation. you know, bringing that in a new form for a new occasion, you know, connecting with consumers differently. And the other thing I was thinking about is that, you know, when you have heritage, you know, like brands like us, right, Just Born, which is the maker of Mike and Ike and Hot Tamales and Peanut Chews and Peeps, has been there for 100 years, right? I respect that history. I really do. You know, there's respect, but I don't live in it, right? There's a difference. You respect it, but you don't live in it. And you bring it, you bring that history into the future.

5:45And that's what's going to keep us iconic. Because I know we are iconic, but that's going to keep us iconic for the next generation, versus just being remembered by the past. So my guidance is, you know, respect the history, but then don't live in it.

6:00Meenakshi Trehan:That's really good advice. Did you set out to have a career like only working with heritage and iconic brands? Because when I think about iconic brands and heritage like Campbell's is just a beautiful brand. I mean, everybody knows, you know, did you did that same philosophy live true at Campbell's as well? Absolutely. I think I, to me is, you know, brands like all these iconic brands have so much history and so much love. And, you know, yeah, I think like when I reflect on my career, it's about, you know, bringing these brands into the future without losing what makes us iconic. Yeah, yeah. And that's the balance.

6:39Meenakshi Trehan:I think that's the balance for even ad agencies, too. Like, we also have to respect the heritage, but then, you know, help push you and push the team and the thinking to continue to make it relevant in the future. So great. That's good advice. I'll make sure our team hears that, too. I appreciate that. All right. Let's go back to the board. Where do you want to go next? Oh, this is not that bad. Told you. Okay, okay, okay. We'll go with one. All right, let's see what's behind number one. Oh, good, a Mike and Ike question. So why does Mike and Ike need a new brand platform now? And what truth about the audience unlocked this new approach?

7:22So I think this is like a continuation of my previous answer, right? So think about Mike and Ike, right? Mike and Ike, people love the brand, right? It's been there for generations. So it was as we did a lot of consumer work, people loved a lot of parts of our equity, the taste, the flavor. And so the opportunity ahead of us was not necessarily change the brand or reinvent the brand. It's about how we connect with the next generation of consumers. And a big proponent, one of my big, I would say, philosophies of leadership is truly truly, truly understanding the consumer, right? So over the nine months, as together as partners, we spent a lot of time like really talking to this next generation of consumers, right?

8:10And what became pretty, pretty apparent to me actually caused a shift in our strategy, right? So these consumers, young consumers are living a fully connected or fully always on life, right? I mean, I mean, I don't envy them, right? They are constantly like bombarded with messages on social media. They have these awkward moments. You know, they face the social pressures. And, you know, in talking with them, right, we spend a lot of time with them. They don't expect brands to really solve those big, big problems. It's more around understanding the world they live in. and then how can, you know, you make those small moments like really fun and enjoyable and bearable, I would say, through humor.

8:57And that kind of changed the question we asked, right? When we started this journey, you know, we knew our equity. We knew that it was, you know, great flavor, you know, great taste. So the question we asked ourselves was not how are we going to market that functional benefit of great taste, but then how are we going to really, really fit into our consumers' lives, right? What is the role we're going to play? And, you know, that, the We Got You campaign, which just launched yesterday, is actually bringing that strategy to life from a creative standpoint, right? I truly, truly, me and my team really believe that that's a brand platform which has legs across our marketing activations, and it's a long-term play for us.

9:40You know, it's about, when I think back, like, you know, where we landed and why we landed and why this really resonated with us, was because it is helping us build this emotional relevance. You know, I started this conversation around saying how important it is for legacy brands to be relevant. And this is about like truly building emotional relevance. And, you know, Kenan, like you kicked it off saying, you know, Kenan helped us direct those spots. Right, right, right, right, you know, partner to bring it to life. Right. Because he does such a great job of using humor to, you know, bring these small everyday moments to life in a relatable manner.

10:16And, you know, this We Got You campaign, as I see it, it has really given us this canvas of great storytelling, which can involve good culture. Because I want to be relevant in culture. That's what I want to do. So, you know, all the audience work clearly, you know, gave us an opportunity to understand our consumer better and then clearly, you know, define the role we play in their lives. And that's what the We Got You campaign is. You know, small stresses of life. We have your back. Just chew through that.

10:47Meenakshi Trehan:That's right. Right. And chewing is actually culturally, it's part of like how people reduce stress, right? Like we talked about chewing on your nails or chewing on your jawstring or things like that. And the chew is just part of what makes Mike and Ike so unique. So I just, I love how it's just so like carefully fabricated like into the DNA of who you are, you know? Exactly. Yeah. It's like we are known to be the, you know, the chewy, fruity candy. Right. And, you know, people, again, you know, that's why walk the shoe, walk in the shoes of your consumer. That's super important. And, you know, that's what, you know, when we talk to these young folks, it was pretty apparent that, you know, these small stresses of about, oh, you know, somebody I sent a text and nobody responded to me.

11:32You know, you overthink it. But this is the shoe which will help you get through it. And, you know, it resonated with them.

11:38Meenakshi Trehan:And I'm looking forward to seeing, you know, where we take it. Because as I said, huge canvas for storytelling for us. And we build that emotional relevance, which is what I'm set out to do. Yeah, something that doesn't happen very often, and this might, for anyone listening, it's like a little fly on the wall, but this was actually pitch work. So we got you was, was something that we came up with during the pitch when you're looking for your next agency of record. And I remember, like, we all fell in love with it. And it made so much sense strategically, but you never know, you never know if the client when you're going to go back to them is going to feel the same way.

12:15Meenakshi Trehan:So I just I love when something is kind of created in that way and it's celebrated and then you get to see it all the way to fruition, which from an advertising standpoint, that doesn't get to always happen. But when it does, it's pretty special. Actually, I'm just going to give like, you know, take a moment to actually give you guys a lot of credit here. Right. So, you know, we had done a lot of consumer work. But then, you know, as you pitched, I think there was a deep understanding of the consumer. I remember Marco, you didn't you didn't lead with creative. right? You started with like really understanding the consumer.

12:46And during the journey, we pivoted, right? Because, you know, we learned more and we said, you know, this is a better way to connect with them. So huge kudos, you know, during the pitch process, I think, which is what stood out, that you really led with strategy and not just creative and a deep understanding of the consumer.

13:03Meenakshi Trehan:Yeah, thank you. I appreciate you spent the time and that took the time to do that. Yeah, yeah, it's important. Well, and then you get work like this, which is incredible. So congratulations. What's the vibe internally? Are people excited to see it out in the wild? Oh, people are so excited. So we had a launch party. So, you know, we had a pre-launch party, which was last week. And, you know, it was for the internal employees. You know, we had, oh, one thing I forgot to mention, that as part of this campaign, this is the first time we've actually brought Mike and Ike as characters, right? We're introducing them as characters.

13:37How can I have forgotten that? I know, it's kind of a big piece, yeah. It's like, you know, and again, the reason we did that, right, that was, again, intentional, because we wanted to make sure that, you know, the brand has personality, it brings long term connections with our consumers, right? And, and also, like, again, a great, great tool for storytelling. And so, you know, we brought these characters to our pre-launch party and people were having the best time taking pictures and taking selfies and just like, you know, it was very, very, it's always a pleasure to see, you know, your internal people believing in the campaign as much as the consumers.

14:17And I felt that, you know, in the building.

14:19Meenakshi Trehan:I think that's so important. There's so many things I want to say, but I think it's often you move so fast, right? You guys have a lot on your plate. And marketing is just kind of like this campaign is only one fraction of what you're all working on. But I think we get something out into the wild and we've all moved on and you're on to the other 50 things that you're worried about for that day. But the fact that you took the time to celebrate the work and the effort, I think is really important. And I think more brands should do that. Agencies as well. We also had a little celebration. We had it running on all the screens here and we had candy out for everybody.

14:53Meenakshi Trehan:But I love that. And I think that's really good advice for CMOs. And the other thing, you know, was like it was not just for the business associates, right? It was also for the production team. So, you know, folks in the plant, right? We brought this campaign to life with them, for them as well. Because like I said, they are the ones who are creating this incredible candy. Like, hands down, you talk to consumers and they'll tell you, Mike and I have the best flavor. They're doing it, right? There's a lot of love. There's a lot of pride which goes into it. So, you know, I just wanted to make sure that we share this with them and it was well received across the board.

15:28Incredible.

15:29Meenakshi Trehan:I have to ask, were you ever nervous to bring, to personify Mike and Ike, personify the candy, given its heritage, given its iconic status and the legacy that it had, to be the first chief growth officer to bring them to life in that way? Were you nervous? Did it feel risky? Like, how did you navigate that? I think, you know, we had a lot of conversations. I'm going to be honest here, right? Like, should we have characters? Should we have animation, right? Like, you know, a lot of things went into play, but we, you know, knowing our consumer pretty, it was pretty clear that this is going to be the way to win with them, right?

16:14And one thing I'll tell you all in my career, I love taking risks, right? But like calculated risk, I understood like, you know, what we were going into and it was grounded in a consumer insight and not just me sitting in my office and saying, you know what, I think this is the way to go. So yeah, was I a little nervous, but I think it was more excitement than nervousness.

16:31Meenakshi Trehan:Okay. Well, it all goes back to the consumer. So that's a full circle answer right there. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. All right. That was great. Let's go back to the board. Ooh. Okay. Let's look. What about seven? Okay. Let's go to seven. Okay. Number seven. At At Campbell's, you worked across V8, Prego, soups, sauces, and meals. What win still shapes how you lead today? When I think about this, you know, probably my answer will be, you know, I worked at Campbell's. I worked at Organic Valley, and now I work at Just Born. Like, what I would like to share is, you know, I would say my leadership tenets, which, you know, I feel like have stayed pretty consistent.

17:11And I have developed them as I've gone through my career, a 20-plus year career in food. So I think the first thing for me is purpose, right? I think, you know, when a brand understands its purpose in consumer's life, you build strong brands. Similarly, if you can connect your employees to a purpose, to a shared purpose, you will see outstanding results, right? Because if you can tell somebody, and this is the journey, the leadership journey I've been on and I've seen it work time and again. If you tell people why their work matters, you know, why should they show up? I have seen them bring their best work, the best creative solutions, as well as, you know, resilience.

17:59And I think that is a competitive advantage. Purpose is a competitive advantage. For Just Born, you know, I'm just, you know, my current role, you know, obviously the purpose is to create these delightful moments, right? these joyful moments for our consumer, but we also strongly believe that we have a role to give back to the community. So, you know, our purpose is very simple. Create joyful moments and stronger communities, right? So, you know, everybody at work, whether it's in the plant or in the office, knows, you know, that work is also creating a thriving community in the place where we live and work, which is Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

18:38Secondly, for me, is people. You know, you can have the best strategy. You know, listen, you can have the best strategy, the best analysis. What you really need to succeed is people who will believe in it and bring it to life. Right. To me, that is like a non-negotiable. And as a leader, I think what really drives me is, of course, you know, my job is to create, you know, clarity of where we're going, but then get the right people on the bus and then walk and then, you know, step away. Let them lead. Right. You know, I get a lot of joy and pleasure in like creating leaders of the future. I really do.

19:17Right. I think that will be my that is the legacy I want to leave behind every role I take that, you know, you have a team which can just run and create metrics.

19:25Meenakshi Trehan:Yeah. Right. So people super important to me. The third thing is curiosity. You know, and that was the reason we actually chose you, not because your agency name is curiosity, but it's about bringing curiosity to the problems. or, you know, opportunities. Like, you know, ask the tough questions. Don't always assume that, you know, let's do the things that they've always been done, right? In my entire career, whether it was at Campbell's, you know, in terms of innovation or strategy and same thing with Organic Valley. And now at Just Born, when we ask the question, you know, why should something be done in the way it's being done currently?

20:02You know, really challenge assumptions. That's when magic happens. And, you know, that's when breakthrough happens. So curiosity is a value. It's a value of ours at Just4. And, you know, I think, you know, you want to continue to work with partners who bring that to the table. And then the last thing, which is not very sexy, is basically, you know, all strong businesses are built on strong fundamentals. Right. Understanding the consumer and customer. Really building distinctive brands. The third is, you know, innovation with a purpose, right? Clearly understanding, like, you know, what is the job to be done with innovation?

20:40And then lastly, execution. You know, those four things to me never go out of fashion, right? So, you know, you need those strong fundamentals. So, you know, as I reflect on my career, I would say those four things are, you know, how I would define my leadership. And I see that, you know, done well, really create growth and meaningful impact, you know, create meaningful impact, basically.

21:04Meenakshi Trehan:Yeah. Purpose, people, curiosity, fundamentals. Just keep saying it over and over and over again. That's great. Do you start to see people on your team, the leaders that you've helped raise up? Do you see them repeating that back to you or demonstrating that in the workplace? Yeah, I think, you know, it would work. Like, you know, you know, if I say curiosity is of value, you know, I approach every conversation with like, I don't know all the answers and nor should you. Yeah. But let's ask the right question. Right. Like even with Mike and Ike, right, when we worked on this campaign, we started off with, hey, let's tell them that we are the best candy because we have the best flavor.

21:44You know, our campaigns in the past have been anchored in product benefits. Right. But clearly, you know, when we understood our consumer, we said, which was the fundamental, you know, that's not the approach. Right. The approach is, you know, how do we fit into their lives? You know, that's what they really care about. and so you know the team sees us practice that behavior and you know and I see them live into it they tell me like you know they feel comfortable in challenging the status quo yeah which is what

22:15Meenakshi Trehan:I want that vulnerability like it takes a level of vulnerability for you and for them to be able to practice curiosity so I love that you're creating a culture around that it's great for your agency partners too and and I think the other thing is right curiosity it's you everything you put on the table is not going to win. You know that, right? Like, you know, I know that and I never go into something thinking it's definitely going to win. You know, obviously, we put our best foot forward. But I also want my team to be a learning organization. And I think that's where curiosity, again, comes into play.