Master brand plan: Arnott’s CMO Jenni Dill, Publicis Groupe CEO MikeRebelo on how Arnott’s lifted 10% sales growth across entire portfolio via market mix modelling, media benchmarking, creative testing, going large on TV – and won Ad Council’s Grand Effie

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Arnott’s last month landed the Advertising Council’s Grand Effie after launching a master brand campaign that CMO Jenni Dill says delivered “10 per cent sales growth in dollar terms and three quarters of a share point growth” across the portfolio. It also helped put Arnott’s ahead of the three-year growth plan she’d had to present to the board 13 days after joining from McDonald’s. “Phenomenal” results, says Publicis Groupe CEO Michael Rebelo, given the effort it takes to move FMCG “super brands” like Tim Tams even a quarter of a per cent. And just the kind of hard business results Arnott’s private equity owners KKR need to see from marketing. Dill says KKR is happy to keep investing in growth, hence her signing up for the job, provided she’s not coming to them with soft metrics. So after working on new product sets, including healthier and gluten free ranges, and before approaching the hard, rational board with plans for a big, emotional TV-led push, she doubled down on pre-testing, market mix modelling and media benchmarking to show exactly where the growth opportunities lay. Backing secured, Dill went out with a fully integrated campaign tapping Arnott’s Australian heritage and biscuity ‘moments that matter’ that has since delivered in spades. Despite interest rate hikes hitting consumers hard, she predicts the brand investment will act as a moat and keep delivering well into 2024. Now Dill and Rebelo have their eyes on one, maybe two more Effies for next year, to make up for the one they’re convinced they should have had last year. Here’s how they landed the most coveted annual award for the serious end of town – and their take on how current market sentiment will play out across the piste into 2024.

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