Transforming an Iconic Australian Brand for the Digital Shelf with Darryn Wallace & Carla Salsone, Bega

Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to unpacking the Digital Shelf APAC edition where we explore the unique challenges and opportunities shaping digital commerce across Asia Pacific. With
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Insights from the region's top experts,
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Welcome back to Unpacking the Digital Shelf, the APAC edition. I'm really excited to bring you today's episode. A few years ago I received a call from an iconic Australian brand that was looking to transform digitally. It was COVID, and they could see the dramatic shift occurring in the market from a shopper perspective. And that brand was the one and only bega a brand that is embedded in the very fabric of Australian culture. Having been around for 125 years, with that staying power, they have definitely been doing a lot right, but to stick around for the next 125 years, their leaders knew that they needed to change. And so I'm absolutely delighted to have with me today. Darren Wallace, the executive general manager of retail sales, and Carla sell Sony, the head of retail marketing and e-commerce from Bega. Welcome guys to the podcast.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Hello, it's a pleasure to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Hi Theresa. Thanks for having us. Delighted to be here.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I know that you are both avid listeners of the show and now you are actually the show. So once again, really excited to be having this conversation with you today. I obviously know your story quite well given that Arctic Fox has supported you along the journey, but this episode is not about me or about us as an organization. It is about you. So what I would love to do, Darren, is get you to start by sharing a little bit about the catalyst that was the driving force behind BE'S transformation. Why did you start to tackle it in 2022 and where did it all begin within your business?
Speaker 4 (02:03):
So I think in many ways the journey started before COVID in that if I think about 2017, 18, 19, what I was seeing was this just ongoing consumer interest in online shopping, and that might've been in adjacencies to beverage and food, but whether it was fashion, retail, hardware, sporting goods, just seeing that lifestyle shift in the way people were behaving. I had the opportunity to go to Europe several times in that period of time, and I was seeing this real rise of online shopping
(02:38):
And people shopping and collecting from lockers or having delivered to their homes or their cars. And then we were seeing the investment from our major customers. So whether it was in their own online system or whether some retailers looking to buy online businesses and capabilities. So all that was the acorn if you COVID did put a bit of a pause in it because we focused on quality and service and supply for a number of years, but it was probably the accelerator of all those things. And so we came out of COVID in 2022. It was like, wow, all those points have really accelerated. We're seeing adoption rates a lot higher, we're seeing growth rates a lot higher and I think meaningful market size. And so hence that's where we started to connect and the market was too big to ignore and we needed to be more deliberate in how we participated.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
So it was a series of kind of trends colliding that really drove you to start to think more seriously about the space, which makes a lot of sense. And often it is for various brands, some of the parts that are really driving them towards this need to start doing something about the shifts that are occurring within the market. So where did you start then? Where did it begin within your business?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Well, interestingly, we tried to do it organically and we tried to bring in some specialty digital skills and put those individuals into our sales team and just think that this might happen by implanting new knowledge and capability. But I think my first big insight was that organically when you're trying to do something that's significantly different to what you do today, it doesn't, and it didn't work for us. And so that was a moment of reflection that resulted in me calling you and saying, actually, we need some help. And I think what we needed to do, and the first big insight was create the business case for change
(04:36):
Because we had a long-term operating model, which was two customers sold in store with our normal rhythm of work around that, and therefore how did we build organizational belief that we needed to do something different? And it wasn't something that was going to change from within naturally. So it was to build out a business case. It was really to make our why really obvious we're about great food for a better future and we need those products in front of our consumers wherever they are. So how did we bring that to life? And then we needed to build a specific team. And so the business case helped us be far more deliberate on how we really brought some new capability at scale to this opportunity.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
The business readiness piece is a really interesting one, and I think it kind of ties to what you've just outlined that building that case for change and the why and having a bit more of a deliberate direction is really important to galvanize everyone and bring them on that journey as you move through transformation. So that makes a lot of sense. So we know that these journeys are not short-term initiatives and you are still very much in the thick of transformation. These transformation journeys take many years for organizations, and I personally like to think about digital transformation in horizons. You start with laying the foundations, then you start to build on those foundations and build maturity over a series of horizons as you move through. So what were some of the initial focus areas for Bega and then what came next?
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Yeah, so I think the first was, and a plug for yourself and Arctic Fox is the work we did together, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Hold there, hold then. This is not designed as an advertisement, right? Podcast is not an advertisement for us, but I'm so glad to hear that. Sorry, Darren, continue.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Well, I think it's getting the right specialty help and assistance because I think the biggest insight is I thought this could happen organically because I could see it arguably everyone was doing an element of their own shopping online that could be transferred in the workplace. They could adapt their personal habits into their professional thinking, but I was too naive if I'm really honest. So how did we think about a really structured approach about the business case for change, the scale of the opportunity that was present, the motivations of why we'd want to adapt and then hiring a bespoke team. And so I think that that was the very first horizon was being really deliberate and considerate about doing that. I think then it was setting some goals and part of that is making the invisible visible, I'd say, because online, if you weren't naturally an online shopper or this wasn't your area of expertise, understanding it was harder than I appreciate it.
(07:30):
So making it visible, so bringing it to life, setting goals, talking about the opportunity, and then setting in some ways some practical steps we needed to take to make sure our products were being showcased and present in the strongest possible way, which I know Carla will sort of extend on. But I'd say the second thing was setting some ambitious goals that we could walk back from and then say, what do we need to do today to arrive at that and share of trade and fair share of marketplace and achieving growth was a big part of that, but making the invisible visible was another part. How did we report it? How did we show it? How did we talk about it?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Yeah, I think that's really important. I think in times of change, teams and individuals will lean back to what they know and where they're comfortable and where they're comfortable space is. And if the organization isn't creating that visibility and transparency around where they want to go, what goals they want to achieve, and holding people to account, it's very easy for people to lean back on the things that they've always done. So that kind of creating, making the invisible visible from a performance point of view sounds like it's had quite a significant impact on your ability to move towards a new future with e-com and digital being a much bigger part of how you trade the business.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Yeah, I think absolutely my big learning the right people supported with the right rationale with an enterprise wide sentiment to say, actually this is meaningful and we need to do it, and then championing it. And I think my part in that is really continuing to want to learn, sponsor the activity and talk about the insights so that it feels far more real and material to people on a weekly basis versus a hypothetical goal in six months or 12 months. Make it tangible, make it real, and make it today.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
So Carla, I might pass over to you. Darren's been talking about the journey that you've been on so far from a viega perspective and there has been different horizons along your journey building those foundations and then kind of building on the base of those foundations. Can you provide a little bit more color around some of the things that you've maybe done foundationally alongside of what Darren's touched on and then where you've gone in a next phase or stage of your journey?
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Yeah, yeah. I think that first horizon for us was very much on foundation and hygiene and then fixing the basics. And so for us, that meant focusing on the digital shelf rich product description page content was a big one. It also meant building basic reporting and analytics. So things like looking at online sales versus in-store growth trends, market share and key skew performance and capability was also a big important one for us. While we really doubled down, I guess on upskilling, the whole team that we had and we invested in training. So across the whole sales and marketing team, we actually did your digital masterclass, which really was I guess what kicked off our digital shelf evolution. So that's probably, yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Yeah, and that's a really important one, isn't it? The need to bring everyone along the journey. So you just touched on, you didn't choose to just bring in capability, you chose to retrain a much broader part of the team in order to ensure that you had things like shared language, shared standing, which often a lot of brands miss through the process of transformational change. You've got these teams pulling in new directions, but they've forgotten to take other teams on the journey. And training plays such a critical role in that.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
It does. Yeah, a hundred percent. Yeah. So it was as well as equipping the people that we already had internally. And then as Darren said, it was then bringing in those technical experts or specialists, if you will, to fill those capability gaps. And then I guess, yeah, horizon two, Darren spoke with the capability gaps, and then we really started AV testing. So running creative tests even as basic as static versus animated ads to see which one drove higher click-through and engagement. We've tested different product descriptions to measure uplift and conversion testing and learning is still a big part of what we do because we don't ever want to stop learning. Horizon two was also probably where we started investing in tech as well. So digital shelf analytics and ratings and reviews years.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Fantastic. So you've covered a lot of ground over the last couple of years and it really does sound easy when somebody's talking through that journey, but we know in practice transformation is messy. And so what have been some of the highs and lows happy for either of you to lean into that question?
Speaker 4 (12:32):
So I'd probably give you three answers to that question. I think the thing I'm most proudest about is the cultural change. And I'd say we are a large business and we're market leader in a majority of our segments, but our competency was low or we were at the start of really building out our capability. I'd say sort of three years into this program of work. I feel like it's natural
Speaker 2 (13:01):
And
Speaker 4 (13:01):
I feel like it's embedded in the commercial team, and I think the broader organization understands its role. So I think culture and I nearly explain it, we're actually behaving like a small business even though we're a large business. And so the connectivity of everything from right up from the idea and our and social media team and how that's then linking into our e-commerce and our digital shelf as Carla mentioned, and translating that in how the shoppers or consumers are seeing our products feels far more organic than it did when we started, which was why are we doing it? What's this person's job? Clunky. Clunky. That's right. And so then in a practical sense, so what's been the benefit of that cultural change and cohesion if we would be? We recently launched a new product that was a fairly big step for us. It was a high caffeination iced coffee product. We launched it in our convenience channel, so in Pulse, gen Z's, target market, and we actually launched it through social media and PR led. We launched it through the online platforms of our key customers
(14:10):
And we were able to equally bring it to life in store. So the four omnichannel experience that we drove with that product launch through arguably a far more social digital led approach, I think is an example of that entrepreneurial approach to seeding and developing a product in this space. And eight months on, we feel like we've got an offer that's going to stay in the market and has had really good momentum in terms of how our customers and our consumers have received it. The other side, and the last idea I'd share with you is our biggest category that has an online shopper reach of well over 20% that the online shopping's growing well over 30%, we're now the market leader in online with a growth rate ahead of the market.
(14:58):
So equally demonstrating that we can play at scale as well in our biggest online category and grow at sort of 40 to 50% growth rates is equally showing that we're staying the codify or the work that Carla spoke about earlier, and that it's having a material impact in how our portfolio and our brands are performing in a pretty competitive category and segment. So organically it feels more natural in the business. I feel like we're being more entrepreneurial in how we can do small initiatives, but we can equally apply them at scale in our really big competitive categories. So I think that we've got a long way to go, and I feel like you're always learning, but we are starting to really codify a playbook here.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
That's awesome. I mean, what better high than seeing the outcomes, the tangible material outcomes that you can showcase within the organization as visible proof that this is working and to further reinforce the importance of investment moving forward. So that's the highs. Any lows over the last couple of years that come to mind?
Speaker 4 (16:13):
I try to be patient, but sometimes you could be impatient because I think when you build a business case, if I went back to three years ago, alright, how do we do this? Let's build a business case. There's an element where you have to be patient because what Carla spoke about probably took 18 months of time, just update. We've got over a thousand products and you think about doing the right images and search words and descriptions for all those products in all the touch points that's relevant. I mean, that's a huge amount of time and effort. And so there'd be at times I could feel myself being impatient and you would stumble on the things that didn't look great and say, well, why doesn't that look as good as it could? And why are we inconsistent? We already over
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Here, we've been talking about this for now six months, why are we not here yet?
Speaker 4 (17:01):
And it's sort of hoping your 2-year-old can be a 10-year-old instantly. And then it's reminding yourself actually that that experience is all invaluable because as you keep learning and maturing, it keeps helping you be stronger. And so some of the outcomes I'm getting now as a business, I think because you take the time to take the time, but the challenge I would've found on myself was being patient in that.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
And
Speaker 4 (17:29):
As we recruit new people, we have brought in new skills, and so the time it takes for them to be familiar with our business, familiar with our brands, familiar with our customers, you can really underestimate that. So again, the onboarding and the immersion and allowing new technical experts to be able to apply their craft through our business again takes a bit of time. So maybe my motto would be, take the time to take the time and therefore, yeah, breathe. Breathe and take some patience. Breathe
Speaker 3 (18:01):
And go again. Breathe and go again. Love it. So you've just touched on some of your outcomes from a growth standpoint, and I know that exceeding fair share online has been one of the really key focuses for bega with core grocery retailers, and you've had obviously some great success in those pursuits. So Darren, I might start with you. Can you share a bit more about those successes, what you've been able to achieve from a growth in fair share perspective, and then also kind of highlight some of the key initiatives that you think have helped you to get there?
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Yeah, so I think it's a little bit of what we've been sharing a hundred percent, getting the right people and the right people has in some cases resulted in an international search. We've brought people from overseas back home to bring their experiences here and bring that expertise. So getting the right people and getting them in the right roles and equally having them feel empowered with the right resources I had say that's been critical. I think then there's no doubt being able to measure what we're doing to be able to track progress has been super important.
(19:19):
And we're seeing that in our share results in that we're able to compete in what I've said is really competitive categories against global competitors as well. So we know that there's a lot of international learnings that get translated into Australian marketplace, and while we're large, we're arguably self-taught and self-led, so how are we bringing our own insights and then competing strongly? So I think our ability to learn quickly and adapt quickly would be another part, and we are seeing that in our market share. And I think across all our segments now, we've closed the gap in terms of original share to fair share, and is our online share equal to our in-store share in the majority of the categories? We're actually achieving that now, which is super encouraging,
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Achieving fair share or exceeding fair share.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Well in a couple of really important categories exceeding. And then in a number of others, I'd say essentially fair share, which I couldn't say two to three years ago. I think across all our categories, we were under trading in this platform, hence the motivation.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
I remember when we came in to support you, it was one of the first areas we started looking at were you gaining your fair share? And I think I recall across every category we saw that where there was a gap, which was low hanging fruit, but in part your strategy sought to solve. So it's great to hear three years down the track that you are now exceeding fair share within certain categories and have closed the gap in others. It's fantastic,
Speaker 4 (20:56):
And I think it's brought some confidence. I think there's initiatives now where we're putting video into online spaces that is driving nearly a hundred percent household reach, which we're nearly leading in some cases, which, so we've gone from being curious to wanting to catch up to then in some instances actually being able to lead with critical initiatives that are actually having an impact as well and experimenting, but it's scale. And so I think that's another area I've been super proud of, Carla and the team in their ability to experiment, but experiment with scale and bravery.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
So Carla, some good kudos there from Darren. This is all recorded, so you can bring that out for review time, but your team is on the ground focused on winning fair share every single day. And Darren's just talked about some of the key steps that have enabled you to close fair share gaps and exceed fair share from bringing in the right talent to other elements. What are some of the other key initiatives that you believe has really helped you get there and achieve what it is that you've achieved in the fair share space?
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Yeah, yeah, I think I'd like to say winning fair share. It doesn't happen by accident, and so there's definitely some key things that have helped us get there. As I said previously, I think it's getting those basics right on the digital shelf. For us, this meant high quality product imagery and clear compelling product titles and descriptions to improve our discoverability. Ultimately, that's what wins. Search stops the scroll builds trust and drives conversion. We've seen up to 40% sales increase by simply just expanding product descriptions and updating product imagery. Next I'd say would be retail media and promoted ads. So we take an always on approach to paid search to keep our products obviously at the top of the page. And when we invest in display with our retail media partners to make sure our brands have a strong share of voice. I think another one is promotional alignment. So that's another big one for us. And this is, I guess making sure our promotions are aligned with that retail media for a seamless omnichannel experience.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
And I think what you've touched on is really important. I think locally in the Australian market we see quite a significant emphasis on retail media, but not balancing that with the focus on improving digital shelf presence. And what you are highlighting here is really it's the secret sauce, is the focus on both. And that's partly why you are winning fair share online plus more within categories.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Yeah, definitely, definitely. I think we're very proud of the progress we've made, but as Darren said, it still feels like there's so much more to come, especially AI driving recommendations, and it's definitely a super exciting time to be here and it's evolving and I guess we are committed to remaining competitive.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
That is the market. As soon as you think you've got it figured out, a new trend pops up and off we go again. So Carla, I'm going to switch gears a little bit and I want to talk a little bit more about retailer engagement and influence. So much of what happens on the digital shelf is about influence from an FMCG standpoint, how has big's engagement with retailers evolved as part of your transformation efforts, and what are some of the practical tips and learnings that you could share with our listeners about building really strong retailer partnerships in this space?
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Yeah, great question. Yeah, success on the digital shelf does come down to retailer engagement and strong partnerships. So building those relationships and true collaboration has been a big focus for us. I think what's been really exciting is how much our engagement has evolved. So we've found that we've moved from having those really transactional conversations about bookings and ad placements to much more strategic collaborative partnerships. I think as we've transformed our retail marketing digital capability and introduced that new structure, so we've got dedicated work streams across retail or shopper marketing and social, the quality of those conversations has changed because we've now got a team of technical experts who can talk the same language as our retail partners, and that's been a huge game changer. I think what's also, I guess exciting is that digital's a priority for our major retailers. And so what's been encouraging is that we're now talking about digital at every level, even at our top to top meetings. But yeah, if I go back to your original question was I guess what's actually moving the dial and some practical tips.
(26:00):
I think number one is probably cross-functional alignment retail marketing. It's a relatively new discipline, and to be honest, we are still navigating the complexity of working with multiple retailer teams, whether that's across retail, marketing, commercial online, citrus or CPP, you name it, there's a team for it. And I think that's why we often show up bringing shopper e-com and commercial together in front of our retailers, I think because sometimes we're talking to multiple teams on their side as well, but I think what is key is the consistency in our messaging so that whether we're showing up in one big meeting or we're having separate conversations, that message it has to be the same retailers. They really notice when we're aligned internally and they respond well to that.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
And I think that's such an important point, that consistency piece in messaging, sorry to interject, whether you're talking to buyers e-com teams, marketing on the retail side, they're meeting with so many different suppliers ongoing and they don't know your strategy and your direction as well as you do. And so that need to reinforce, reinforce, reinforce, and doing so with consistency in order to drive that alignment is really important.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Very. And it also means the digital teams aren't doing all the heavy lifting. Yeah, that accountability is I guess shared across
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Functions, but we need to at a consumer level, show up as one brand, not separate brands. We also need to do that at a customer level. And so that deliberate approach means that internally across your different functions, you all need to understand the strategy so you can all present and show up with that consistent message to your customer.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
I think if you're looking for a second tip, I'd say engage early. This is all about aligning on plans and online growth ambitions. So doing that upfront. We are lucky as a business to have joint business plans in place across most of our categories, and online usually forms one of those pillars, especially in categories where we've got high online penetration. But to be totally honest, that's not consistent. It's not as consistent as we'd like it to be. And so that's a big focus for us as we head into FY 27 customer planning.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
And I like that. I think that the idea of engaging early is important. Don't try and get your plan or strategy perfect. The reality is you're going to learn so much through conversations and engagement with the retailer that it allows you to further shape and adapt direction, focus and prioritization and investment. So long as you are open and transparent about this is a work in progress for us, this is where we think we're heading, this is why does that align with your plans? That's where the two come together and help to strengthen plans on both sides.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Yeah, that's probably a nice segue into my third point, which is sharing insights and running test and learns. I think our retailers, they love a pilot that they can scale quickly, and this doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it's as simple as AB testing, PDP content, measuring uplifted conversion, or even trialing new digital assets. In October, we ran our first Kohl's TikTok for the launch of one of our protein yogurts. And whilst high protein messaging we know that resonates strongly with that TikTok health conscious audience, this was a real learning opportunity for us. And yet the campaign ended up having over 8.3 million views. So proving that TikTok is a viable media asset for F-M-C-G-N-P launches and it's real, those creating those joint learning opportunities that unlock those bigger strategic conversations and I guess move you from transactional supplier to strategic partner
Speaker 3 (30:27):
And being prepared just to have a go and acknowledging that at times you might test and learn and experiment with the retailer and it may not work, but it demonstrates the appetite and
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Curiosity
Speaker 3 (30:43):
And reinforces that you as a brand are happy to take those leaps of faith at times to gain a first mover advantage and then you are more favorably thought of as new opportunities arise for experimentation and innovation. So I think there's some really, really good practical tips in there for everyone. And again, I think that we have to remember the retailer is evolving and adapting and they haven't got it all figured out on their side, which is why at times it can feel quite challenging. Who do I speak to? Who's the right person that I need to talk to? I like the fact that you talk about we often have to bring in several functions because we dunno who we might be interfacing with. Just acknowledging that the retailers working through their operating models, their ways of working and that's evolving all the time is an important one to acknowledge because it can be, it's not all smooth sailing as the brand's evolving and the retailer is evolving at the same time.
(31:44):
So Carla, I want to touch a little bit more on talent and operating models. I think Darren, you've touched earlier on several times through this conversation already, the importance of getting the right talent within the organization and that has it been a key unlock for bega. Carla, you are currently running the COE for bega on e-commerce and retail media and that has been building over time. What are some of the practical elements you have had to work through with teams like marketing sales to ensure that your team can effectively collaborate and play its role, but also ensure that your team isn't seen as the only one driving digital and e-commerce forward within the organization?
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Yeah, look, I think there's a few things here. I think firstly our retail marketing and e-commerce center of excellence, it wasn't designed to operate in isolations. So its purpose is to provide tools and expertise that help the business win online.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Great.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
And it's not to sit in a silo. So I've been very deliberate about positioning the COE as a partner and not a standalone function, but with that we're very connected with sales, so marketing, finance, supply because that cross-functional collaboration is critical to success. But what it does also mean is that our digital growth isn't owned by one team. It sits across every function,
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Which is important. It's really important.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
Yeah. So some of the practical steps I focused on have been clearly defining roles and responsibilities so that everyone knows where they contribute, developing shared KPIs across teams. And so what this does is ensure that success in the e-commerce is a shared responsibility and it's measured collectively, so not just by the COE.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
And I think that's really important. So you don't end up with deferred accountability. I love the team deferred accountability where it's like, oh no, it's that team's job. I can just get on doing the existing role that I was performing before.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Yeah, it's very much a shared responsibility and I guess that's also helped with embedding e-commerce objectives into our customer plans and joint business plans because digital isn't a separate agenda. It's become part of, I guess our core business conversation. And then finally I'd say building capability through education and upskilling. Early on we mentioned that we've invested in your digital masterclass and this was run across the entire sales and marketing team. So again, really important to be upskilling the wider team.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Yeah, absolutely. And there's something in the shared learning experience that over time I've found is most effective as an unlock for teams. So there's lots of different ways you can upskill teams, but there's something that's really special about getting a team together that has learning together and having discussions and conversations about what they're learning and what that means for their business. And that can be a real unlock an acceleration tool for teams as well as they go along the journey. It also means that for a team like yours, Carla, they you are in the room having those conversations with them and you can start directing them in the right ways. That's something our team would do versus no, that's something that we can support your team to achieve. So I think there's some really great practical steps that you've just shared there around how to embed that as a function that isn't taking complete ownership over digital and e-comm end to end, but enabling and supporting the organization to get there whilst also building capabilities required for the future.
(35:40):
So I've got one more question before we finish up for today. So many Australian brands are still trailing the market on the transformation front. Bega has obviously made significant strides. I know you are not where you want to be yet, and there's so much still to do, but you have made such significant progress over the past few years, which would be the envy of many brands. So for those that are tackling transformation, what are some of the takeaway tips you would provide them and what will you leave with our listeners? So Carla, I might start with you.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Yeah, look, I think we have to start off by acknowledging that transformation is tough, especially in digital and e-comm where the pace of change is relentless. Three years ago we were in the same position as many brands. So where we had fragmented capability, limited data visibility and digital was probably seen as a bolt-on rather than a core growth driver. And so that's not uncommon. So I'd say a few key things that have helped us move forward. Firstly, very much leadership alignment. So we've obviously been very fortunate that Darren was a huge champion for change. He could see what was on the horizon and he made that a priority. I think second, I'd say understanding your digital maturity. And what I mean by this is people process data tech so that you can then prioritize the capabilities and investment that you need to grow. And then I've mentioned it, I feel like I'm harping on, but build that cross-functional team with shared accountability. And I think creating a clear strategy and being specific about your goals and then breaking those goals down those bigger ones down into smaller measurable milestones, I think it's having those markers or checkpoints help you track progress, which can then be shared back to the business. It helps create if you've got wins and also keeps the momentum going. And that's really important
Speaker 3 (37:56):
Interest. Imagine you want to feel like you're making progress, you're moving forward to keep that drive behind the program of work, otherwise you lose that momentum over time within the organization. So I think that's a really, really important one.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Yeah, I think if everyone knows what success look like at each stage, it's easy to stay focused and motivated.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
Yeah, absolutely. And it's an interesting one just as you're talking about some of your reflections and practical tips and having a leader championing and the direction within the organization. I reflect back to the time when I first met Darren, and sorry Darren, I'm going to share something maybe that you're not aware that I'm going to share, but I think what the beautiful thing is about your transformation is when I first met Darren, this wasn't a space that this wasn't a space that Darren knew. Well, from a digital and e-commerce point of view, that was not your background. Darren as a sales and marketing leader and commercial leader, you hadn't come from previous digital transformation environments, but you were very comfortable in your own skin to be vulnerable and to acknowledge what you didn't know. And that's allowed you to be open to learning and evolving along the journey and be that figurehead within the organization to drive change. And I don't think we see that often enough within organizations across Australia. I think often there's a belief that I can hire a role for somebody to lead that, and as a leader, I don't need to evolve my skillset myself. So Darren, I hope that's okay that I've shared that kind of that's not your background and your personal journey and evolution that me from afar I've kind of seen over the last couple of years that evolution of self.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
It's very kind of you. So thank you very much. I think in some ways I'm in my fourth decade of work, so you go, how crazy is it? But look, I think progress is so important. You've got to keep adapting and what the bigger group has the rich array of, and I think the real privilege to do is lead multi-generational brands. We've got five brands are over a hundred years old, and I often talk about the fact they're not museum pieces, they're not there for people to look at and appreciate from afar because we want them to live in popular culture and to do that we need to keep renovating or adapting them to be relevant for today's consumers, whether that is young or old. But today's consumers live in a different environment than when these brands were born in definitely the last century, but even in some cases the century before.
(40:57):
So yeah, I have this sort of motto, which is tomorrow's business today. And so where is it that we want to be, start with that future aspiration and then what is it that we need to do today to make us be on that course? And the longer I've been in business, I guess the more I appreciate that we need lots of help with people that can take us on that path. So I echo everything car has said and I just say, yes, you've got to be prepared to be vulnerable, I think because in some ways we want to pass the bat into the next generation to lead these brands and to lead these brands to be relevant for their own peers. So build the right team, make it visible and sponsor the heck out of it would be my final sort of philosophies
Speaker 3 (41:46):
And get comfortable with being uncomfortable, right? A
Speaker 4 (41:48):
Hundred percent. Yeah. We think about what we ask our children to do,
(41:52):
And I often reflect on that. My children are older now, but we asked them to ride a bike and they couldn't ride a bike and we set them off to do that, or we asked them to read and write and they couldn't do that. But we see progress, we celebrate it, like hell take photos of it, videos of it, and put it on our walls and it's so positive. Yet in business we need to keep improving all the time, and that means adapting to how society's changing and we should have the same mindset to raising children to how we evolve our brands in so many ways. So I'm getting a bit philosophical now, but yeah,
Speaker 3 (42:28):
I think it's a lovely analogy. It's almost like we grow up and we've become a little bit more risk adverse and
Speaker 2 (42:35):
A
Speaker 3 (42:35):
Little bit more kind of stuck in our ways and that need to step outside of that comfort zone becomes critical, particularly to lead in this environment that we currently find ourselves. So essentially that's a wrap. That's all we've got time for today. I could have kept chatting forever about your journey. I've loved this chat so much. So thank you so much Carla and Darren for joining us on this episode and sharing a little bit about your journey. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what the next 18 months looks like for Bega.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Appreciate it. Thanks for having us.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
Thank you very much. It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
And thank you as always to our listeners for tuning into unpacking the digital shelf, the APAC edition with me, Theresa Spurty.