In today’s fast-changing food and beverage landscape, consumer expectations are evolving at lightning speed. Health-conscious choices, digital discovery, and cultural storytelling are reshaping how brands connect and compete.
In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton sits down with Linda Bethea, chief marketing officer at Danone North America, to unpack how brands are navigating disruption in the food and beverage industry.
From the rise of GLP-1 drugs to the creator economy and AI-powered marketing, Linda shares how Danone is balancing science-backed credibility with cultural relevance.
She also reveals her “four C’s” of leadership, curiosity, compassion, courage, and conviction, and why brand-building fundamentals matter more than ever.
At Danone, Linda oversees a diverse portfolio of iconic brands, including Oikos and International Delight, driving consumer-first strategies that combine nutritional science with cultural relevance. Previously, Linda spent years at PepsiCo and Diageo, sharpening her expertise in sales, operations, and brand-building across global categories.
Known for her emphasis on credibility, consumer empathy, and bold creativity, Linda is shaping how the food and beverage industry responds to cultural disruption, health trends, and new technologies like AI.
Listen to Linda Bethea on The Speed of Culture to discover how Danone North America is redefining health-driven marketing through innovation, conviction, and consumer-first leadership.
Key takeaways:
[01:08] – PepsiCo as a Training Ground: Linda reflects on her early years at PepsiCo and Frito-Lay, where she learned the fundamentals of sales, operations, and leadership. Exposure to PepsiCo’s direct-to-store delivery system helped her understand how execution fuels brand success, while a joint venture with Unilever gave her perspective on cross-cultural brand building and category strategy. She credits PepsiCo’s leadership programs and hands-on experience with shaping the discipline, resilience, and broad skill set that continue to guide her today as a CMO.
[05:32] – Creators as Discovery Engines: The creator economy is no longer just about entertainment; it has become the first stop for younger consumers seeking information, inspiration, and discovery. Linda explains how Gen Z often turns to TikTok or Amazon as search engines, making creators an essential touchpoint for recruitment. She details Danone’s International Delight campaign, Creme House, where flavors were transformed into characters in a parody reality series. By investing in creator-led storytelling while balancing traditional channels, Danone built authentic engagement and cultural credibility.
[09:59] – Nutrition Meets a New Consumer Reality: GLP-1 weight loss drugs have changed how millions of consumers eat and shop, creating new nutritional gaps. Linda notes that nearly 10% of Americans have used a GLP-1, with many struggling to maintain protein intake, resulting in muscle mass loss. Danone saw an opportunity to serve this unmet need with innovation rooted in science. The launch of Oikos Fusion, a cultured dairy drink designed specifically for GLP-1 users, reflects a forward-thinking approach: meeting consumers at the intersection of wellness, credibility, and convenience while expanding the brand’s role in health.
[13:38] – Simplifying Science Into Storytelling: For Danone, the challenge isn’t just having a nutrient-dense portfolio, but making its benefits accessible and understandable to everyday consumers. Linda highlights the importance of distilling complex science into clear, motivating messages that drive choice at the shelf. Beyond packaging, Danone invests in retail media, including PatientPoint’s digital screens in doctors’ offices, ensuring credible, contextual messaging reaches people considering weight-loss journeys. By combining science-backed nutrition with simple storytelling, Danone delivers clarity in a cluttered information landscape.