Trendsetters: Dana Anderson of Mondelez Discusses the Power of Generosity—Setting a New Tone at ANA's Masters of Marketing

Few would immediately link words like "generosity" and "organizing for growth" in the same sentence, but Dana Anderson, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Mondelez International, has a way with words, as well as an approach to marketing that embraces change, reinvention and some of the undeniable realities about the human condition.

Speaking in Orlando at the ANA's Masters of Marketing annual conference, she addressed how a corporate world obsessed with constant growth could think differently about goals and collaboration. Admitting that Mondelez is an 800-pound gorilla living in a world with a frenzy for unicorns—or Silicon Valley's redefinition of the mythical beast as a new term for billion-dollar startups, she emphasized that large, traditional companies with global infrastructure, manufacturing processes and distribution networks can remain competitive, eliminate silos, and tackle change—head on.

The joy of Dana Anderson and her addresses to the industry is that she manages to have us laugh—at the nature of the world and ourselves—while demonstrating that solving a problem just might be less complicated than we assume or are led to believe. Plus, she punctuates her remarks with unforgettable moments from contemporary culture that serve as beacons to remind us that "We can do this!"

Paraphrasing the insights of the Boston Consulting Group, she told her audience, "Most growth initiatives fail because of people and organizational shortcomings… so it was clear that Mondelez had to change its structure." She shared some of the lessons learned by the company's Growth Team, comprised of executives representing the many departments and responsibilities within the vast Mondelez universe, as they explored ways to restructure.

After months of meetings and conversations, there ultimately became a feeling that "everyone can make an impact." Spurred, in part, by an example of how the Oreo global team decided to work differently and achieved unprecedented growth, Mondelez began to recognize that a spirit of true camaraderie and generosity could actually become a competitive advantage.

In fact, Dana Anderson refers to this kind of personal collaboration and leadership as "Moai," an Okinawan term for a circle of people who purposely meet up and look out for one another. She illustrated the concept by citing late Director Mike Nichol's "asshole speech." In a tribute to Nichols at his death, actor and comedian Eric Idle talked about an incident in the Broadway production of Spamalot regarding one of the actors: "We had to cut his big scene, and he went around moaning and pissing and grumbling. Mike said, ‘I see I have to give you my asshole speech.' He said, ‘Look, you can either be an asshole and leave, or you can get with the team and understand this is not about you. This is about making the show better. And the guy was lovely and adorable ever after.' "

Dana Anderson believes that such an attitude will make a difference to growth in legacy companies as they work to break down silos, de-emphasize the career trajectories of individuals, and coalesce to form a more unified sense of brand purpose. She talked about how startups and centurions can learn from each other—particularly in terms of changing perceptions and understanding new ways to innovate.

Ultimately, though, she learned a few key lessons about organizing for growth, which resulted in three acronyms: POV, WOW and SOW. Her advice is to have a Point of View—This is what we believe about growth; understand Ways of Working—Who gets to decide the details of this project?; and focus on a Statement of Work—What is the true scope of a project and its allocation of funds?

Dana Anderson admits that Mondelez is acting differently. "Structure," she says, "has changed a lot of interactions and how we help each other. The power of generosity can create a business advantage in your company."

Dana Anderson is redefining the future of marketing at Mondelez International, where she oversees agency relations, brand equity, brand strategy, marketing capabilities, media, and digital. She joined Mondelez when it was created in 2012 as senior vice president of marketing communication and strategy, a title she'd held at Kraft Foods. Prior to Kraft, she worked at some of Chicago's leading ad agencies. She is one of Ad Age's "100 Most Influential Women in Advertising," on the Forbes list of Top 50 CMOs. She also has contributed a chapter in the first volume of The Reinvention of Marketing, an annual book published by INGRAM for The Internationalist Press and the ANA.