This story was originally published in the 2024 Winter issue of strategy magazine

To hear Jess Spaulding, the CMO for PepsiCo Foods Canada, talk about her work is to understand where the joy, celebratory spirit and push for purpose behind the brands she oversees comes from. “We are stewards of these beautiful brands and the fandom that comes with these brands,” she says, referring to snacks such as Lay’s, Ruffles and Cheetos.

 “When I think of what we get to do, it feels like a win.”

Spaulding began her career with PepsiCo Foods in 2009 in the U.S., where she’s from. She was head of Cheetos marketing at Frito-Lay as part of the North American marketing team before moving to take on her current position in April 2022. 

In her role, she manages Frito-Lay and Quaker in Canada. The former includes flagship brands such as Lay’s, Doritos, Tostitos, Cheetos and Ruffles, while the latter includes Quaker Life, Quaker Chewy, Quaker Harvest Crunch and Crispy Minis. Additional brands include PopCorners, Stacy’s and Simply. 

One of Spaulding’s first campaigns after taking up her Canadian role was created with the intention to be a “brand act, versus an ad,” she says. In the fall of 2022, she worked with agency Citizen Relations to erect a 17-foot statue of fingertips holding a Cheetos puff, covered in orange Cheetos dust, a.k.a. Cheetle, in the town of Cheadle, Alberta. 

Cheetle dust is proudly put on full display in Cheadle, AB.

“We didn’t know what the reaction would be,” she says of the “Cheetle in Cheadle” campaign, which  went viral and attracted the attention of Canadians, international visitors and even actor Don Cheadle on social media. It also picked up nearly two dozen industry accolades such as Silver and Bronze Lions at Cannes, Gold prizes at strategy’s Marketing Awards and Media Innovation Awards, and also led to a Gold PR Agency of the Year win for Citizen Relations.

“The ‘Cheetle’ struck that right balance of celebrating the mischievousness and fun of the brand, and showing in a single act what people love about it,” she explains.

Similarly, Spaulding and her team struck the right balance for Crispy Minis in the summer, developing a campaign with Schitt’s Creek star Annie Murphy. 

Crispy Mini’s campaign featuring Annie Murphy is a departure from the snack brand’s previous functional messaging.

In the spot, Murphy calls herself a “serious” actress and claims there’s no snack that could make her be a pitchperson or use an ad slogan. She then inserts herself into people’s private situations, like restaurant lunches, while using what she claims is her own new catchphrase, “That’s crispy.” 

The creative, by agency Behaviour, is a departure from the brand’s previous strategy of focusing on functional benefits, such as health and convenience, to one focusing on emotional benefits. In other words, more joy. 

Creating a community around PepsiCo’s brands and sharing a sense of purpose with fans are also integral to Spaulding’s work. That’s why in 2022, when the Canadian men’s team qualified for the World Cup in Qatar, for the first time since 1986, Frito-Lay jumped at the opportunity to partner with FIFA and celebrate the occasion with “Made for the Moment.” 

“Canada has a unique relationship with soccer, given the diversity and the number of people with roots beyond its borders, and who have a passion for the ‘other’ home team,” she says. Indeed, without a national team in past World Cups, Canadians are used to cheering for another team, or multiple other teams, from countries where they have family roots or ties.

The integrated campaign by Citizen Relations, OMD, Praxis, GSP, ShakerMaker and Mark IV included 30-second and 60-second spots. There was also an OOH takeover on digital boards and radio broadcasts every time Canada scored, a merch collaboration with Bauer X, a pop-up store, influencers, and digital and social media buys. It also featured a mural project by two local artists – Carson Ting and Adrian Hayles – in Vancouver and Toronto, and the merch collab showcased 13 local Canadian artists who designed a jersey for the national team (since kit supplier Nike didn’t create one). Spaulding says the collection allowed fans to show their support for the team, while also creating a positive impact by supporting creatives – proceeds went to The Remix Project, a Toronto-based multidisciplinary arts training program for youth.

“We really wanted to showcase that the country and the team were ready for this moment and the pride that exists,” she says. “We created a love letter to what makes Canada so special.”

After finding ways for fans to rally around men’s soccer, Spaulding turned her attention to women’s sports with the “Play Loud” campaign.

Spaulding has made sports a focus for PepsiCo, from sponsoring FIFA World Cup to rebranding Cracker Jack to Cracker Jill in celebration of Christine Sinclair.

In celebration of newly-retired Canadian soccer icon Christine Sinclair, the Frito-Lay brand Cracker Jack (long associated with sports) was reimagined with a “Cracker Jill” version of the snack in mid-2023. The LTO also included a multi-year partnership with the U.S.-based Women’s Sports Foundation, where the non-profit’s effort to expand access and opportunities for girls and women are extending to Canada as well.

However, Spaulding’s efforts to support women didn’t start at soccer (which she also played in college). While based in the U.S. with PepsiCo Foods, she worked on the launch of the Stacy’s Rise Project, which champions and supports women business owners, and which was born from the Stacy’s Pita Chips brand (founded by entrepreneur Stacy Madison).

Spaulding then helped expand the program to Canada in 2022 – given that women-owned businesses in this country only receive 4% of venture capital funding – by partnering with the Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada. The number of Canadian recipients and funds have increased, with the project now awarding five founders a $25,000 grant, along with mentorship and community resources. The second class will be announced in early 2024. 

For every campaign, Spaulding says her approach goes back to understanding the values of the brand and the role they play for the consumer. 

“We are a bit obsessed, because it’s hard to break through in today’s landscape,” says Spaulding, who oversees a team of 40. “We have to be specific and surprising. We bring consumers a ton of joy, sometimes in challenging times, and I think that’s a role we should play.”

“It means you have to understand your fans and tap into their passion points,” she adds. “Across the portfolio, brands play unique roles in people’s lives and in different occasions. And we need to have a clear strategy and foundation. The brands have a lane within fans’ broader lives. And we have to do what the consumer values us for.”

This insight wasn’t always part of her line of thinking: her “aha moment” arrived while working on Gatorade. “I saw how the brand was rooted in culture,” she says. “In sports, you get to understand the love and you tap into why people love you.”

Cracker Jill® (CNW Group/Cracker Jill)

But do today’s uncertain economic times test that love? Spaulding believes her brands are well-positioned during times of uncertainty due to a shared philosophy across the company, coupled with strong leadership teams. “The people are the greatest assets,” she says. “And brand is the value engine of the company.”

Spaulding herself feels well-supported in her role. When she arrived in Canada to take on the CMO position, the evolution of having marketing at the table to drive business growth, and investing in brands that are value drivers, was already underway.

She’s also bolstered by PepsiCo’s strong work culture “of curiosity and celebration” which “makes [the marketing team] feel part of… what brands are able to do for the overall growth of the business.”

With so many beloved brands, Spaulding knows she and her team have a great responsibility in creating “bold, ambitious and confident” work.

“I continue to be on a journey of celebrating what makes Canada unique,” she says. “We can continue to contribute to things being Canadian-made and not an extension of a different market. That’s what I think about most: how to elevate the work of the team and the global brand through Canadian-led work.”