Jo is Head of Strategy at PepsiCo’s in-house agency. She spends her days inside the world of Doritos, Pepsi and a wide sweep of snacks and cereals.

Jo studied Biology and entered medical school. Six months in she realised she craved creative work. She pivoted away from pure medicine and went on to complete a Master’s in Psychology. The brain, decision making and behaviour became the lens through which she viewed the world.

Jo won a place on Omnicom’s graduate scheme, rotating through PR, research, branding and digital. Strategy clicked. She calls herself a professional people watcher. Fourteen years later she has worked at RAPP, Nonsense, MullenLowe and ODD, across categories as broad as paint, alcohol, haircare, broadband, charities, fashion and off-grid energy. She learned to trust curiosity over established frameworks.

A call from a former copywriter took her in-house at PepsiCo’s working with their creative team. Four years on she partners closely with marketing, R&D and innovation. She enjoys the depth that comes with building knowledge across a wide portfolio – from Doritos to porridge via Monster Munch. The variety keeps her thinking fresh as she believes that focussing on a single brand can lead to tunnel vision.

Jo’s believes that mass reach is crucial for brand success but also that brands need sharp subculture relevance. Jo is candid about the marketing and advertising industry. In her opinion, there is too much blandness. She admires brands with a clear point of view. Challenger brands like Liquid Death earn her attention because they cut through.

Jo believes that marketing is about people and not marketing theory for its own sake – real humans, real contexts, real decisions. At PepsiCo she applies her high standard of strategic thinking to product innovation and communications. Her goal is to evolve loved brands, meet new expectations and stay culturally specific. Jo aims to keep proving that great marketing is all about proving that you understand the audience you serve.