What Racing Wienermobiles Can Teach Every Marketer with Todd Kaplan (Kraft Heinz)
About this episode
Todd Kaplan discusses the importance of creativity and improvisation in marketing, drawing lessons from the Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles and his experience at Kraft Heinz.
Six Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles racing around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It may sound like a publicity stunt, but for Todd Kaplan, it was something much bigger: a reminder that great marketing should surprise people, spark conversation, and create joy. This week, Jim welcomes Todd Kaplan, Chief Marketing Officer of Kraft Heinz North America. Since joining Kraft Heinz in 2024 after nearly two decades at PepsiCo, Todd has been leading one of the industry's most ambitious brand transformations, helping modernize more than 70 iconic brands while building a culture rooted in creativity, collaboration, and consumer insight. Recorded live at Cannes Lions in the Infillion Café, Todd shares why marketing should be more like jazz than classical music, how his philosophy of "collaborativity" helps teams move at the speed of culture, and why even the biggest organizations need to leave room for improvisation. From the Oscar Mayer Wienie 500 to Heinz's award-winning creative work, Todd explains how great ideas are born, why creativity still drives growth, and why the strongest brands never lose sight of the fundamentals. Whether you're leading a global organization or building your own…
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