This episode features Kim Chappell, Chief Brand Officer at Bobbie, discussing how to build a nine-figure baby formula brand in a highly regulated and emotional market. She shares insights on leveraging storytelling, building trust as a key metric, and making bold creative decisions to navigate challenges like the 2022 formula shortage.
Key takeaways
Trust is the most important brand metric in highly sensitive categories. Focus on transparent communication and authenticity to build and maintain customer trust.
Bold, 'unhinged' creative decisions can significantly increase brand memorability and impact, even in regulated industries, as demonstrated by Bobbie's breastfeeding billboard in Times Square.
Strategic brand partnerships should align with core values and organically emerge from genuine brand affinity, rather than forced collaborations.
Embrace and even celebrate customer cancellations (e.g., when a baby no longer needs formula) as a powerful, positive retention and brand loyalty move, shifting the narrative from loss to celebrating a customer's life stage.
A journalism background fosters strong storytelling instincts, which are invaluable for crafting compelling brand narratives and engaging with customers authentically.
“If you’re not staying unhinged, you’re not building a memorable brand.” What happens when a two-time Emmy-winning TV anchor walks away from the newsroom to help build one of the most talked-about baby formula brands in the country? Kim Chappell (Chief Brand Officer at Bobbie) sits down with Cody Plofker (CEO at Jones Road Beauty) and Connor MacDonald (CMO at Ridge) to explore what it means to build a purpose-driven brand in a highly regulated, deeply emotional category. Kim shares how a journalism career shaped her instinct for storytelling, why trust is her team’s most important metric, and how Cardi B landed in Bobbie’s inbox because she was already a customer. From navigating the 2022 national formula shortage — and the $300M in revenue Bobbie deliberately walked away from — to launching the first breastfeeding billboard in Times Square with Molly Baz, Kim breaks down how bold creative decisions get made inside a fast-moving startup. She also digs into Bobbie’s partnership philosophy, the brand values that guide every campaign, and why celebrating customer cancellations has become one of their most powerful retention moves. Powered By Motion Creative Benchmarks 2026 https://motionapp.com/thumbstop-pulse/creative-benchmarks-2026?utm_campaign=marketing-operators&utm_medium=sponsor&utm_content=creative-benchmarks-2026&utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast Rivohttps://www.rivo.io/operators Prescient AI https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Aftersell <a hr
Trust is the most important brand metric in highly sensitive categories. Focus on transparent communication and authenticity to build and maintain customer trust.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Bold, 'unhinged' creative decisions can significantly increase brand memorability and impact, even in regulated industries, as demonstrated by Bobbie's breastfeeding billboard in Times Square.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Strategic brand partnerships should align with core values and organically emerge from genuine brand affinity, rather than forced collaborations.
What does this episode say about customer retention?
Embrace and even celebrate customer cancellations (e.g., when a baby no longer needs formula) as a powerful, positive retention and brand loyalty move, shifting the narrative from loss to celebrating a customer's life stage.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
A journalism background fosters strong storytelling instincts, which are invaluable for crafting compelling brand narratives and engaging with customers authentically.
