Douglas Lamont, Chief Chocolonely at Tony's Chocolonely and ex-CEO of Innocent Smoothie, shares his expertise on scaling challenger brands. He discusses the balance between upholding a mission and driving growth while detailing Tony's commitment to ethical practices, like eradicating child labor and ensuring fair wages in cocoa sourcing. Douglas emphasizes the importance of transparency and storytelling in building consumer trust, alongside navigating the complexities of international expansion and maintaining brand integrity.
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Douglas Lamont's Journey to Innocent CEO
Douglas Lamont's path to CEO at Innocent involved a stint at KPMG, FreeServe, and finally a custom-made role at Innocent.
He transitioned from finance to embracing challenger brand mindsets, showcasing adaptability.
insights INSIGHT
Scaling a Challenger Brand
Scaling a business requires respecting the core mission while adapting to change.
Implement processes for efficiency without stifling the entrepreneurial spirit.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Innocent's Defining Moments and Growth
Innocent's use of distinctive packaging and conversational tone established a strong brand identity.
Expanding into the juice category and international markets fueled significant growth.
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In this influential business book, Clayton Christensen shows how even the most outstanding companies can lose market leadership when they fail to adapt to disruptive innovations. Christensen explains why companies often miss new waves of innovation and provides a set of rules for capitalizing on disruptive technologies. The book uses examples from various industries, including the disk drive, mechanical excavator, steel, and computer industries, to illustrate trends that lead to success or failure in the face of disruptive technologies.
In the first of a two part special on one of my favourite challenger brands of all time, Tony’s Chocolonely, I speak with their Chief Chocolonely (CEO), Douglas Lamont. Douglas is an expert in Challenger Brands, having previously led Innocent Smoothie for 15 years, guiding them through their acquisition by Coca-Cola and subsequent scaling. In this episode, we'll explore the delicate balance between maintaining a strong mission and driving business growth. Douglas also shares insights into Tony's dedicated efforts to eradicate child labor, pay fair wages, and maintain transparency in their cocoa sourcing, all while making their chocolate appealing and fun for consumers.
Tune in next week for an interview with Tony's Dean of Dopeness, Sadira E. Furlow (aka their Chief Brand Officer), to find out exactly what it takes to grow a brand like Tony's.
Timestamps
00:00 - Start 01:38 - Douglas’ journey to CEO at Innocent Smoothies 06:36 - Lessons on how to scale up at Innocent 12:47 - Why Coke kept Innocent independent 15:03 - Innocent’s approach to launching new products 21:52 - Why Douglas moved to Tony’s Chocolonely 24:22 - Tony’s Chocolonely origin story 28:29 - Why is Tony’s chocolate so good 29:42 - The B2B side of Tony’s Chocolonely 32:56 - Is it more expensive to be a change brand? 34:03 - Balancing a serious mission with a fun brand 35:53 - Why Tony’s is so transparent 41:48 - Tony’s international expansion 44:38 - Challenges of being in the biggest retailer in the US 47:35 - Lessons as a CMO 51:33 - Creating the culture at Tony’s
Uncensored CMO 