MOLSON COORS CCO Adam Collins on Brand Rivalries, Profitable ESG, and Launching the First Superbowl Ad in the Metaverse

Adam Collins is the Chief Communications and Corporate Affairs Officer at Molson Coors. In years prior, Adam spent four years working for the office of Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and was the Communications Director for the Chicago Police department. In this wide-ranging conversation with Lippe Taylor CEO Paul Dyer, Adam discusses all things Molson Coors, including the Superbowl ad they launched in The Metaverse, executive leadership advice, and details about Miller’s long-standing rivalry with Anheuser Busch.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Adam:

Pick your battles but put the customer first. 

Miller and Anheuser Busch have a famous rivalry that has resulted in everything from hilarious jab ads and online snark to real lawsuits. When asked whether this kind of public sparring with your competitor in a marketing context is worthwhile, Adam cited that it has to ultimately serve the customers. In their recent campaign The World's Dumbest Math Problem, Miller sought to enlighten calorie-conscious beer drinkers that their product, Miller 64 had fewer carbs and calories than Michelob Ultra. This seems like a typical jab but, ultimately many customers had no idea there was a lower calorie option, and thus the ad was successful because it served the customers by educating them.

ESG is not only the right thing to do; it can serve the product and the company.

Molson Coors has been an innovator in ESG since before it was a thing when founder Bill Coors invented the recyclable aluminum can and gave the technology away for free so it would be ubiquitous across the industry, resulting in fewer steel cans on the side of the road. Today, Coors follows the same example with multiple ESG initiatives that serve the environment and the company. The company's 75+ year sustainable agricultural standards for growing barley not only are better for the earth but make the beer taste noticeably better. Programs that prevent water leakage at production facilities not only save water but save the company money. Finding intelligent ways to make your ESG programs impact your bottom line, as well as the earth, can enable sustainability to be even more sustainable.

Be there to pick up the glass. This was a throwaway point Adam made towards the end of the interview, but it bears some focus. When discussing his advice for aspiring marketing leaders, Adam mentions the importance of betting on yourself and taking risks. He also mentions that he empowers his junior staffers to take intelligent, calculated risks by guaranteeing them that if their idea turns out to be a disaster, he will stand by their side and help them clean up the mess. This is what excellent leadership is all about, inspiring your team not only with inspirational phrases but with your word that if the chips are down, you'll be by their side to pick up the pieces. 

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Produced by Simpler Media