Elizabeth Bennett, Kraft Heinz

On the latest episode of Hidden Layers, I was joined by Elizabeth Bennett, the VP of Global eCommerce for CPG giant Kraft Heinz. Prior to joining the company, Bennett spent 15 years at Amazon, where she focused on ecommerce growth and innovation so her perspective on how to sell CPG online was enlightening. The CPG space has been under particular scrutiny this pandemic, as brands and retailers have worked to reduce gaps in the supply chain and make it easier for consumers to do their grocery shopping online. I spoke with Bennett about how Kraft Heinz has risen to the challenge by increasing production while also transforming their online presence to ensure that the consumer “has everything they need for their journey”, from understanding what the product looks like on a plate to where it can be purchased.  While the shift to online grocery shopping has put more pressure on retailers and CPG brands to offer a seamless digital experience, it has also given them the opportunity to learn more about their customers’ shopping habits and encourage brand loyalty. As Bennett noted in our conversation, in the CPG industry, “first party data is very powerful” because it allows the brand “to know consumer preferences” and anticipate future demand, as well as inform product development.