Former PepsiCo marketer Jenny Danzi has joined Liquid I.V. as CMO, the Unilever-owned brand said in a LinkedIn post. Liquid I.V. highlighted the executive’s experience tapping into consumer interests and using brands to shape culture.
Unilever has been expanding Liquid I.V.’s international presence while contending with the rise of private-label competitors. Product innovation and partnerships in areas like sports and music are key aspects of Liquid I.V.’s strategy to reach an audience of Gen Z and millennial consumers.
“As Liquid I.V. continues to grow and push the boundaries of what a hydration brand can be, Jenny brings exactly the kind of consumer obsession, cultural instinct and creative ambition we believe can help take us there,” the LinkedIn post reads.
Danzi, who spent over 17 years at PepsiCo, most recently served as CMO for Poppi, which the food and beverage giant acquired for close to $2 billion last year. She led integrated brand, creative, culture and media teams at the better-for-you soda brand.
Prior to her stint at PepsiCo’s functional beverages arm, Danzi served as head of brand marketing for trademark Pepsi. Danzi announced her departure from PepsiCo earlier this month. PepsiCo saw beverage volumes decline 2% year over year in the key North American market in Q3, results that disappointed analysts and led CEO Ramon Laguarta to place fresh emphasis on turning around soft drinks.
Liquid I.V. has had a busy year in marketing, including through a partnership with the box office hit “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” The brand, which focuses on powdered hydration packets that can be mixed into drinks, also recently unveiled a campaign around McLaren Racing, tapping into the popularity of Formula 1. “Thirst For More” features drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and promotes a sugar-free variant of Liquid I.V’s Hydration Multiplier product.
Unilever posted underlying sales growth of 5.2% and volume growth of 2.9% in Q3 earnings released Wednesday. Liquid I.V., which Unilever acquired in 2020, is now the largest brand in the CPG company’s health and wellbeing portfolio. The larger beauty and wellbeing segment Liquid I.V. sits under grew underlying sales 5.7% in Q3. Growth largely came from beauty while wellbeing experienced declines and is down 1% year-to-date.
