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