Beam Suntory global CMO on taking lessons from Coke to build a billion-dollar bourbon brand

Beam Suntory’s global chief marketing officer arrived in 2016 after more than two decades at Coca-Cola. She tells The Drum how she’s shaken up the marketing team – and strategy – to build a billion-dollar bourbon whisky brand.
Rebecca Messina was, perhaps, a surprising choice to fill the vacant top marketing role at Beam Suntory, which counts Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark among its flagship brands. She had spent her entire career at soft-drinks giant Coca-Cola, joining