As America’s appetite for protein and health-forward foods grows, Danone is taking strides to lead the charge. With innovative GLP-1 initiatives and a top-tier yogurt portfolio, Linda Bethea, CMO of Danone North America, tells CPG Insider how she’s keeping up with new mindful eating trends.
Interview has been edited for length and clarity.
CPG Insider: Keeping up with the GLP-1 news is challenging. The number of people on these drugs keeps growing, but there’s so much uncertainty about insurance coverage and the incoming administration.
Linda Bethea: I've never seen a news cycle like this before. The food industry is at a tipping point. Over the past few years, consumer interest in health and nutrition has surged. Online searches for high-quality protein are at an all-time high, and TikTok chatter on gut health has more than 8 billion views. GLP-1 drugs fundamentally change how consumers think about nutrition and the foods and beverages they must consume daily. It’s exciting, since our mission is to deliver health through food to as many people as possible. We’re well-positioned with a portfolio full of nutrient-dense options to support these evolving needs.
CPG Insider: How has your yogurt portfolio evolved to meet these demands?
Bethea: We’re proud to have the number-one yogurt portfolio in the U.S., with options tailored to various needs. For example, Oikos Pro single-serve cups have 20 grams of protein, while our Activia yogurts support gut health with pre- and probiotics. Beyond what we’ve already achieved, our R&D team is leveraging new research to anticipate future consumer needs.
CPG Insider: Do consumers understand these nutritional benefits, or is there still a knowledge gap?
Bethea: There’s definitely a learning curve. We’re mapping consumer knowledge to see what they understand and where they’re getting their information. For GLP-1 users, the questions are very specific -- like what to eat for meals and snacks. To help, we’re partnering with healthcare professionals and dietitians and offering recipes that expand their options on this nutrient journey.
CPG Insider: Have well have these higher-protein products done?
Bethea: Big sales jumps. Oikos is up 40% in dollar sales. Looking at the broader yogurt category, high-protein yogurt has experienced significant growth over the past few years, driven by consumer interest in protein-dense snacks and foods.
CPG Insider: How is interest in plant-based foods evolving?
Bethea: Most consumers are flexitarians: mixing dairy-based and plant-based foods. We’re leaders in the plant-based space with brands like Silk and So Delicious. Initially, much of our marketing focused on educating consumers about how plant-based products are made. Now, we’ve shifted to highlighting their benefits. For example, Silk almond milk has 50% more calcium than dairy milk. Helping consumers understand these advantages is key.
CPG Insider: Can you talk about snacking trends? Healthy or not, people still want something delicious. And you spent a long time at PepsiCo, including Frito-Lay.
Bethea: At the end of the day, the taste matters. People want to eat and drink delicious things. Yogurt used to be pigeonholed as a breakfast food. Now, we have options that can be consumed throughout the day, for breakfast or as a healthier snack in the afternoon -- without sacrificing taste.
CPG Insider: When you look back at changes in the food industry, what surprises you most?
Bethea: I came to Danone five years ago because of our mission to deliver health through food to as many people as possible. Because I’ve been in the food and beverage industry for so many years, I saw the increased consumer interest in educating themselves on how their food was made, the ingredients, and the health benefits.
At Pepsi, we worked to make things like potato chips and carbonated soft drinks healthier. But that's very different than managing a portfolio like Danone, where we are on a mission, with scientists and dietitians making sure the food we're developing meets those health and nutrient needs.
CPG Insider: Where does sustainability fall in all this? Some indications show that consumers are losing interest -- even Gen Z. It was barely an election issue.
Bethea: It matters to Danone, and we are committed to sustainability as a company. Through each brand lens, we have to think about what that brand's purpose is and how it comes to life in a way that is authentic to that brand. Take Too Good Yogurt, which is on a mission to deliver low-sugar yogurt and more goodness worldwide. There are different ways we can provide that, ensuring we're doing so sustainably.
We’ve had partnerships, for example, leveraging rescued fruit to go into the yogurt, so fruit that would otherwise go to waste is now being used to produce delicious yogurt that aligns with the brand purpose, and reaches a different customer.
We can get very targeted, delivering the right message to the right consumer at the right time. So, for some people, we can focus more on sustainability; for others, we can focus on our health credentials. Retail media has helped.
CPG Insider: How?
Bethea: We’re working with retailers to deliver messages closer to the point of purchase. For our GLP-1 initiative, we’re testing retail media near doctors’ offices, helping consumers make informed decisions right when it matters most.
CPG Insider: What’s a CMO secret that helps you keep up with trends?
Bethea: I love walking through supermarkets to see what competitors are doing. Our team does culture treks to find inspiration in unusual places, like art museums or market tours. I also have a 15-year-old -- and she definitely has a point of view.