Unveiling Oatly's Innovative Chief Creative Officer and His Unique Perspective

Oatly oat milk

Oatly, the popular alt-milk brand, is famous for its unique products and creative advertisements. Surprisingly, they do not have a traditional marketing department. Instead, Chief Creative Officer John Schoolcraft shared at Kantar's Ignite event on 14 March that when he joined the company in 2012, he suggested to then-CEO Toni Petersson to "get rid of the marketing department."

Oatly has taken a different approach by placing a group of creative individuals at the heart of its operations.

In an interview with Our Website, he mentioned that he could never see himself as a Chief Marketing Officer. He shared that in previous companies, the marketing department often hindered his creative ideas.

We don’t have guardrails. But if you look at the brand, there’s some consistency in its inconsistency.

John Schoolcraft, Oatly

Schoolcraft explained that they focus on keeping their business operations simple and efficient, rather than spending a lot of time on marketing. They prioritize understanding their customers and creating products that cater to their needs.

Instead of outsourcing creative work to an agency, Schoolcraft prefers having a creative team in-house. This approach enables them to develop advertisements and content with a deeper understanding of the business and its context.

"We're constantly juggling marketing meetings, sales meetings, innovation meetings, product development meetings, and supply chain meetings," he mentioned.

According to Schoolcraft, this setup enables the creative team to effectively tackle "business problems" on their own, without having to depend on external agencies that may be stretched thin working on multiple accounts.

‘Consistently inconsistent’

Oatly’s unconventional approach to marketing also sees it impose a ‘no-rules’ rule upon its brand.

"We don't follow a strict guideline," Schoolcraft mentioned. "There are no set rules. However, when you examine the brand, you'll notice a certain coherence in its unpredictability."

The brand merges factual and scientific details, such as displaying the "climate footprint" of its products on the packaging, with what Schoolcraft described as quirky and nonsensical messages, like promoting a date for one of its employees on the packaging.

Consumers need to be surprised in order to stay interested, he explained, especially with a product like oat milk that isn't inherently exciting.

Schoolcraft pointed out that marketers often focus too much on testing ads and expecting results before even trying out creative ideas.

"We believe in focusing on long-term goals rather than constantly tweaking our online ads," he explained. For instance, he mentioned Oatly's successful campaign to convince the EU to reconsider how it categorizes milk alternatives.

“You can’t test your way to that,” he claimed. The greatest test for the success of a brand’s ads is how it sells on shelf, he stated.

The importance of trust

Trust has been a key factor in Oatly's success, according to Schoolcraft. He highlighted the importance of trust between himself, his team, and senior leadership.

Schoolcraft shared that he and former CEO Petersson would have meetings where they were not afraid to disagree and challenge each other. Despite the direct approach, Schoolcraft believed that this way of working ultimately led to some of the brand's most successful outcomes.

Schoolcraft and Petersson were close friends before Schoolcraft joined Oatly. During the panel discussion, Schoolcraft mentioned that brands hinder their own growth by being too serious and not staying true to their authentic selves.

He did admit that Oatly has a unique set-up.

"I'm not claiming to have the only solution," Schoolcraft said. "If your CEO is skilled in marketing and comprehends your goals, and if you're given room to learn from mistakes, you can achieve something truly remarkable."

He pointed to the likes of Guinness, which at Diageo has a “completely different set-up” and still produces fresh, engaging work.

Editor's P/S:

Oatly's unconventional approach to marketing, spearheaded by Chief Creative Officer John Schoolcraft, has proven to be highly successful. By eliminating the traditional marketing department and fostering a culture of creativity, Oatly has been able to develop unique and engaging campaigns that resonate with consumers. Schoolcraft emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs, prioritizing long-term goals, and building trust within the team.

The article highlights the value of a creative team that is deeply integrated into the business operations. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of the context and enables the team to effectively tackle business problems. Schoolcraft's belief that "you can't test your way to success" underscores the importance of bold and original ideas, which can lead to groundbreaking outcomes. Ultimately, Oatly's success demonstrates that effective marketing goes beyond traditional methods and lies in embracing creativity, authenticity, and a strong foundation of trust.