B. Bonin Bough

Photograph by Peter Funch

B. Bonin Bough, PepsiCo's global director of social media, is as much a celebrity as any of the headliners at the festivals he sponsors; crowds swarm him after his presentations, seeking a real-life moment with the man who is PepsiCo's digital handshake across the globe. More than soda, Bough sells a dream of a world made better through collaboration and technology. His team uses new tools for traditional listening: "Mission Control," a glass room in the center of Gatorade's marketing floor, displays the drink's online footprint using real-time data visualizations. But it's also about impact. In 2010, Bough launched Pepsi Refresh, an online project that funds community-development ideas. When people criticized the program, he responded on blogs and asked for feedback to help shape the project going forward. "It's like any relationship," he says. "You have to be honest."

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Q: What does your typical day look like?

A: No one on the move has a typical day, but I spend the average day connecting with people as much as possible -- the more, the better; and the more diverse, the better. When I am in New York at PepsiCo headquarters in Purchase, here is what a day might look like:

7:30 a.m.: Breakfast with a vendor, interesting person, you name it.
8:30 a.m.: Phone call with my team or agency partners during the car ride to PepsiCo headquarters in Purchase, N.Y.
9:30 a.m.: Strategy meetings focused on driving Performance with Purpose or other business priorities.
10:30 a.m.: Team brainstorm on the latest project or initiative.
11:30 a.m.: Agency and team meeting on all of our moving pieces.
12:30 p.m.: Lunch, usually with my team. I never eat at my desk because we have beautiful views of the PepsiCo sculpture garden from our cafeteria. I love to sit by the windows. I think it helps drive creativity.
1:30 p.m.: Conversation with a thought leader in the space or with a digital media reporter/outlet during the car ride back to the city.
2:30 p.m.: Afternoon meetings in the city with agency partners (we have four), vendors and someone really interesting -- a digital industry peer, a start-up, a business leader.
6:00 p.m.: Happy hour at a digital networking event, or I try to convene interesting people in the space for a quick drink. I love to bring random groups together. It usually starts with one person and then we build from there.
8:00 p.m.: Happy hour usually spills into dinner, or I have a set plan with someone really interesting (again).

Q: Tell us about your most recent "a-ha moment" and how you reached it.

A: When we were in the early stages of conceiving Gatorade Mission Control, we were doing ethnographies in newsrooms -- seeing how they operate and react to real-time information. We were at the Associated Press talking about their editorial meeting processes when President Obama made an announcement that lit up every screen in the room and completely changed the course of news for the day. We thought then, "What if brands could react to consumer insights and change course that quickly?"

Q: Is there a totemic object in your life that helps you be creative?

A: "Legos have shaped every aspect of who I am, including hygiene (I used to bathe with my Legos, so I could clean them). They have also shaped the way I think about building ideas and concepts -- joining mismatched pieces together and traditional blocks in new and unusual ways."

Watch Bough's presentation at SXSW 2011.

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Director of Digital and Social Media at PepsiCo | Greater New York City Area

Summary:

Currently, I am the Director of Social Media at PepsiCo. My focus is on helping to socialize our communication. For those of you who know me I have been an active supporter of the space and constantly strive to help grow the space. Previously, I was the EVP and Director of Weber Shandwick's global interactive, social and emerging media practice, leading a 100 plus-person global team. I have over ten years experience in the space, ranging from digital strategic planning and project execution to leading and building global practices. I have a deep interest and experience with community building, social media, social video, and digital marketing. In addition to my corporate career I was a professor at NYU's Center for Publishing Graduate Studies from 2000 - 2005. During my time at WS I grew the practice from 60 – 100 people including the roll-out of EU and Asia. I led strategic programming for the agencies top clients including Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers, Electrolux, MasterCard, Ambien, MAC Aids, Honeywell, and most recently Best Buy. Prior, I was a founding member and SVP at Ruder Finn Interactive (RFI), I ran the interactive strategy unit for 8 yrs. During which time I led strategy for clients/projects such as Société Générale Project Finance Group, Nursing and Caregiver Campaigns for Johnson and Johnson, Kellogg 100 Anniversary, iUniverse, International Center of Photography, Hunter Douglas, Schering Plough, Affymetrix, Ready.gov (Ranked by NNG beyond 508 compliance), Novartis, Elidel, Gleevec, Femara, Zometa, Xolaire, Pfizer, Berringer, Perdue and over 70 more engagements and campaigns. I also developed RFI's processes for measuring effective Web strategies, and ePR the industries early social media methodology. Over the years my work has won numerous awards including a, Webby, Stevie, Golden Pencil, Sabre, Big Apple, AdTech, Com Arts and SxSW – Viewers Choice for www.MrPicassoHead.com.

Specialties:

I have over ten years experience in the space, ranging from digital strategic planning and project execution to leading and building global practices. With a deep interest and experience with community building, social media, social video, and digital marketing. Recent Speaking Engagements, include, The Ad Council, ABA, WOMMA University, Communications Society, BPRS, and Toronto Marketing Association.

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Global Director of Digital and Social Media at PepsiCo