A Beyond the Brief Marketing Conversation with Stephan Czypionka, Global Chief Marketing Officer, CJ Foods

Q: Stephan, let’s start with your background. What brought you to marketing, and what was your journey to the Global CMO role at CJ?

Stephan: My career has been a fascinating mix of cultures and opportunities. I was born in Austria and went to university in Spain, then started in telecom before moving into brand management at The Coca-Cola Company for the Alpine region. That paved the way for international assignments, first to Latin America, overseeing Fanta and Sprite, and then as CMO for Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, where I led the launch of Coke Life.

I took on a turnaround challenge in the Philippines and later managed transformational change in Africa as CMO, including COVID-19 safety initiatives that reached millions. I eventually transitioned to Coca-Cola’s global marketing leadership team, reimagining our global marketing growth algorithm.

CJ was my next challenge: a rapidly expanding, innovation-focused Korean food company entering a pivotal phase of global scaling. The chance to learn and build a new global marketing muscle was compelling.

Q: CJ has become an iconic Korean brand, especially with bibigo and partnerships like Squid Game and K-pop idols Seventeen. What’s your current mandate as Global CMO?

Stephan: At CJ, my mission is to build a world-class marketing organization and elevate brand-building capability, especially through strategic partnerships with touchstones of Korean culture. We’ve doubled down on collaborations like Squid Game and the K-pop band Seventeen, and expanded connected campaigns with the LA Lakers, drawing on a natural cultural affinity.

We’re making bibigo playful, fun, and distinctly Korean, yet globally accessible. Driving digital transformation for personalization and building seamless, connected consumer experiences are equally critical. My focus is on ensuring both global relevance and truly local adaptation in every market.

Q: What does balancing global relevance and local adaptation mean for CJ’s marketing approach, especially in markets like the U.S. and Europe?

Stephan: It’s a fine balancing act. Global relevance gives us synergy and leverages global trends, but local adaptation is non-negotiable. Understanding nuanced consumer behaviors, occasions, and taste preferences is essential.

Q: Could you share more about innovative product development and how CJ localizes offerings while preserving its Korean heritage?

Stephan: We put a lot of effort into innovating products to achieve both authenticity and local fit.

Take our hero product, Korean dumplings (mandu), for example. We tailor them to each market’s specific taste preferences while always ensuring an authentic Korean essence. Product superiority is key for us and helps us win over the competition.

In addition, we are building strong awareness and physical availability, positioning our products as accessible yet premium, never as cheap staples.

Every region’s portfolio has its own nuance, but the Korean brand halo is always there.

Q: What are CJ’s main KPIs for measuring success, and how do you use data?

Stephan: Our core KPIs are awareness and purchase intent, especially the latter, which is the acid test. We run brand trackers in our largest markets, Korea and the U.S., and use them to generate actionable insights.

CJ is positioned on superior taste and quality, not low prices. We work with retail channels from Costco to ethnic and mainstream supermarkets, carefully curating placement in frozen aisles, Asian sections, and specialty noodle shelves.

Data has become our way to reduce blind spots, improve marketing fitness, and align teams globally. More connected marketing routines and monthly factory sessions help us move fast, as we did when K-pop star Lisa from Blackpink featured our kimchi and we quickly capitalized on organic buzz.

Q: CJ has seen major growth in recent years. How do you prioritize brands and structure your operations for focus?

Stephan: We’ve consolidated our ten bibigo categories into four focus buckets. This helps teams prioritize, especially in complex markets like the U.S.

We tailor our marketing strategies for noodles, dumplings, and other portfolios using very different methodologies. Connecting all our U.S. assets, from KCON to the Lakers and mega-influencers, has elevated our effectiveness and kept us top of mind.

We emphasize continuous improvement. Our teams use data to minimize flying blind, foster coordinated actions, and operate at a higher level. The Seventeen partnership alone has reached over 700 million people so far.

Q: You’ve driven digital transformation at CJ. How does that play out daily, and what’s next in your digital strategy?

Stephan: Digital is central, moving beyond presence to meaningful engagement. Our aim is seamless, funnel-wide digital experiences, from social conversation and personalized messaging to dynamic offers and analytics-driven customer journeys.

We’re elevating digital capability across teams. Looking ahead, interconnected global campaigns and stronger operational coordination are key. The speed of K-culture virality requires us to stay adaptive and close to cultural context. That’s where modern brand management lives.

Q: What’s a little-known fact about yourself that shapes the way you approach global marketing?

Stephan: One of my passions outside marketing is tropical plants, especially palm trees. I run a TikTok channel where I classify palms and am approaching 250 varieties.

Searching for hidden patterns in nature has sharpened my curiosity and attention to detail when reading consumer trends and market signals.

Q: As you look forward to the year ahead, what excites you most for CJ?

Stephan: Championing bibigo and K-food on the world stage, driving sales through superior, innovative products and powerful consumer engagement.

I’m excited to help our teams tell a unified brand story and echo our values in every consumer interaction. The goal is a digital ecosystem that excites, engages, and builds trusted relationships from marketing through product development.

Q: Any closing advice for marketers tackling global challenges in 2025?

Stephan: Stay curious, adapt relentlessly, and remain a student of culture. Doctrinal branding is behind us. Connectedness and context matter most.

Find where your brand authentically fits the moment, and be willing to learn and unlearn every day.