Free Webinar
Key Principles to Develop a Strong PPA Program with General Mills
A strong PPA program is not a one-off project. It is a repeatable capability built on clear intent, cross-functional ownership, and disciplined execution.
Jamie Green shares how General Mills develops PPA to drive core brand growth, unlock new occasions, and shape a sustainable portfolio in a fast-changing commercial environment.
Developing a Strong PPA Program with General Mills
In this webinar, Doug Hampshire (Buynomics) hosts Jamie Green, Category and SRM Director at General Mills, to break down what “strong PPA” actually looks like in practice.
Jamie positions Pack Price Architecture as both a growth lever and a portfolio-shaping tool. He explains why PPA needs strategic intent and resources, how to set up the right ecosystem and decision-making model, and how to move from insight to ideation, evaluation, and execution. Throughout, he highlights a key point: PPA is often misunderstood as only “weight out,” but the real opportunity is much broader, spanning missions, channels, occasions, and value tiers.
What You'll Learn
- How General Mills uses PPA as a core growth lever, not a tactical fix.
Jamie explains why Pack Price Architecture is treated as a deliberate part of the innovation pipeline, helping brands reach new shoppers, unlock new usage occasions, and strengthen the core without relying on constant formulation changes. - How PPA decisions are anchored in real consumer and shopper behavior.
A practical breakdown of how usage occasions, shopper missions, and willingness-to-pay guide pack formats and price points, rather than defaulting to weight-out or cost-driven changes. - How PPA only works when embedded across functions.
Clear examples of how brand, revenue management, sales, supply chain, and finance must operate from the same logic, with defined ownership and shared decision-making, to avoid friction and slow execution. - How to balance growth-oriented and tactical PPA.
Jamie outlines when PPA should focus on expanding demand through new occasions and channels, and when it plays a tactical role in managing inflation, affordability, and portfolio health. - How to build a repeatable PPA capability over time.
Why strong PPA programs are built through consistent processes, clear intent, and multi-year pipelines, not one-off projects or reactive decisions.
Watch the session to explore how General Mills applies PPA in practice and how these principles can help build a more resilient, behavior-led commercial strategy.
Meet the Speaker
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Jamie GreenCategory and SRM Director, General Mills |
Jamie leads Revenue Management and Category functions at General Mills. He has around 20 years of industry experience and has worked in revenue management for about nine years, describing himself as a continuous student of the discipline. He focuses on both UK operational leadership and capability building across international markets outside the US.
Session Highlights
Why PPA is central to core brand growth [04:09]
Jamie explains how PPA supports both penetration and frequency by extending existing brands into new occasions and channels, rather than relying solely on innovation.
Setting strategic intent for PPA in the innovation pipeline [06:34]
Why defining how much of the pipeline should be PPA is critical for focus, resourcing, and long-term delivery.
Building the right cross-functional ecosystem for PPA [08:23]
How ownership, accountability, and clear decision frameworks enable faster and more effective PPA development.
From insight to execution: a practical PPA development process [17:28]
A step-by-step look at how consumer insight, ideation, prioritization, evaluation, and execution connect into a repeatable model.
Growth-oriented vs tactical PPA [21:10]
When PPA should drive new usage and demand, and when it should help manage price points, affordability, and inflation pressure.
Using value slopes to avoid mispricing formats [27:56]
How understanding price per unit versus price per weight helps position packs correctly across different shopper missions.
Applying PPA across channels and occasions [33:46]
Real examples showing how the same formulation can serve different roles across at-home, on-the-go, and out-of-home occasions.
Q&A
Does PPA sit in Marketing or Revenue Growth Management at General Mills?
Jamie explains that PPA ownership sits within Brand and Marketing because it directly impacts product development and the innovation pipeline. Revenue Management plays a critical input role, but success depends on tight integration across functions operating from the same category logic. [10:37]
How does General Mills evaluate PPA ideas without over-investing in research?
The team starts with existing shopper and consumer data, then uses modeling tools to understand category interactions. More advanced research, such as conjoint, is reserved for highly differentiated ideas where the commercial risk justifies deeper validation. [38:10]
What are the biggest barriers to executing PPA effectively?
Jamie highlights three recurring challenges: operational agility, scaling ideas across multiple markets, and building compelling retailer selling stories that clearly demonstrate incrementality and category value. [41:17]
How do you know when PPA is the right lever versus innovation or marketing?
The decision starts with understanding growth barriers. If the barrier is formulation-driven, PPA will not solve it. If the barrier is availability, reach, or mission fit, then changing format or pack architecture can be the most effective lever. [45:09]
How does General Mills avoid short-term PPA decisions that hurt long-term value?
By grounding decisions in consumer behavior, usage occasions, and portfolio roles, PPA initiatives are evaluated not just on immediate P&L impact, but on how they strengthen the brand and category over time. [36:24]