The Speed of Culture Podcast: The Incredible Journey of Kofi Amoo-Gottfried to CMO of DoorDash

DoorDash has established itself as a leader in the food delivery industry. From bringing favorite restaurants to you to discovering local gems and even ordering beauty supplies, DoorDash has evolved to serve consumers’ changing needs.

Much of the company’s success can be attributed to its marketing tactics, which focus on centering the customer, personalization and brand building.

To learn more about how to understand the needs of consumers to drive brand growth, we sat down with Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, chief marketing officer at DoorDash on the latest episode of The Speed of Culture podcast. He discussed his journey from Ghana to Silicon Valley, the insights he’s learned along the way, and his approach to driving growth and engagement across the marketplace. 

Amoo-Gottfried is an accomplished marketing leader with a proven track record of revitalizing household brands. Before his current position at DoorDash, he held several marketing and creative strategy leadership roles at companies including Facebook, FCB New York, Bacardi Global Brands, Publicis and Wieden+Kennedy. He also holds board and advisory roles at Stitch Fix, Vital Farms, Macalester College, Listen Ventures and Monday Night Mentorship. 

In 2014, Amoo-Gottfried was named to Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 list of young marketing stars. In September 2017, he won AdColor’s Rockstar award. And, in 2020, he was named to Business Insider’s list of 25 CMOs to Watch and honored with Adweek’s Brand Genius award in 2020. His innovative marketing approach also earned him a spot on Business Insider’s list of the world’s most innovative CMOs in 2022, and as one of Forbes’ Entrepreneurial CMO 50 for 2023.

Discover how to grow and expand your brand successfully by focusing on consumer needs, and check out the takeaways from this episode below.

Key highlights:

• 09:17 – 11:06 – Embracing Risk and Change – Amoo-Gottfried’s career is characterized by embracing change, which he views as opportunities for growth. Immigrating to a new country taught him that taking risks can be invaluable in achieving success, regardless of the challenges presented along the way. Pairing hard work with a continuous curiosity gives him strength to move boldly into future endeavors.
• 11:06 – 15:38 – Prioritizing Support for Restaurants and Dashers – In the wake of a pandemic, DoorDash provided immense support for its restaurant partners. Its “Open for Delivery” awareness campaign ensured that restaurants were front and center in customers’ minds. It also reduced commissions by 50%, navigated schedule changes, and implemented instant payment to demonstrate its commitment to keeping restaurants open during hard times. 
• 15:38 – 18:48 – Empowering Small Businesses – DoorDash is on a mission to help small businesses reach new heights, both domestically and abroad. With ventures into grocery and retail, the brand adapts its marketing strategies for an ever-evolving customer base. Growth doesn’t stop at borders either as DoorDash pursues international expansion initiatives. The company is also fine-tuning its ad platform that charges based on conversion rates to give every business the potential of success.