Stewart joined the soft-drinks company in February, replacing high-profile marketing chief Andrew Marsden, who left last Augu+st. 'I hear we are very different,' says Stewart, a media-shy Australian, who was previously chief marketing officer across Emap's consumer titles.
Despite his quiet demeanour, Stewart possesses his predecessor's clout. Earlier this month, he shifted the advertising for Tango and J2O from CHI & Partners, which continues to work on water brand Drench, to Bartle Bogle Hegarty - without a pitch. 'I don't believe in pitches,' says Stewart. 'BBH has a great track record with established brands, while CHI is great at establishing them.'
The 43-year-old plans to 'evolve' Britvic's £50m marketing strategy, increasing the emphasis on digital. 'Britvic has been too traditional in its approach,' he says. 'Of course, marketing should deliver the bottom line, but these days, it is too colour by numbers.'
No one can deny that the UK's second-biggest soft drinks firm has taken risks over recent years as it attempts to diversify beyond carbonates, which are falling out of favour with consumers. In 2005, it launched Drench into a competitive UK water market, and last June introduced Robinsons Smooth Juice, the first ambient juice sold in plastic packaging.
Earlier this month, the company unveiled Pepsi Xtra Cold, a patented dispenser system that cools and mixes the cola below the bar, rather than in the glass, as with traditional on-draught cola, to ensure it is served at the correct temperature and level of carbonation.
The intention is to reignite the cola market, which has suffered a slowdown amid a flurry of launches for wellbeing products, and steal share from market leader Coca-Cola.
Innovation is an important part of Britvic's marketing strategy, according to Stewart, whose favourite brand, in terms of its business model, is Apple. 'The way it has developed a business system out of a design idea is extremely impressive and it is also consistent at getting money out of loyalty,' he says.
'The UK soft-drinks market is underdeveloped compared with Australia and the US, and I see lots of opportunity for growth. There will be more innovation.'
Despite being relatively unknown in the wider industry, Stewart has more than 18 years' experience in the FMCG sector. Having graduated with a degree in law, economics and marketing from the University of Adelaide, he spent nine years in marketing and strategy at Coca-Cola in Australia, and at its HQ in Atlanta. He then joined Diageo, where he worked his way up to marketing vice-president for Smirnoff. Stewart turned around the declining brand, partly by helping launch Smirnoff Ice.
In 2001, Stewart was poached by wine and spirits company Allied Domecq, where as chief marketing officer, he was responsible for the company's £500m marketing spend. Based in New York and London, he was tasked with expanding its market share, which it was losing to his former employer Diageo.
Stewart's career also included a stint at Publicis, where he worked under chief operating officer Rick Bendel, now Asda's marketing director. 'I thought I would have a crack at advertising, and am a better agency manager as a result,' he says.
He is cagey about his personal life - he has a French wife and three sons - but admits that Allied Domecq's chief executive, Philip Bowman, with whom he worked, is his mentor. 'He has been a massive influence on me,' he says.
Stewart's shy, sometimes stony disposition - he doesn't care what people think of him - is unnerving at times. However, if reflected in his work, it will keep his rivals at Coca-Cola guessing, and could herald the start of an exciting phase in the soft-drinks war.
Career history:
- 1987-1988 Market researcher, Bourden Sexton Market Research, Australia
- 1989 Brand manager, Power Brewing, Australia
- 1989-1997 Various marketing and strategic positions, Coca-Cola South Pacific
- 1997 R&D commercial director, United Distillers
- 1997-2001 Smirnoff vice-president of marketing, Diageo
- 2001-2006 Senior vice-president of marketing, rising to chief marketing officer, Allied Domecq Spirits & Wine
- 2006-2007 Business development director, Publicis London
- 2007-2008 Chief marketing officer, Emap
- 2008-present Marketing director, Britvic