New Belgium’s Rebecca Dye Yonushonis on capturing Gen Z with bold branding

For International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, The Current Podcast partnered with The Female Quotient at SXSW to highlight trailblazing women in media and marketing. Rebecca Dye Yonushonis, CMO of New Belgium Brewing, takes the mic in our latest episode to discuss the company’s bold strategy to connect with Gen Z consumers.

In a market where traditional alcoholic brands are struggling to resonate with younger consumers (but still those over 21+), New Belgium Brewing is taking a big swing with its latest launch, Lightstrike.

With a background in brand innovation, Dye Yonushonis dives into what it takes to break through in a crowded space and give fresh perspective on how today’s younger drinkers are reshaping the industry.

In this conversation, she shares how New Belgium is adapting its approach—from embracing chaos packaging to rethinking flavor profiles — to resonate with Gen Zers’ preference toward bold flavors, less carbonation, authenticity and embracing imperfections.

“Gen Z is a generation like no other,” she says. “They’re rejecting the picture-perfect, polished marketing that millennials embraced.”

Dye Yonushonis also reflects on her experience as a woman in leadership, the importance of mentorship and how brands can foster more inclusive spaces for the next generation of female marketers.

"I hope we get to a point where we don’t have to qualify it as female leadership,” she says, “We just call it great leadership."