Nick Budden

Founder & Innovation Strategist at Flavor Forward Strategy
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Contact Information
us****@****om
(386) 825-5501
Location
Chicago, Illinois, United States, US
Languages
  • Spanish Elementary proficiency

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5.0

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Scott McKeown

I worked with Nick for most of the Spring and Summer of 2018. I was a consultant to KFC and Nick was a newly hired Brand Manager. Nick and I collaborated on several projects during that period. Nick is extremely bright and his enthusiasm and thirst to learn is contagious. Nick had a

Maeve Hoyt

I had the great pleasure of working with Nick on one of Vaseline's key initiatives for 2015-2016. In our collaboration, Nick was one of the best clients I could have asked for: always timely in communication, personable, and possessing a positive and flexible can-do attitude. Nick will go the extra mile to clarify his team's objectives, ensuring a high-quality end product. I highly recommend him.

Garrett Carty

Nick was Team Leader and Project Manager for a marketing strategy that our team put together for Domino's. He was easily the most focused and driven individual on the team; always making sure deadlines were consistently met. Nick offered creative insight and superior management skills that helped our team put out a creative, concise solution for Domino's problem at hand.

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Credentials

  • Strategy Summer Camp
    Sweathead
    Jul, 2021
    - Oct, 2024
  • Google Analytics Academy
    Google
    Dec, 2019
    - Oct, 2024

Experience

  • Flavor Forward Strategy
    • United States
    • Marketing Services
    • 1 - 100 Employee
    • Founder & Innovation Strategist
      • Jun 2021 - Present

      Independent Strategist partnering with brands to create healthy, sustainable food innovation Recent Projects: • Innovation Strategy Lead for a rapidly growing ($50MM) BFY confectionery snack brand. Established brand guardrails, landscaped 5 adjacent categories, and facilitated cross-functional ideation workshop culiminating in category extension / brand stretch recommendations. • Interim Innovation Director for a ($1.5B+) private equity backed juice brand. Created brand & innovation architectures, shaped consumer insights & unmet needs into innovation platforms, wrote 75 product concepts in <1 week, and filled the brand's 5 year innovation pipeline. • External Facilitator for a ($300MM) growth-stage, better for you, better for the planet meat snack. Conducted stakeholder interviews, planned, moderated, and directed the brand's first-ever innovation summit generating 10 testable new product concepts. • Brand Strategist supporting a global team of behavior change specialists & nutritionists. Tasked with landscaping the dietary diversity needs of school-age children in India to fight malnutrition & micronutrient deficiency, mapping best practices & gaps in existing programs (public, private, NGOs, and PPPs), and making recommendations to further improve the ($600MM) health drink's social impact. • Head of Insights & Innovation for a rapidly growing ($50MM), purpose-driven, clean-label frozen novelties brand. Established repeatable commercialization process, tested 50 category extensions, filled 3-year innovation pipeline, wrote sell-in story and customer-facing category strategy for long-term growth. • Innovation Strategist for two of the world's largest ($1B+) salty snack brands. Elevated jobs to be done with culturally relevant & emotionally rich consumer insights, drafted discussion guides, moderated digital consumer interviews, facilitated cross-functional ideation workshops, and wrote new product platforms & concepts. More here: FlavorFwd.com Show less

  • The Taste Trust
    • Co-Founder
      • Nov 2022 - Present

      Co-Founder of The Taste Trust. We're a merry band of food innovators with 3 goals... • Connect - smart people with different perspectives (brand, co. size, location, function, seniority) • Learn - from each other, making each of us 10% smarter about food innovation • Play with Purpose - bringing fresh air to stale (but real) business problems Every month, Taste Trustees bring one of the the following to our call: • A food innovation challenge / business issue we're wrestling with • An untapped whitespace opportunity we believe has potential • An innovation trend we're keeping an eye on • A new product that we love / hate Along the way we learn a little and laugh a lot. Show less

  • Wells Enterprises
    • Food and Beverage Manufacturing
    • 700 & Above Employee
    • Brand Manager, Blue Bunny
      • Aug 2020 - May 2021

      Brand Manager for Blue Bunny's $500MM ice cream & frozen novelties businesses • Served as "general manager", overseeing all daily operations for flagship Blue Bunny brand • Orchestrated 8-figure IMC/360 marketing campaign incl. TV, social media, digital, PR • Led new product commercialization & portfolio management for all product lines • Supported director & innovation team on 3 year plan and innovation pipeline • Owned media plan & marketing budget; led monthly demand meetings with senior leadership • Managed two senior associate brand managers & creative/PR/social/media agencies Show less

  • Yum! Brands
    • United States
    • Restaurants
    • 700 & Above Employee
    • Brand Manager, KFC Calendar Marketing
      • Aug 2018 - Aug 2020

      Brand manager with P&L responsibility for $1.5 billion KFC U.S. Group Occasion segment• Returned declining segment to growth, delivering +30% sales growth YTD thru Aug '20• Coached 2 associate brand managers & served on KFC’s Coaches Council on behalf of marketing• Oversaw the design, planning, and execution of 10+ cross-functional projects at a time• Facilitated bi-weekly innovation alignment meetings with c-suite and key franchisees• Sold 400k Cinnabon Desert Biscuits per day and won QSR's 2019 package of the year• Generated over one billion impressions with Chicken & Donuts, driving millennial consideration• Coached new ABM through KFC's biggest bet of 2019, Kentucky Fried Wings in <6 monthsThe relaunch of Kentucky Fried Wings effectively tripled our sales of wings during the promotion, and doubled ongoing everyday sales for the layer. This was a highly complex launch, touching virtually every part of the business, including:• Renovation of 2 core menu items (hot wings & BBQ sauce)• Launch of a new sauce (buffalo)• Development of new cooking & saucing procedures back of house• Significant changes to menu boards• National rollout of Delivery via GrubHub• An ambitious supply plan increasing wings production to over one million pounds per week Show less

    • Brand Manager, KFC Upstream Design & Innovation
      • Apr 2018 - Jul 2018

      Innovation manager responsible for overhauling KFC’s innovation stage-gate process• Redesigned KFC’s innovation process to generate more ideas and standardize consumer testing• Accelerated product development process, cutting down on paperwork & time to market• Filled 18 month innovation pipeline, a key enabler for 2018 & 2019 annual operating plans• Started embedding a culture of innovation with R&D, marketing, finance, and operations teams

  • Unilever
    • United Kingdom
    • Manufacturing
    • 700 & Above Employee
    • Senior Associate Brand Manager, Popsicle & Klondike Innovation
      • Jan 2017 - Mar 2018

      Innovation lead for two of Unilever’s largest heritage ice cream brands: Popsicle & Klondike• Initiated format launch across 4 brands estimated to contribute $100M in retail sales• Collaborated with agencies to reposition Popsicle, including 2019+ communications roadmap• Led innovation for Popsicle Canada & Klondike Canada (new products & claims through 2020)• Ran point on nutrition & sustainability, ensuring that our growth was responsible• Redesigned Popsicle.com (managed 4 external agency partners and cross functional teammates) Show less

    • Senior Associate Brand Manager, Lifebuoy Social Mission
      • Oct 2016 - Dec 2016

      Resident expert on developed markets for the world’s largest hand washing program • International short term assignment in Mumbai, India• Crafted strategy for launching Lifebuoy in new countries (i.e. white spaces) • Localized Lifebuoy’s interactive voice response (IVR) mother's program for Indonesia and Kenya• Streamlined UX for reporting the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan’s (USLP) reach

    • Channel & Customer Development, Hellmann's/Best Foods
      • Feb 2016 - Oct 2016

      Brand expert for sales teams & customer expert for the brand team• Coordinated development of national sales strategy, incl. price & promotional guidelines• Partnered with all major customer teams to set trade rates & sales targets• Optimized trade spend by analyzing past events and vetting in-year funding requests• Tracked all in-store merchandising to ensure flawless off-shelf product placement• Set standards to prevent channel conflict between e-commerce and brick & mortar retailers• Supported retail sell-in of Hellmann's Vegan (Carefully Crafted) and Organic Mayonnaise • Supported foodservice and retail sell-in of Hellmann's Stick Packets Show less

    • Senior Assistant Brand Manager, Q-tips & Vaseline
      • Mar 2015 - Jan 2016

      Business Manager with P&L responsibility for $200 million personal care brand • Led all cross-functional margin improvement & innovation projects• Owned business operations for the brand, incl. P&L management, budgeting, and forecasting• Managed external agency partners (PR, design, and social media) • Led digital marketing (incl. SEO, SEM, and e-commerce)• Supported Unilever’s campus recruiting team and employee wellness business resource group• Delivered Q-tips best-selling month ever (to-date): August 2015• Recognized by AdWeek as the #8 Most Trusted CPG Brand for Women Show less

    • Retail Analyst
      • Nov 2014 - Feb 2015

      Unilever’s boots on the ground in Minnesota for Walmart, Target, and the Grocery channel • Enhanced store-level execution of customer marketing programs • Piloted new share of shelf software & reported compliance vs. planograms • Built and maintained displays and other forms of in-store visibility (ISV)• Influenced store managers to participate in marketing programs, improving display support

    • Sales Analyst, Target Hair Care
      • Jun 2014 - Nov 2014

      Data Analyst for Unilever’s 200+ Hair Care SKUs at Target• Supported TRESemme, Nexxus, Dove, Suave, Clear, Axe, TIGI, TONI&GUY, Motions, Just for Me• Optimized coupon drops to prevent layering & maximize ROI of brand/retailer trade spend• Conducted ad-hoc analysis using Nielsen & RSi to refine category price & promo strategy • Developed data-driven consultative sales support material• Partnered with Category Management & Customer Service to improve forecasting & in-stocks

    • Brand Management Intern
      • May 2013 - Aug 2013

      Brand Management Intern for Vaseline – encouraged men to add skin care to grooming routines • Developed launch plans for Men’s Spray Lotion with external agencies (PR, Design, and Media) • Conducted competitive analysis of men’s lotion category using Nielsen Nitro and ad spend data • Recommended growth opportunities in men’s grooming segments to marketing leadership Brand Management Intern for Vaseline – encouraged men to add skin care to grooming routines • Developed launch plans for Men’s Spray Lotion with external agencies (PR, Design, and Media) • Conducted competitive analysis of men’s lotion category using Nielsen Nitro and ad spend data • Recommended growth opportunities in men’s grooming segments to marketing leadership

  • Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
    • Marketing Intern
      • May 2012 - May 2013

      Marketing intern – helped a team of financial advisors find & serve high net worth individuals • Developed full marketing plan for financial advisors to grow assets under management (AUM) • Improved conversion with snowball sampling and referrals in place of cold calling • Worked with an advanced CRM system to generate warm leads (high net worth individuals) • Partnered with compliance team to develop new, substantiated marketing claims • Recommended business development opportunities with large local businesses • Recruited and trained my replacement to ensure a seamless transition Show less

  • Sigma Phi Epsilon
    • United States
    • Higher Education
    • 1 - 100 Employee
    • Vice President of Residential Learning Community
      • Jan 2012 - Dec 2012

      Advocate of lifelong learning & head of 6 member cabinet • Led 6 member cabinet and served on 7 member executive council • Brought in speakers to teach practical life skills (personal finance, wellbeing, etc.) • Managed fraternity relationship with faculty fellows, improving campus relations Advocate of lifelong learning & head of 6 member cabinet • Led 6 member cabinet and served on 7 member executive council • Brought in speakers to teach practical life skills (personal finance, wellbeing, etc.) • Managed fraternity relationship with faculty fellows, improving campus relations

Education

  • Drake University
    BSBA in Business Administration, Marketing & Public Relations
    2010 - 2014

Community

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