Company: Post Consumer Brands, Lakeville, MN
Nomination Submitted by: HUNTER
Company Description: Post Consumer Brands is the third-largest breakfast cereal company in the United States. Founded in 1985, Post Consumer Brands has over 1,000 employees across the country and is headquartered in Lakeville, MN. The company owns a large portfolio of cereal brands that include Grape-Nuts, Honey Bunches of Oats, Honeycomb, Oreo O's, Pebbles, and Waffle Crisp.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Executive of the Year– Consumer Products –More Than 2,500 Employees
 Nomination Title: Claudine Patel, CMO
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2020 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 1 words used.
Using future-forward activations and disruptive partnerships which she learned from operating in the Asian marketplace, Claudine leveraged PEBBLES’ status as a beloved brand, keeping it at the center of the cultural conversation by doubling down on the brand’s licensing efforts and forging collaborations with sportswear and apparel powerhouse NIKE and basketball superstar LeBron James. In February 2022, she drove efforts to release a series of limited-edition PEBBLES x NIKE sneakers, along with a companion, color-changing Magic Fruity PEBBLES Cereal that rocked the grocery channel and drove immediate incremental growth. In October 2021, she launched the first purpose-driven creative campaign in three years for Honey Bunches of Oats; an effort that included a new anthem digital short, a broadcast integration, social media takeovers, influencer partnerships and the company’s first-ever TikTok collaboration, which garnered over 3 billion views, leading to double-digit sales growth in 2021 and early 2022. Drawing from her experience as the GM of Marketing at Reckitt, where she created the first DTC platforms for Covid-19 symptom relieving Mucinex, Claudine pushed for and launched PCB’s first DTC cereal “Incredi-Bowl,” a keto-friendly cereal geared towards a younger demographic. At the same time, she reintroduced PCB’s entire MOM Brands portfolio (which includes breakfast classics like Malt-O-Meal and Coco Roos), giving each product a dynamic visual refresh and packing them with exciting new flavor innovations.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 79 words used.
Attached are links to news articles showcasing Claudine’s work and featuring her as a thought leader in the consumer product marketing space.
Why Your Favorite Sugary Breakfast Cereal is Suddenly Everywhere
PCB’s Claudine Patel on the Importance of Diversity of Thought in Driving Disruption
LeBron James and Pebbles Debut Color-Changing Shoes
How Legacy Packaged Food Brands Plan to Maintain Momentum in 2022
Marketing All-Star: Claudine Patel
Post Consumer Brands Hires Claudine Patel as CMO
Claudine Patel: Leader IQ Podcast
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2020 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below:
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
A tireless growth-oriented leader, Claudine Patel has established a remarkable career in global marketing over the last 20 years. Always leading with vision, purpose and a transformational spirit, she’s earned multiple awards in the past 18 months (Effie, Reggie, Clio, Addy, Shorty, Muse, Product of the Year, Webby, Best in Biz Marketing Exec of the Year, Marketing All-Star), both for her efforts offering COVID-19 information and relief (Mucinex brand) and for driving the explosive growth of 17 new and legacy brands (Honey Bunches of Oats, Grape-Nuts) in categories in vital need of channel/category disruption and revitalization.
Named CMO of Post Consumer Brands in May 2021, she currently leads brand portfolio management and commercialization, taking charge of innovation across the company’s entire portfolio brands. From day one, she brought her insatiable appetite for harnessing creative disruption to encourage fresh thinking from her team as they modernized PCB’s image in the eyes of younger consumers.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Claudine is that rare CPG marketer who seeks to build and empower diverse, fast-moving teams, actively serving as an intuitive leader who unearths emerging cultural trends in order to unlock the full growth potential of every business she touches. Fluent in three languages (English, Mandarin and Cantonese) and with experience across two continents (North America and Asia), Claudine brings a unique and global perspective to every new project and campaign. Claudine’s achievements in the short 18 months since she took over the marketing helm at PCB showcase her ability to thoughtfully and successfully disrupt the status quo of a legacy brand while creating growth and breathing new life into it. As many other players in the breakfast cereal space have struggled to keep their brands in demand amidst rising grocery prices and continued supply chain issues, Claudine has created excitement and kept PCB cereals in shopping carts and on breakfast tables across America.
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