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Innovation

Innovation comes in many forms, but the consumer must be at the heart of it all.

Car Seat Category Expansion

  • Complete product and brand management responsibility for $XXXMM global car seat business, representing 50% of company’s revenue and the largest business unit consistent record sales

  • Managed 15 product platforms and roadmap, P&L, channel and pricing strategies, on-shelf point-of-sale, product differentiation, share building across business segments while driving innovation and efficiency

  • Launched 30+ innovations during 3-year tenure to revitalize the Car Seat business

Harnessed + No-Back Booster Category Expansion

  • Reinvigorated Evenflo's $XXMM Booster Car Seat business by:

    • Identifying competitive white space, expanding proprietary innovation and modernized aesthetics leading to the introduction of premium pricing

    • Results:

      • Improved gross profit margin (GPM) and enhanced functionality for Mom

      • Defined Good/Better/Best strategy resulting in 15% overall improvement in category GPM​

  • Expanded both the Harnessed Booster Line as well as the No-Back Booster lines

Harnessed Booster Car Seat Expansion

  • Improved GPM by 4% of the $69.99 price-point by leveraging production efficiencies of an existing chassis and streamlining aesthetics to improve performance and usability

  • Identified competitive white space between $99 - $159.99.  Introduced (2) new price points using only $10k in CapEx, increased GPM by 10% and secured (4) incremental placements at retail

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Innovation: Gallery

No-Back Booster
Car Seat Expansion

At it's introduction in 2008, the AMP No-Back Booster was a single SKU with two colors. Through the exploration of different materials and colors, production efficiencies were discovered 

  • With the expansion of materials and fit + finish, it opened the door to multiple price points with different RTBs, launching a Good/Better/Best strategy 

  • The expansion the AMP platforms took on their own brand personality, showing kids that riding in a car seat was cool and aligned with their own personality  

  • Results: 4 incremental retail placements across Mass and Specialty

Business Case: The Pursuit to Gain Executive Support for Business Opportunity to Transport Premature Infants

Premature Infants require unique product attributes and positioning to be transported safely due to their frail state.  500,000 babies are born premature or low-birth weight every year. Evenflo had a commercially viable Car Seat to meet those needs and required no physical product changes.  At the time, competitive options were minimal and it took 3 years to influence the executive leadership team and General Counsel to pursue the opportunity fully due to a risk-averse culture.

  • In 2008, the Infant Car Seat Category represented XX% of Evenflo's Car Seat Category

  • A baby's weight is a key factor in Car Seat product usage.  Weight Ratings are provided on Car Seats to help parents determine it's use during a baby's development

  • Over a 3-year period, I explored and presented multiple avenues to reduce the weight ratings on Evenflo's infant car seats to accommodate premature transportation

  • The business case stemmed from a rigorous study of legal, medical, physics, engineering, soft and hard-goods designs and their implications on safe transportation of premature infants

  • No CAPex or product changes were required.  Only improved labeling and instruction modifications were needed to highlight the risks of premature infants

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Exploratory Work:
Uniting Industry Leaders to Lessen the Anxiety of Parents: Evenflo + Volkswagen

In partnership with the Industrial Design team, I explored a partnership with Volkswagen.  With the guiding principle that parents are under extreme anxiety when purchasing for their baby, it was identified that Car Manufacturers and Car Seat manufacturers could partner to create a unified experience and aesthetic.  This work was truly exploratory but examined true whitespace within product development and service-oriented layers for Brands.

Wet Cat Food
Flavor Introduction

OM Overweight Management Therapeutic Cat Formulas: Turkey + Ocean Whitefish

In the Veterinary channel, Weight Management is the second largest category in therapeutic canine/feline diets, estimated at $60MM

  • Nestle Purina had the second highest share in Weight Management overall.  And, was seeing double-digit accelerated growth in Wet Cat Weight Management formulas

  • Weight management for Cats is particularly hard due to their finicky nature with palatability and flavor variety

  • This insight inspired the launched new flavor varieties to expand the texture and flavor options available to pet parents 

  • Launch included a Chunk + Gravy pate with Turkey and Ocean whitefish flavor expansions

Key responsibilities included New Product Development and Launch Plan Communications + Development, including a sample kit shown below.

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