BioBio
Kevin Smith is the founder of SmashBrand, a brand development agency specializing in the CPG and FMCG sectors. Under Kevin's guidance, SmashBrand seamlessly integrates brand strategy, design, and detailed consumer testing, ensuring impactful market outcomes and enhanced sales velocities for its clients.
Key milestones in his career:
- Spearheading brand development for industry leaders like Kraft Heinz, Duracell, and Walmart.
- Elevating emerging CPG brands such as Gfuel, Ollie Pet, and Sun Warrior to retail market leaders.
- Founding several e-commerce sites and DTC brands that achieved multi-million dollar revenue benchmarks.
- Launching a chain of retail stores, a regional distribution company, and sports nutrition brands under Nutrition Distribution, generating over $50mm in revenue.
Before establishing SmashBrand, Kevin ventured into entrepreneurship with Nutri-Sport at 21. Recognizing the untapped potential in sports nutrition, he rapidly expanded to seven retail locations within a year. This success led to the formation of a distribution company serving all nutrition stores throughout Arizona.
Subsequent ventures included pioneering e-commerce stores and launching Athletic Xtreme, a globally distributed sports nutrition brand. Notably, Athletic Xtreme won BodyBuilding.com's Brand of the Year in 2006 and found its place on the shelves of major retailers, from GNC and Vitamin Shoppe to Walmart successfully exiting in 2014.
Apart from brand milestones, Kevin's journey includes commendable service as a Marine Corps veteran, where he was honored as a DOD Marine of the Year in 2001.
While leading SmashBrand and investing in budding brands, Kevin is committed to mentoring aspiring CPG entrepreneurs. His profound industry knowledge, from grasping retail trends to understanding shelf dynamics, serves as invaluable guidance for brands striving to carve out their niche.
Central to Kevin's approach is a consistent philosophy: Marry actionable, data-centric findings with proven strategies to ensure brands stand out and succeed in retail.
Articles by Kevin Smith
The Top 10 Packaging Design Trends For 2024.
Keeping up with the latest product packaging design trends can feel a bit like high school. Every year there seem to be new, hip, and edgy ways to make a packaging statement. These trends in packaging make you feel as if you need to either keep up or move away from the “cool kids.” We’re […]
5 Factors Consumers Consider When Choosing Your Product.
Studying the target customer is a massive undertaking that can make your head pound as you perform consumer behavioral analysis to determine which factors are most important for a product packaging design. Customer habits are predictable yet weird and illogical. They are often based less on value and need and more on immediate emotional comfort. […]
The Complete Guide to Food Packaging Design.
Ready to launch the next best food product? Whether you’re a brand new company or looking for a package refresh, this article is the package design framework a food brand needs. This complete guide teaches you how to create a unique food packaging design that captures a category. Grocery chains don’t settle for shelf mediocrity. […]
Why Not Listening To Consumers Is A Huge Packaging Mistake.
Redesigning your product packaging is fraught with danger. So when do you pull the trigger? It seems crazy, but businesses don’t always cater to the consumer’s needs. We might think that good business practice is making as many people as possible admire and enjoy your brand, but branding is more of an art than a […]
The Complete Packaging Design Process: From Concept to Print.
On its surface, the packaging design process seems simple. You devise a layout, put together some colors, and slap some text on it. Boom—you have a good packaging design. But is the process really that simple? How do you know if this design will connect with your target customer? How do you guarantee the primary […]
How To Create A Dynamic FMCG Marketing Strategy.
To remain competitive and attract customers, staying up-to-date with the latest marketing strategies is crucial for FMCG brands. This article covers innovative marketing strategies in the FMCG industry, including digital marketing tactics, traditional marketing methods, and aspects of company departments that directly impact marketing. By understanding and implefmenting these FMCG marketing strategies, your brand can […]