Craig Bilow Email & Phone Number

New York, United States

Delivering strategic marketing services that provide robust due diligence, thoughtful and experienced points of view, and recommendations for the most relevant and impactful messaging that will deliver results to our clients. We engage in a full range of activities to help achieve business goals: Target and category analysis Persona definition and strategic targeting Product ideation and development Annual marketing planning Brand positioning, promotions, and program ideation

Malone, New York, United States

Transforms client brand and sales goals into cohesive, retailer-facing commerce strategies that convert shoppable moments into customer sales.

Led client teams at the largest U.S. sales and marketing agency for Ferrero, Ferrara and Riviana Foods with combined retail sales of +$1.5B. Leadership encompassed the management of ten cross-functional teams, creating over 250 shopper marketing and ecommerce programs annually. Developed commerce objectives, strategy, creative, media and integrated customer plans in collaboration with client sales and brand teams to bolster brand conversion and foster greater consumer engagement at the top U.S. grocery retailers.• Delivered +$20M incremental sales across all brand portfolios with diligent planning, innovative approaches, and steadfast commitment to execution.• Exceeded ecommerce category benchmarks and competitive performance by harnessing the power of high-quality content, coupled with strategic search and display tactics to engage shoppers at multiple touchpoints.• Integrated the latest in digital advertising through retail media networks and third-party vendors with innovative in-store initiatives to build cohesive, retailer-centric brand experiences.• Bridged client silos across consumer marketing, trade marketing, sales, shopper, and ecommerce by focusing combined efforts on building customized customer support plans for brands and portfolios.• Drove historically high returns on investment, elevated levels of consumer engagement, and strengthened retailer relationships with continuous, data-driven focus on KPIs during the planning phase, program execution, and post-event analysis.

New York, United States

Trusted leader and contributor to the strategic evolution of Riviana Foods. Elevated the Rice business to the #1 share position in the U.S. through organic growth and acquisition. Positioned the Pasta business as the leading regional portfolio, including Ronzoni, Creamette, and No Yolks brands, and successfully divested. Pioneered the critical disciplines of shopper marketing & ecommerce, sales strategy, consumer insights & category management with innovative and collaborative approaches.• Championed cross-functional processes to galvanize consumer marketing, sales, shopper, and ecommerce teams against common customer growth goals and integrated plans.• Drove four consecutive years of Rice growth against Mars and Unilever with custom retailer programming focused on existing distribution, new item innovation, seasonal promotion, and ethnic markets.• Catapulted Minute Ready to Serve from introduction to a 25-share segment growth engine with innovative commerce media and in-store approaches that built brand awareness, trial, and repeat, earning increased retailer distribution and support.• Positioned Riviana as the unrivaled ecommerce leader amongst all rice manufacturers in terms of grocery pickup & delivery penetration and growth across top US retailers and Instacart with data-driven search strategies and premier curated content.• Chosen by WMC as best-in-class case study for consistently outpacing center store grocery department on-line pickup and delivery performance.• Implemented cloud-based project management and financial tracking system to achieve all timelines, exceed KPI objectives and landed 700+ annual tactics and invoices within authorized brand budgets. • Led the successful divestiture of the pasta portfolio to Treehouse Foods and 8th Avenue including intercompany transition, customer communication, and sales team reorganization to focus on Rice.

New York, United States

Managed sales agency relationship for $1B Rice and Pasta portfolio with over 100 sales representatives covering customer headquarters and in-store retail responsibilities. Developed revenue growth objectives, KPIs and customer plans for all sales teams. Conducted quarterly performance reviews with direct and sales agency teams to monitor progress.•Merged three separate holding companies under a single U.S. Riviana parent company with a simplified "One company, One truck, One invoice" approach that reduced delivered cost to our customers.•Consolidated three sales agencies into a single agency, single sales point of contact and built a new direct sales team staffing matrix to unlock geographic and retailer growth opportunities.•Integrated RiceSelect acquisition into the Riviana portfolio with an expanded customer category story and revised go-to-market approach for pricing, promotion, distribution, shelving, and logistics.•Operationalized large-scale projects and introduced new capabilities, tools, and processes such as trade spend effectiveness and opportunity assessment, to achieve stretch goals.

New York, New York, United States

Formulated and implemented strategic growth plans that outpaced category and competition each year converting opportunities in areas of new customer acquisition, new item innovation, pricing, base distribution increases and incremental promotional velocity.•Architect of post-promotion analytical tool used to improve integrated planning and promotional ROI.•Developed pricing strategy that drove net revenue gains using insights from IRI pricing and promotional study covering price elasticities, promotional lifts, and base pricing for top 15 retailers.

Bentonville, Arkansas

Established and directed Bentonville-based team of five dedicated to business development, category management, supply chain and finance for the $250M Rice and Pasta portfolio.• Positioned Rice portfolio as total category solution and elevated Riviana to #1 rice manufacturer at Walmart over Mars and Unilever with innovative approaches to pricing, promotion, and shelving.• Principal sales contributor to the New World Pasta bankruptcy reorganization led by Alix Partners, setting up the Ebro S.A. acquisition and ultimately the establishment of Riviana Foods in the U.S.

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

• Provided marketing leadership and P&L management for brand portfolio, including brand positioning, creation and execution of media, packaging communication and consumer promotion.• Created local cause marketing platform to reinforce local equity of regional brands engaging consumers and leveraging relationships with retailers.• Led development and launch of TV advertising on top equity brands.

Columbus, Ohio, United States

Strategy lead for leading regional portfolio of Pasta brands with P&L responsibility for Sales, Marketing and Trade promotions• Drove consumer insights work to determine the consumer need and category role of 14 regional pasta brands• Developed retailer facing meal solution platform combining regional pasta brands with Classico sauce brand owned by Borden. • Led cross-functional Northeast office including sales, category management, marketing and manufacturing operations team members providing agile retailer focused support plans aligned with production plans and delivered on-time for incremental sales impact

Glendale, California

• Directed brand positioning, product development, marketing & sales strategy for Coffee-Mate & Nescafe brands including the launch on Coffee-Mate single serve tubs.• Led US execution of global Nescafe relaunch including branded coffee shops, in-store grocery coffee kiosks, Disney theme park take-over.• Integrated Contadina consumer and foodservice marketing and sales to maximize plant operations and brand awareness.• Performed financial planning and analysis for Nestle Culinary Division Toll-House, Libby's, Carnation brands.• Planned and monitored financial impact of Nestlé international cocoa commodity trading.• Gained critical plant operations knowledge during 18-month operations cross-training manufacturing assignment in Burlington, WI Chocolate facility.

Master Of Business Administration - Mba, Marketing/Entrepreneurship

Bs Business, Accounting/Marketing

Education record