Joe Christenson

Brand Marketing Director | Dog Food & Treats Portfolio @ Post Consumer Brands

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

About

I’m a classically trained CPG brand builder and general manager. I’ve led brand strategy, innovation strategy and commercialization, commercial strategy and execution, and managed P&Ls across large and emerging brands, including conventional and natural/organic brands. What I do best: ▫️Connect at scale | Brand, marketing, & communication strategy ▫️Make things people want | Product innovation & commercialization ▫️Turn numbers into action | Data analytics & insight ▫️Help people find their "why" | Lead and develop teams

Experience

  • Post Consumer Brands (5 yrs 6 mos)
    • Brand Marketing Director, Dog Food & Treats Portfolio
      Jul 2026 - Present · 1 mo

      Role expanded to include PCB's dog food & treats portfolio (ex Nutrish master brand), including Kibbles 'n Bits, Nature's Recipe, and Gravy Train.

    • Brand Marketing Director, Nature's Recipe and Kibbles 'n Bits
      Jun 2025 - Jul 2026 · 1 yr 2 mos

    • Brand Marketing Director, Grocery and Pet for Canada
      Oct 2024 - Jun 2025 · 9 mos

  • Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods (1 yr 7 mos)
    • Brand Manager
      Jul 2020 - Feb 2021 · 8 mos

      Lead marketing communications for the Manitoba Harvest brand and Hemp Oil Canada ingredients business. Responsibilities include all media & creative agency management/development, communications content strategy & planning, D2C e-commerce strategy, and influencer + ambassador program management.

    • Senior Associate Brand Manager - Innovation & Commercialization
      Aug 2019 - Jul 2020 · 1 yr

      Explore white space innovation, inclusive of category assessments, qualitative consumer insight gathering, business scoping, and co-manufacturing assessments. Manage new innovation business to deliver plans, gain additional distribution, and improve margins. Lead & improve business unit Stage Gate process.

  • Jack Link's Protein Snacks (1 yr 11 mos)
    • Associate Brand Manager - Strategic Growth Initiatives
      Oct 2018 - Aug 2019 · 11 mos

      Part of inaugural Strategic Growth Initiatives team tasked with exploring new paths of growth for the company. Scope includes channel entry and development (K12, Food Service), white space innovation, proprietary technology and process assessments/commercialization, inbound licensing assessment/commercialization/portfolio management, and M&A.

    • Associate Brand Manager - Innovation and Growth Channels
      Oct 2017 - Sep 2018 · 1 yr

      Led commercialization of new three key innovation platforms for 2019 national launches on track to generate $20M+ in year 1. Strategically reprioritized club portfolio to reignite growth at company's second largest customer. Partnered with key sales team members to recommend new approach to e-commerce product offers, leading to accelerated channel growth.

  • Schwan's Company (Bloomington, MN)
    • Associate Brand Manager - Red Baron
      Jun 2016 - Oct 2017 · 1 yr 5 mos

      Led product innovation strategy and commercialization on $575M+ brand. Plan, manage, and deploy $25M+ consumer promotion budget. Steer annual marketing plan strategy and execution (resulted in 8%+ growth in stagnant category). Track and analyze brand, competitive, and category performance. Key contributor to campaign strategy and content development.

    • Associate Brand Manager - Pagoda
      Sep 2015 - Jun 2016 · 10 mos

      Led new product commercialization, agency relationship management, budget management ($3.3M consumer promotion budget), and business tracking & analysis.

    • MBA Associate Brand Manager Intern
      May 2015 - Aug 2015 · 4 mos

      • Led cross-functional team members through off-template analysis of recent radio advertising campaign. Analyzed consumption data and leveraged cross-functional expertise to assess the program’s merit. Recommendation integrated into 2016 marketing plan. • Conducted category, consumer, and customer analysis to optimize SKU mix for a renovated $50+M heritage brand. Directed key cross-functional team members through assessing SKU reduction impacts in key customer accounts, brand profitability, and total company category portfolio. • Assessed prior five years of in-store partnerships for company’s largest brand ($.5B) to recommend new partnership strategy for 2016-17. Analyzed IRI sales and consumer data for 15 grocery sub-categories, leveraged sales expertise, and assessed potential partners’ brand positioning and recent performance to develop recommendation. Presented to senior leadership; recommendation integrated into 2016 plan.

  • Consultant, Brand Enterprise at Carlson School of Management
    Mar 2015 - May 2016 · 1 yr 3 mos

    Marketing and strategy consultant assisting diverse clients with solving business needs. Projects included channel strategy development, promotions & discount program enhancement, and segmentation analysis. Duties include project management, primary and secondary research, statistical analysis, and information systems analysis. Clients include: - Dreamworks Animation - Schwan's Home Service - Boston Scientific