Written by Caroline Deisley, USC blog contributor
Name: Nikki Brown (far right)
Resume: Chief Marketing Officer, CytoSport
Sport at USC: Song Girl
Caroline Deisley (CD): First, I just want to start with a little more background on you after USC. How did you end up where you are now with Muscle Milk?
Nikki Brown (NB): I graduated from 'SC on a Thursday and started working for my dad on Monday morning. At the time, he was running a sport nutrition company. The following year, our family started CytoSport, another sports nutrition company, and Muscle Milk became our first major brand. In the early days, we didn't market or advertise - we didn't have the budget to do so - so in typical start-up fashion, I had many roles. About year five in the brand's (Muscle Milk) life, we really started to shape our consumer conversation and I was lucky to be involved early and from that point forward. Today, I am the Chief Marketing Officer and lead all of our brand efforts from packaging and advertising, to the way in which we interact and interface with our consumers.
CD: How did you combine your passion for athletics from your time as a Song Girl at USC with the Muscle Milk brand?
NB: We knew at the time that protein wasn't just about hard-core athletes and weight trainers trying to pack on muscle. Muscle Milk and other protein products were also being used for exercise recovery and meal replacements. However, with a name like Muscle Milk and our early packaging design, the brand clearly steered to more hard-core athletes with a heavy male skew. While I drank it every day and shared it with my friends, I knew we had work to do to make the brand more approachable. I have always tried to balance connecting with the core athlete and also attracting more active lifestyle people because the functional benefits of protein are the common link.
CD: Do you remember specific experiences at USC either in class or with friends/athletes that inspired this passion of yours?
NB: My four years at 'SC inspired our collegiate platform. USC was the first school that we partnered with. I remember experiencing game day and 100,000 fans (perhaps less in the 90's) rooting on the Trojans as a fan and then as a part of the game day program as a Song Girl. As we set out to broaden the appeal of our brand outside the gym platform, college athletics were a perfect fit. We had a product that worked and that trainers across the country were providing student-athletes, so we had an authentic way in. Today, it remains my favorite platform. Linking the functionality of Muscle Milk with leading collegiate programs, seeding and providing protein to student-athletes and showcasing the brand to their dedicated fan base, it's the perfect, authentic, functional tie back to the brand and the intended use of our product.
CD: Similarly, what lessons really stuck with you from your time at 'SC and how have you seen those now in the real world?
NB: USC was a great place to start growing up and experiencing the real world. During my four years, I made life-long friends. It also provided a network that I have tapped into and utilized many times over the years. The loyal alumni share a similar passion for the 'SC community, which is unique in many ways. It's inevitable that personal and professional worlds collide and overlap around the unforgettable Trojan experience.
CD: Students across the country just recently graduated and are escaping the comforts and confines of college about to enter the dreaded real world. What advice would you give them for making this transition and finding success?
NB: If you choose a traditional, professional career path, you end up spending more time working than almost anything else that you do in life. More so today than ever before, we are tied to our work around the clock as our phone provides such ease in communication. You have to try and find something that is connected to what you are passionate about. My dad has always said, "This isn't a dress rehearsal" on life. I wholeheartedly agree. As a wife and a full-time working mom of four, balance is challenging. However, I have always LOVED what I do and therefore, it makes my time management easier.
CD: Muscle Milk continues to adapt to the changing market by offering new products to attract new and different consumers. How have you seen your job change since you first began?
NB: When we started in the protein business, we were a narrowly positioned protein product geared for muscle builders and hard-core athletes. Today, protein continues more than ever to be on trend and big food and beverage have all come into the space. We've had to redefine, grow and lead the category and take on large entrenched brands that have come into the functional protein space. Growing and navigating the brand is more complex than it used to be, but thankfully, we have a talented, dynamic team that understands the brand. We continue to successfully grow and navigate the space and the business challenges that growth presents. Today, we have Muscle Milk branded protein products geared towards athletes and active lifestyle consumers using protein products around multiple usage occasions.
CD: So after all that, what's next for Muscle Milk and what's next for you?
NB: Our family sold the business to Hormel Food Company last summer. We remain involved in helping transition and run the company and have enjoyed the challenges and complexities of that process. I'm thrilled to continue leading the brand and a talented team into some very exciting and refreshing changes moving forward. We can't give away all of our secrets, but we've taken a hard look at packaging, new product formats and new and exciting categories and channels that we don't currently do business in today. While many large and entrenched competitors might have discounted us as a serious, viable competitor with staying power, 15 years later we continue to dominate the protein space and have many exciting things ahead.
