Coleman Natural Foods is announcing Patricia Wong Bridges as the new senior director of marketing and communications to lead the consumer marketing initiative and new product development for America’s pioneering brand of no antibiotics-ever, crate-free, all-natural meats. Bridges joins the company with more than 20 years of experience as a results-driven marketing leader within the consumer packaged goods industry. Most recently, she helped innovate and expand the biscotti category at private-equity-owned Nonni’s cookies and snacks. She has also worked at the brands ConAgra and Newell (Sanford Brands). Bridges began her career at the agency level, promoting snack categories such as Kraft, Old El Paso, Nestle Toll House and Hershey’s foodservice.

Bridges has experience in the meat category, serving as associate brand manager of the Deli Foods Group at Conagra Foods. She was responsible for P&L management and ROI for Healthy Choice, Butterball and Eckrich pre-sliced meats and Hebrew National Deli Line, in addition to working with club and grocery retailers to develop customer-specific meat products. She has also developed several account-specific marketing programs at retailers such as SuperTarget and Publix that led to increased sales and permanent product authorizations.

Bridges will coordinate all marketing and communications for Coleman Natural, including media outreach, marketing strategy and new product innovation. “We’re thrilled to welcome Patricia to our team to help us ‘feed families better’ with our variety of [all natural products]. Brand marketing and consumer promotions is a key strength of Patricia[,] and we are excited for her to take her learnings and expertise to the premium meat space at Coleman Natural,” said Mel Coleman, Jr., 5th generation Coleman family member and vice president of Coleman Natural Foods.

“I am excited to join the Coleman Natural family and look forward to contributing to their growing success. Products that are [all natural] and ['free from'] are on the rise as consumers become more conscientious of food labels. As a brand that has always carried these high standards, I look forward to putting Coleman Natural in the forefront of consumer’s minds,” said Bridges.

Bridges lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two children.

Source: Coleman Natural Foods