Boost Drinks appoints new Category Controller

Leeds-based Boost Drinks has appointed Mark Wilford to the role of Category Controller following successful growth for the business this year. The appointment comes as Boost launches the brand’s largest ever marketing investment in the £1.2 million Choose Now campaign.

In his new role, Wilford will help provide strategic category insight to guide future direction for the brand. Using shopper, trade and category expertise, he will spearhead the brand’s growth plans and identify new opportunities.

Having entered the ready-to-drink coffee category earlier this year, Boost is committed to continuing to grow the functional and soft drinks categories and Wilford’s expertise in the space will play a key role in helping the brand achieve its goal.

During his career, Wilford has continuously added value and assisted in the development of many well-known names across the FMCG sector – Nestle, Hallmark and The Body Shop to name a few – and most recently worked on the John West brand.

Simon Gray, Founder and Managing Director of Boost Drinks, commented on the promotion, saying: “A first for us here at Boost, we’ve created the role of Category Controller in order to drive brand growth, we’re delighted to bring Mark on board and can’t wait to really get started. Boost has always prided itself on our challenger-brand status and as we move forward we want to ensure that we don’t rest on our laurels. It’s important that we’re always looking for new opportunities where the brand can make a real difference for our customers.

“As the only brand that continues to sell exclusively through the independent retail sector, it’s important that the category insight Mark provides filters out to retailers and wholesalers, too. We’re passionate about supporting local retailers and Mark’s appointment will help us continue to put them first, offering them advice to maximise sales based on solid insight.”

Commenting on his appointment, Mark Wilford said: “It’s great to be joining the team here at Boost. In a year that has been unlike any in living memory it’s important that brands look to the future and identify new opportunities. Boost is doing exactly that and I can’t wait to implement a growth agenda that will truly focus on adding value to our customers and the soft drinks and functional drinks categories.”

Boost Drinks has doubled the size of its marketing team in the last twelve months. Wilford’s appointment builds on the recent restructure that has seen Kim Jacks join as senior brand manager. Additionally, Harley Beecroft has been appointed Senior Product Development Manager, acting as a guardian for the entire Boost product range. Beecroft’s role includes new product development as well as technical oversight of the brand’s existing SKUs.