Across a thirty year career, John has developed successful marketing programs for leading companies and their brands across multiple industries. His work includes Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, AFLAC, Piggly Wiggly, Cheerwine, Minute Maid and Marriott.  He has a deep knowledge of the food and beverage industry, hospitality and health insurance - with extensive experience working with local businesses, repositioned brands, new product launches, and test market program development and execution.

During eleven years at The Coca-Cola Company, John’s collaborative style and innovative approach helped deliver sales increases at retail while improving brand equity measures. He leveraged the company’s national marketing investments to develop distinctive programs that connected with both consumers and retailers.  And he gained valuable experience through partnerships with ESPN, Facebook, Time Warner, FOX and CBS in development of branded content for radio, television, web and social media. He’s well-versed in negotiating and maximizing value from sponsorships, having worked on Coke’s investment in the Olympic Games, NASCAR, FIFA World Cup, NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB.  

But his heart has always been working with family businesses that strive to make a difference.  Working with Coca-Cola bottlers and their local advertising agencies in just about every US market, he found new ways of applying fundamental marketing principles to create winning results for the bottling families that had supported their local communities for generations.

Working with the Wild American Shrimp association, he helped bolster an important domestic industry along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Shrimpers were under siege from a glut of imported, farmed product designed to maximize profits for corporate restaurant chains at the expense of shrimping families.

A South Carolina native, Padgett returned home in 2011 to lead marketing efforts for Piggly Wiggly Carolina Company.  His team launched the “Local Since Forever” campaign, and multiple retail sales-building programs, and was responsible for all aspects of the company’s ground-breaking local product initiative, sponsorships and community outreach.John lives in Mt. Pleasant, SC and is the proud father of four amazing people. 

marketing strategy / PARTNER, CEO

JOHN PADGETT

A Creative Marketing Agency

Copyright 2021. The Padgett Smith Project, LLC. All rights reserved.


John lives in Mount Pleasant and is a father of four, golfing nut and avid local product and business advocate.

THE PADGETT SMITH PROJECT

team@padgettsmith.com

Post Office Box 13471 | Charleston, SC 29422