Wakefern promotes own brands executive, adds social media leader
Wakefern Food is welcoming new leadership in brand strategy and advertising. The company has promoted Laura Kind to vice president of brand strategy, and hired Ranjana Choudhry as vice president of advertising and social media.
Kind has been with the company since December 2018 when she joined the retailer-owned cooperative as director of own brands marketing and packaging, where she played a central role in the positioning and launch of the company’s two newest own brand lines, Bowl & Basket and Paperbird. Store Brands covered the brands' launch as part of its December cover profile on Wakefern's private label strategy.
Her new role will task Kind with strategic brand management for Wakefern’s ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market and Gourmet Garage banners, with a focus on shaping their brand identities and differentiating them in the marketplace.
Before joining Wakefern, Kind was director of brand at Jet.com, where she built Jet’s private label brand and won several awards for its packaging and design. She also has previously held marketing leadership roles at Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Choudhry, who joined the company in March, brings more than 25 years of global marketing and communications leadership experience to the retailer. She will lead the development of marketing and digital content strategies that harness the brands’ promotions and introduce new campaigns across advertising and digital channels.
Choudhry’s experience includes time at Grey Advertising, as well as WPP, a multinational ad agency where she led more than 400 colleagues in 220 countries in Asia, India, Africa, Eurasia, Europe, Latin America and North America for Colgate-Palmolive brands.