Whitney Port has some big plans for your family and what you bring home from the grocery store.
The former star of MTV reality series “The Hills” and “The City” has been named the chief branding and strategy officer for 1908 Brands, the Boulder, Colorado-based food and home products manufacturer that acquired her women’s nutrition company, Bundle Organics, in July 2018.
“Once [1908 Brands CEO Steve Savage] saw the value I bring to Bundle, he thought it would be appropriate for me to take on that role for 1908 as a whole,” Port told Busines Insider.
Ports says her own life has placed her in a position to take on this new challenge. After three years of dating, in 2015, Port married Tim Rosenman, a former producer on “The City” (which followed Port’s life after she moved from Los Angeles to New York City). And last summer, they welcomed a baby boy to the family, Sonny Sanford.
“For me it’s really important, because I have a young family, I have a one and a half year old, and all the products that are in my home have a lot of thought behind it now,” she said. “It’s important for me for the products to be clean, nontoxic, eco-friendly. I have a huge stake in that, so it’s personal and professional to me. So I thought I could be an asset to Steve in that way, because I’m one of those people who has a need for these products, but want them a certain way.”
After her TV career, which included the MTV shows and serving as a judge for “Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model,” Port built a reputation as a lifestyle expert, with 1.3 million followers on Instagram. Over the years, the University of Southern California graduate founded her own fashion label, Whitney Eve, and later co-founded Bundle Organics – a line of nutrition products for pregnant and nursing mothers, and women trying to conceive – with business partner John Mascari.
1908 Brands aims to provide tastier, healthier, and cleaner products for customers.Courtesy of 1908 BrandsNow, she’ll expand her role from Bundle organics to the entire family of 1908 Brands, which includes Boulder Clean, Thrive Tribe, Fruitivity Snacks, Schultz’s Gourmet, Three Bears, and Pasta Jay’s. In her new role, Port will be responsible for propelling the family of brands to ensure their “future fit” in the changing market place, breaking new ground, and providing brand leadership. She will also help to drive brand and product innovation, sponsorships, advertising and social media.
1908 Brands was founded in 2010 by Steve Savage, the former founder and CEO of Eco-Products.1908 BrandsAs CEO, Savage noticed the value Port brought to Bundle Organics and has set out his own vision for what she can do for the company as a whole.
“Can Whitney help us develop a ‘why’ when it comes to our brands and can that ‘why’ resonate with today’s consumers,” he told INSIDER of how he’ll measure Port’s success.
“Today’s consumer is really interested in why does a brand exist. Of course, the brand needs to check the boxes as far as price, and customer experience, and efficacy when it comes to Boulder Clean and taste great when it comes to food brands. So those boxes you check, but Whitney needs to really help our marketing team and myself develop a ‘why’ in the brand.”
Port tells us that her first order of business will be the brands’ outward appeal to consumers, which includes packaging, its social media messaging, its website, and its relationship with customers.
“It’s really all about how our products can become more modern and more current, and look and feel good in the home,” she explained. “I think there are so many companies out there that have awesome products, but they can be very sterile and the packaging isn’t great, the colors are super bright. I want them to look like they’re curated products within the home.”
She continued, “I also want to be a sense of support for new moms, especially with Bundle, I think as a whole with 1908 Brands, we want to spread knowledge and we want to spread support, about what being a young family feels like, what being a new mom feels like, so that we can be a hub for information and advice, as well as providing a service with the products that we sell.”
That’s her immediate vision, but Port’s long-term goal is to continue finding solutions for others inspired by her own family’s needs.
“I hope to continue to develop innovative products,” she said. “That’s something I’m very passionate about. I just feel like I constantly have fresh new ideas and things that I need that I’m realizing on a daily basis that aren’t out there, and I’m excited to create those with 1908.”
[“source=businessinsider”]