Gatorade lures new CMO from Nike

Gatorade has lured a Nike exec and former National Football League player as its next chief marketing officer. Kalen Thornton, a longtime Nike employee who most recently was VP in North America for the sportswear giant’s men’s brands, joins the PepsiCo-owned brand as it attempts to continue its market share dominance in the sports drink category in the face of spirited competition from upstarts including Bodyarmor and Biosteel. Thornton played linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys in the early 2000s then went on to earn an MBA at Stanford. He joined Nike nearly 10 years ago, according to his LinkedIn page. His professional sports experience could serve him well at Gatorade, which has a long history of working with pro athletes in its marketing and product development. He replaces Andrew Hartshorn, who left Gatorade last year and is now at Danone, according to his LinkedIn profile. “Kalen brings over a decade of experience leading breakthrough, athlete-centric marketing strategies. His extensive knowledge of the industry and background working with some of the most elite athletes in the world will help push Gatorade’s mission of fueling athletic performance in new and exciting ways,” Brett O’Brien, senior VP and general manager at Gatorade, said in a statement. “He shares our commitment to putting the athlete at the core of everything we do, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the Gatorade team.” Thornton in a statement said: “It’s a privilege to join a brand like Gatorade that has such a rich backstory and unwavering commitment to leveraging science-based innovation to fuel athletes everywhere. I look forward to working alongside the great minds at Gatorade to continue to grow the brand and help athletes stay at the top of their game.” Gatorade and Bodyarmor have been engaged in an arms race when it comes to signing top sports endorsers. Body Armour’s roster includes Mike Trout, Naomi Osaka, Dustin Johnson, Mookie Betts and Megan Rapinoe. Gatorade has a long track record of star-led marketing using A-Listers including Serena Williams and Michael Jordan. The two marketers are also competing on the product development front, with both brands touting newer, lower-sugar options—Gatorade’s Bolt24 and Bodyarmor’s new Lyte variety. Gatorade still has a sizable lead in the sports drink category, with 72% volume share, compared with nearly 7% share from Bodyarmor, according to data from Beverage Digest for the first nine months of 2020.

Gatorade lures new CMO from Nike

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