Brian Smith

About Brian

• I grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York.
• After being inspired by a Nike advertisement when I was a kid, I started becoming interested in marketing.
• My whole family had attended an HBCU, so that was my plan as well.
• I graduated from Hampton University with a degree in sports management because I wanted to be at the intersection of business, culture, and sports.
• After graduating, I moved back to New York and started my career in marketing and advertising—my first few jobs were all in strategic planning, through which I really learned what motivates consumers.
• As I worked for various advertising agencies, I started getting an itch to transition into brand management.
• I got opportunities to work as a brand manager for Diageo and then Pernod Ricard, the largest and second largest spirits companies in the world respectively.
• I was eventually recommended to The Coca-Cola Company, where I currently work as the director of entertainment marketing.