Scott Bedbury

Scott Bedbury is an American advertising executive formerly associated with Nike, Inc. and Starbucks. He is currently a freelance brand consultant, a member of the Board of Directors for Jones Soda, and CEO of Brandstream, Inc. Bedbury was the marketing executive behind Nike's "Just Do It" campaign, and the rebranding of Starbucks.

Early career and education

Bedbury was born in Eugene, Oregon in 1957.^{[citation needed]} He studied journalism at the University of Oregon and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1980.^{[citation needed]} Bedbury was inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Hall of Achievement in 1996.^{[citation needed]} The University of Oregon Alumni Association named him Outstanding Young Alumnus in 1997. After graduating, Bedbury became a product manager for a small food company, but soon moved to "Cole and Weber Advertising" as an account executive.^{[citation needed]}

Nike

In 1987, Bedbury left the agency business to become Nike's worldwide advertising director. During his time at Nike, the brand underwent rapid growth, and overtook Reebok and Adidas to become the number one athletic apparel provider worldwide, grossing in excess of $5 billion dollars annually.^{[citation needed]} In addition, Bedbury also oversaw the "Just Do It", "Air Jordan", "Bo Knows", and many other campaigns that won dozens of major advertising awards, and helped shape the Nike brand image. Aside from athletic advertising, Bedbury also further developed the company's commitment to community with the P.L.A.Y. (Participate in the Lives of America's Youth) campaign,^{[citation needed]} which supports community recreation programs and facilities and encourages young people to participate in sports.

Starbucks

In 1994, Bedbury left Nike to pursue writing a book, and spending more time with his wife and two children.^{[citation needed]} Bedbury sent chapters of his book-in-progress to CEOs at major corporations in the Pacific Northwest, including Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz,^{[citation needed]} who hired Bedbury to help reinvent the current marketing and advertising position of Starbucks. When Bedbury joined the company, Starbucks had 350 stores; in three years the company grew to include several thousand stores, grocery products, and a partnership with United Airlines.^{[citation needed]} In 1996, Starbucks expanded into the Japanese market.^{[citation needed]}

Brandstream

Scott Bedbury returned to consulting and writing in 1998, establishing Brandstream, a global brand development company, and the Fricken Company, a parent of Brandstream. The companies have offices in Kirkland, Washington and a think-tank located in Eugene, Oregon, with a corporate retreat located in Sunriver, Oregon. Brandstream provides a range of services, from global brand development projects to corporate training and speaking engagements. Current and past clients include; Coca-Cola, Russian Standard, Volkswagen Group, Kaiser Permanente, Grupo Modelo, Outback Steakhouse, NASA and Jones Soda.^{[citation needed]} Speaking engagements for Bedbury have included various forums in South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Western Europe, Russia, Australia, Brazil and Mexico.

A New Brand World

Bedbury also authored A New Brand World: 8 Principles for Achieving Brand Leadership in the 21st Century, Published by Viking Press in 2002. Reviewers noted Bedbury's holistic approach to branding as well as his wit and wisdom;^{[citation needed]} internationally known management consultant Tom Peters wrote that it helped him understand why Bedbury is "perhaps the greatest brand maven of our time."^{[citation needed]}