Brian Stephenson: Vice President of Marketing | Award-Winning Brand Strategist, Experiential Specialist & Lifestyle Marketing Leader | Former: American Metal * PepsiCo * Reedpop * Snowsports Industries America * Airwalk in Ridgefield, CT

Brand Strategy & Identity: Spearheaded the distillation of American Metal's brand identity and story, translating the vision of legendary custom builder Josh Allison into a powerful market presence. This resulted in high-profile features in industry publications such as Cyclesource, Gnarly, Linkage, DicE, American Whiskey Magazine and more, reinforcing brand credibility and audience engagement. Award-Winning Whiskey Launch & Market Expansion: Orchestrated the full-scale launch of American Metal Whiskey, collaborated with the team on taste and packaging while also leading art direction, copywriting, digital marketing, GTM strategy, POS development, and website execution. The brand’s innovative positioning and marketing strategy were recognized with: People’s Choice Award (Wausau Coated Products Label Awards) Gold (2024 ASCOT Awards for label design) Double Platinum (2024 ASCOT Awards for marketing, promotion & brand strategy—highest honor) Platinum (2024 ASCOT Awards for whiskey taste profile) 92/100 Score (2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge) Growth-Driven Marketing & Digital Strategy: Leveraged data-driven digital advertising (Meta & Google Ads), e-commerce (Shopify), and analytics (Google Analytics) to optimize customer acquisition, retention, and conversion. Managed agency partnerships and cross-channel campaigns, driving increased brand awareness, engagement, and revenue growth. Experiential Marketing & Consumer Engagement: Led experiential marketing activations, including high-profile industry events, live tastings, and brand collaborations, amplifying consumer touchpoints and fostering strong brand loyalty. Executive Producer – Award-Winning Documentary: Served as an Executive Producer of "Lean In: The Born Free Journey", an acclaimed documentary that was selected for five leading film festivals and won Best Director – Short Documentary at the 2024 Chain NYC Film Festival.

Managed budget for marketing and sponsorships of sports properties and athletes for Mountain Dew, Amp Energy, and SoBe. Developed a portfolio plan for all brands while maintaining distinct action sports strategies for each brand. Managed team of agencies to implement marketing efforts including athlete branding, property sponsorships, TV and digital content development, media programming, and retail execution. Oversaw the integration and activation of action sports programs with internal brand teams to enhance brand equity and reach target demographics. Negotiated winter resort contracts, created custom branded signage, premiums, and activation items. Negotiated high-profile agreements with key partners, including NBC (Winter Dew Tour), Fuel TV, Burton Snowboards, and leading mountain resorts, ensuring premium visibility and value for each brand. Conceptualized and launched the Dew Underground studio as an innovative on-site asset for the Winter Dew Tour, overseeing its lifecycle from ideation to activation with engaging art, music, and lifestyle content distributed through NBC, MTV2, and Fuel TV, with online vignettes, interstitials, and iTunes podcasts driving extensive audience engagement.

Developed the sports marketing strategy, enhanced brand personality and increased credibility for all SoBe Beverages brands. Managed budget for marketing and sponsorship of sports properties and athletes for SoBe. Lead brainstorming sessions for new product ideas, names, flavor profiles and go-to-market strategies. Managed 17-member professional grassroots marketing team. Spearheaded all athlete and event sponsorship contract negotiations. Directed all outside agency relationships. Created custom brand signage, premiums and activation items. Managed marketing partnerships with Burton Snowboards, Jeep, etnies footwear, Cannondale Bicycles, The Surfrider Foundation, Okemo resort and others.

Managed sales and marketing for Airwalk’s winter sports, skateboarding, and mountain biking divisions—driving brand visibility and retail growth through athlete partnerships, promotional materials, and in-store activations. Retail & Brand Marketing: Created standout in-store promotions, direct mail campaigns, and seasonal marketing materials that boosted product visibility and drove engagement with key action sports accounts. Athlete & Event Activation: Partnered with pro athletes and team managers to deliver on-site experiences—autograph signings, demos, and retail appearances that built brand loyalty and community presence. CRM & Process Improvement: Built and managed a vital accounts database, streamlining communications and improving sales team responsiveness.