Eli Kerr
Brand/Marketing Director · GNARLY NUTRITION
Orem, UT
In My Own Words
Fueled by curiosity and a desire to connect meaningful products to consumers through brands that actually give a damn. Company founder and proven leader with experience in taking product ideas from concept to consumer market. Specializing in brand development and marketing strategy. Over 10 years of direct experience building GTM product strategies, developing productive and valuable partnerships, and aligning teams on brand and business goals (they don't have to be exclusive). With a passion for building community-driven and mission-centric brands that not only make kick-ass products but have people at the heart of their work.
I desire to build organizations that allow people to bring their very best selves to the workplace. Provide a place where we can live life as a whole person and refrain from segmenting our lives into different boxes.
I believe we can build organizations that build people through helping them discover their full potential leading them to live more wholly and fully present lives. Cheers to happier, more productive fulfilling, and creative lives. Imagine a place that benefits the person and the organization.
This is accomplished through:
- Mission and value-driven organizations.
- Company organization and culture.
- Leadership and growth opportunities.
- Trust, authenticity, openness, and responsibility.
The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love, and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both. - L.P. Jacks
Work Experience
Founder CEO VP of Marketing
GNARLY NUTRITION2013 – Present
20 years of outdoor industry knowledge and expertise. Clear understanding of roles, functions, and departments required to run and manage a business. Created start-up vision, mission, and all go-to-market strategies. Challenged to build CPG products from the ground up and then introduce the brand to and create a new outdoor sports category. Led all branding and marketing initiatives including three rebrands. ▶ PRODUCT INNOVATION & BRAND LAUNCH: Consumer market research, defined outdoor market, brand strategy, content development, strategic planning, event activation, and partner relationships to successfully launch the brand in 2013. Partnered with R&D and manufacturing team to develop and iterate 30+ SKUs over 10 years. -- Worked alongside Dr Shannon O'Grady (COO) to develop and build consumer trust through label transparency initiatives, sustainable packaging solutions, and education initiatives. We built a brand that people trust. ▶ MARKETING & COMMERCIAL INNOVATION: Pioneered a new sports nutrition category in the outdoor industry. Built a consumer-facing brand trusted by 100s of pro outdoor athletes. Led successful partnerships with USA Climbing, Freetrail and other outdoor brands such as Salomon, Yeti, and Altra. Managed $3M budget including $1M marketing budget. Strategic campaigns supported by professionally produced content that successfully supported business KPIs. ▶ EMAIL, PR, & SOCIAL MEDIA: Built subscription program of 2500 active subscriptions generating $50k in MMR. Led email strategy with a consistent 45% open rate. Manage PR team leading to strong first year affiliate program generating $10k avg monthly sales, strategic SEO impact, and numerous featured articles and awards in leading outdoor publications. Implemented omni-channel content distribution strategy to support blog, social media, email, and website. ▶ EVENT AND ATHLETE ACTIVATION: Implemented an integrated marketing strategy facilitating top of the funnel marketing activities that included sponsoring over 150 fitness/sport events annually with a physical presence at 30+ events, emphasizing community building and brand introduction. Formed a pro athlete/influencer team of 30+, effectively sharing the brand story and expanding reach into new audiences and categories. ▶ CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY & BRAND COMMUNICATIONS: Formed partnerships with and supported organizations that aligned with Gnarly's mission and values. Focused on organizations that establish equity within the outdoor industry. Including organizations that provide increased access to the outdoors and outdoor sports for traditionally marginalized folks (list of organizations available upon request).
▶ RETAIL SALES: Directed outside sales team with sales and marketing strategy. Creating a successful and scalable B2B sales strategy increasing B2B sales 45% YOY. -- In 2016 sold Gnarly into 30+ WholeFoods locations throughout the Rocky Mtn Region. Increased SKUs on shelf from 4 to 8.
Board Member Marketing
SALT LAKE CLIMBERS ALLIANCE2016 – 2019
Invited to join the board as a long time supporter of the mission and purpose of SLCA. Brought marketing and business leadership to a growing successful non-profit organization. Quickly aligned mission of organization with external communication to members, brand partners, and other stakeholders. Helped establish brand partner/sponsor benefits and clearly communicate to sponsors via assets. ▶ CONTENT STRATEGY, CREATION, AND PLANNING: Established omni-channel content strategy that was sustainable and executable for a small resource strapped team. Established content creation process including a content calendar to help the organization communicate clearly and consistently content to their community. Established guidelines to create UGC content that would interact with and establish a local community. ▶ MEMBERSHIP VALUE CREATION: Worked with a team to restructure membership cost structure and benefits programs. Implementation communication strategy of new program through email and social media. ▶ EVENT LOGISTICS: Supported and assisted in management of multiple events each year including two primary fundraisers a year. -- Worked with the events team to introduce the strategy and execution of the new Black Tie Fundraiser event. Hosted party and fundraising auction as MC.
