Reef, DC Shoes, Sanuk & the Road to Becoming a CMO with Michael Minter

Michael Minter has had a very successful career as a creative marketer working with some of the world’s largest footwear brands.  Michael is currently the CMO of Reef, a 40-year-old legendary sandal brand that has recently seen an expansion in its product catalog and growth in eCommerce sales.  Prior to Reef, Michael was the Global Head of Marketing for DC Shoes, leading many of the company’s iconic collaborations with the likes of the Andy Warhol foundation and the Mandalorian. 

Michael and I discuss how his upbringing in the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea allowed him to approach brand marketing from a very unique perspective. We talk about his formal educational training first at SCAD followed by San Diego State University, and Michael provides his advice for anyone looking to become a CMO or creative director.

This podcast was a lot of fun for me, because I also got to geek out on skate, snow, and surf culture, and we debate the topic of keeping aging sponsored pros on the payroll or not. Both of us disagree slightly on the topic, but it makes for some interesting takeaways for brands.

If you are interested in creative, marketing, brand positioning, partnerships and collaborations, then you will enjoy this episode.  

Discussion Topics:

(1:34) Growing up in Papua New Guinea.

(4:35) How an analog youth in a remote village led to a unique cultural perspective.

(8:20) Brands that Michael admires.

(12:19) The role good creative plays in marketing strategies.

(22:48) Creative education.

(26:28) Advice for trying to become a CMO at a major brand.

(31:06) The importance of collaborations for brand growth.

(43:51) Keeping legendary team riders on the payroll.

(51:29) Working with Ken Block.

(55:26) Growth potential for Reef.

(58:40) Rapid fire.