MATTHEW SMITH
Nike
New York,NY
17
years of professional experience
Senior-level Brand Marketer with over 13 years of experience leading cross-functional teams to develop brand strategies that enhance brand affinity and drive demand. Skilled in negotiating partnerships, managing multi-million-dollar portfolios, and overseeing project budgets to maximize results. Known for building strong consumer connections and executing campaigns with precision for impactful outcomes.
Work History
NA Brand Basketball + Ja Morant Brand | Stretch
4 Months- Directed and managed Knicks' playoff and finals journey, driving brand revenue growth of $3M+.
- Oversaw brand strategy development and execution for JA 4 launch to enhance market presence in North America.
Expert, Brand Marketing Basketball
5 Months- Directed orchestration and planning of chosen 1's NYC tournament to enhance LeBron 23 campaign visibility to an NYC audience..
- Established inaugural Nike Class Crown high school basketball team, reviving New York All-City high school accolade after a 20-year absence.
- Cross functionally led the amplification of the NYC HS Basketball City championships to enhance Nike's storytelling of key seasonal basketball models.
Sr. Manager, Brand Marketing Basketball
1 Year- Oversee Nike Basketball's NYC $1.7M partnership portfolio across leagues & high schools.
- Co-led NYC basketball 365 social content on @nyvsvy and continued online show Baseline Banter, enhancing audience engagement.
- Partnered with NA Comms to develop media plans for NYC Basketball, supporting strategic brand visibility.
Lead, Brand Marketing Basketball
2 Years 1 Month- Negotiated & facilitated multi-year brand partnerships with the Catholic High School Athletic Association & the PSAL (the largest public school athletic conference in the US).
- Spearheaded 2024 annual basketball brand plan, aligning strategy and marketing goals to enhance brand presence for upcoming fiscal year.
- Created Swoosh Classic, annual high school basketball showcase that drove 100% sell-thru of KD 15 'Brooklyn Courts' colorway and enabled refurbishment of NYC public high school gym in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
- Assisted Sports Marketing Team in executing high school NIL athlete deals, enhancing brand partnerships and athlete visibility.
- Led High School athlete selection & experience journey for Nike's World Basketball Festival.
- Brand lead for NYvsNY season 5 HS summer league tournament, which resulted in 24 million total impressions across Nike-owned social channels.
North America Brand Manager - Brand Defining, Purpose, Athlete Marketing
1 Year 9 Months- Led the North America digital strategy for the Global launch of the KD 14 signature shoe launch.
- Co-managed brand planning and launch of 2021 Puerto Rican capsule collection for North America celebrating Nuyorican culture, resulting in $3M in sales.
- Co-authored Athlete Planning for relevant New York City elite athletes, Kyrie Irving, Sabrina Ionescu & Saquon Barkley.
- Led the end-to-end launch of Saquon Barkley's Air Trainer 3 PE launch that drove over 3M total impressions across Nike's owned channels. Partnered with retail (Upnyc), sport (NFL), culture (Kith) & gaming (EA) to authentically amplify storytelling through digital executions. This resulted in 100% sell-thru of the footwear over a 3 day period.
- Orchestrated the digital celebration of 2021 WNBA Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere, through a unique Nike-only custom seeding kit that included individual elements of her sports career & cultural upbringing.
- Managed partnerships with NBA and WNBA teams, including Brooklyn Nets and NY Liberty, to strengthen brand presence in key markets.
Brand Manager - Basketball | Stretch
8 Months- Facilitated NYC's celebration of high school basketball through digital storytelling that surpassed our brand's social channel benchmark engagement rate of 7%. This seasonal plan also allowed us to execute Nike NY's first IRL activation back since the pandemic.
- Negotiated contracts for basketball partners across NYC and east territory, enhancing partnerships and brand presence.
- Co-led NY vs NY 8-week basketball tournament with integrated physical and digital strategies, boosting community engagement.
- Influenced NA 365 Nike App content by curating NYC stories, increasing local relevance and audience connection.
North America Brand Director - Brand Defining, Purpose & Athletes | Stretch
1 Month- Co-authored our NYC Team strategy that serves as our guiding playbook for our marketing efforts across Brand Management, Consumer Direct Marketing & Brand Creative.
- Led & set team priorities, work-streams & team member development for the fall & holiday seasons.
- Managed & allocated team budget across fall & holiday seasons.
Basketball Brand Specialist
9 Months- Adapted strategic marketing strategies during COVID-19 & co-led the relaunch of the NY vs NY social channel that drove brand awareness.
- Develop & drive seasonal marketing strategies & plan key Nike Basketball product launches throughout NY & East Territory.
- Oversaw business & marketing growth opportunities for girls/women's basketball in NYC, fostering community engagement.
Cross Category Brand Specialist
2 Years- Facilitated brand partnership with FC Harlem Soccer Club, securing deals for apparel sponsorship, digital storytelling, brand activations, and pitch refurbishment.
- During the 2018 Masters through performance marketing efforts we yielded the biggest Nike Golf week ever on NIKE.COM of $1.1M, a +77% from the year prior.
- Ideated & executed the “Queen of the Court” activation that spotlighted Serena Williams alongside designer, Virgil Abloh, who designed her apparel & footwear collection. This resulted in 3.1M social engagements across athlete & partner channels & drove $33K in sales of footwear through retail & digital platforms.
- Launched Saquon Barkley's signature product collection, partnering with EA Sports to create an influencer marketing challenge that generated 2M impressions and 300K views across Twitch, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
- During the backdrop of the World Cup 2018, I identified & oversaw local designer/artist partnerships that resulted in a 34% increase in sales of jerseys at the Nike Makers Studio.
- Led the launch of the New York Jets jersey redesign that resulted in the highest total sales & sell-through of any Nike x NFL jersey redesign.
- Co-led $2M stadium refurbishment in Dade County during Super Bowl LIV, enhancing fan experience and venue appeal.
EKIN
6 Years 3 Months- Managed 40+ retail accounts across the Baltimore marketplace to facilitate product education on Nike's most important innovations & provide brand storytelling.
- Organized & executed local brand activations throughout the DMV marketplace.
- Implemented strategic brand marketing strategies at national key brand moments: AF1 35th Anniversary, Air Max Day LA, The Opening, World Basketball Festival, NBA All-Star Weekend, NFL/Nike Launch, Super Bowl XLVII & XLVIII, NBA/Nike Launch, Air Max Con & Innovation Summit.
- Assisted categories in market reporting through consumer insights, market travel & focus groups.
Marketing Manager/Client Services
1 Year 6 Months- Managed & consulted scheduling of all C.E.A. & H.E.H.A.S.E. professional & amateur clients.
- Directed & Coordinated two NBA lockout games & Capitol Elite Invitational Showcase.
- Assisted head trainers at Under Armour Grind Session camp, contributing to the development of athletes and program success.
Digital Marketing/ IT Assistant
- Conducted on-site digital platform player interviews.
- Managed Adidas Nations' social media pages on Facebook and Twitter, engaging followers with regular updates.
- Assisted in preparing daily recaps for camp, highlighting key activities and player performances.
Executive Camp Staff
2 Years 3 Months- Facilitated player services at Reebok-branded grassroots camps and experiences.
- Analyzed regional talent pool to identify potential participants for Reebok grassroots camps and events.
- Supported administrative functions to ensure a high-quality experience for athletes.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Sports Management, Economics
Mini MBA - Digital Marketing
Certificate - Marketing Analytics
Skills
Project Management & Execution
Strong Presentation Skills
Creative Thinking & Idea Generation
Connectivity to Consumers & Youth Culture
Ability to Work in Fast Pace Environment
Organizational Skills
Willingness for Learning Development
Collaborative & Cross Functional Partner
Strong Verbal & Written Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Brand Strategy
Accomplishments
Most Valuable Partnership Nominee - FC Harlem
Issued by ADCOLOR · Jun 2019
Most Innovative Sports & Recs Projects of 2020 - Traz Powell Stadium
Issued by Fast Company
Timeline
NA Brand Basketball + Ja Morant Brand | Stretch
Nike
04.2026 - CurrentRead More
Expert, Brand Marketing Basketball
Nike
11.2025 - 04.2026Read More
Sr. Manager, Brand Marketing Basketball
Nike
10.2024 - 10.2025Read More
Lead, Brand Marketing Basketball
Nike
09.2022 - 10.2024Read More
Brand Manager - Basketball | Stretch
Nike
12.2021 - 08.2022Read More
North America Brand Director - Brand Defining, Purpose & Athletes | Stretch
Nike
08.2021 - 09.2021Read More
North America Brand Manager - Brand Defining, Purpose, Athlete Marketing
Nike
12.2020 - 09.2022Read More
Basketball Brand Specialist
Nike
02.2020 - 11.2020Read More
Cross Category Brand Specialist
Nike
02.2018 - 02.2020Read More
EKIN
Nike
11.2011 - 02.2018Read More
Digital Marketing/ IT Assistant
Adidas Nations
08.2011 - 08.2011Read More
Marketing Manager/Client Services
Capitol Elite Academy/H.E.H.A.S.E. LLC
04.2010 - 10.2011Read More
Executive Camp Staff
Reebok
04.2009 - 07.2011Read More
Howard University
Bachelor of Science from Sports Management, Economics
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Rutgers Business School
Mini MBA from Digital Marketing
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University of Virginia Darden School of Business
Certificate from Marketing Analytics
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