Web and art director, red mountain, b.c. Age: 28 Push to The Latest: No Education: B.A. Multimedia, concentration in Graphic Design and Web Development/Design, California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Calif. First job in the industry: ski instructor Super power: The ability to change my super powers at will. Six-word bio: Passionate, enthusiastic, design-loving, music-crazy ski bum."

THE NOMINATION

Erik’s passion for the sport and technology, combined with his incredible skills as an art director and web developer, have propelled Red Mountain to exponential brand growth. This, in part, has led to record financial years for Red. With entertainment at the heart of our messaging, Erik conceptualizes, designs and builds all our customer- and B2B-facing marketing materials, including our latest website. Erik has an incredible focus on the customers’ experiences, and that, combined his cheeky irreverence, has increased our customer’s satisfaction with our brand.

—Fran Richards, VP marketing, Red Mountain, B.C.

The Interview

Tell us about your approach to marketing: you’ve injected humor into the Red brand and it seems you have a very specific vision for it.

We want to communicate our unique experience at Red with the audience that we believe would enjoy it the most. Our vision is to create a specifically curated experience for our guests that involves not only our incredible terrain for die-hard skiers and veteran skiing families, but to craft a ski resort for the next generation of skiers, providing entertainment such as concerts and beer festivals to complement the vibe of our resort and funky town. It's all about having fun, and we want our audience to realize that.

What do you think your team at Red does better than anyone else?

We don't ever want to take ourselves too seriously. And with that voice we can capture our audience and show them that fun vibe is alive and well in our funky little ski town. In the end, we value the uniqueness of our resort, location, and town, and we want to reflect that with whatever we do. We think we do a good job standing out in that aspect.

Can you describe your approach to creating new marketing materials and initiatives at Red?

We like to laugh and we like to ski (and ride!) and we love being able to mold those together to create something that lingers in someone's mind a bit longer than a price offer and a stock photo of smiling people. Our team's ability to build ideas and strategies off of each other, the network of passionate creatives and innovative brands we connect with, and our team's diverse backgrounds are all places that provide inspiration for creating new initiatives and materials for Red (and the occasional internet cat meme, of course).

What gets you fired up about coming into work every day?

For starters, I love the opportunity—and the need—to wear multiple hats within our company. The idea that I can come into the office and be working on a variety of projects at any given time keeps me on my toes and keeps things new and fresh. And while it can be overwhelming from time to time, it’s incredibly rewarding. I'm fortunate to work for a ski resort that values the enjoyment of the sport, the culture, and the lifestyle and doesn't take itself too seriously. When a strong passion and belief in the resort and our position in the industry back the finished product, it makes what I do so much more enjoyable.