Matthew K. Watts

Building brands for relevance, resilience, and growth.

I’ve spent more than 20 years building and transforming brands at the intersection of culture, creativity, and growth - including Vans, Fender, Amazon, and Hard Rock. I’ve led organizations of 50+ people and more than $100M in annual marketing investment across brand, digital (media, CRM, loyalty, social), DTC/eCommerce, retail, partnerships, talent, and culture.

The work I’m most proud of is the kind that shows up twice: once in the brand’s relevance with consumers, and once in the commercial results.

Most recently, as Vice President / Head of Marketing for Vans Americas, I led the region’s marketing organization through a shift toward a more consumer-first, always-on, digital-led model, helping return the business to growth after four consecutive years of decline. Before that, I spent six years at Fender, where I played a leadership role in the company’s evolution from a $400M instrument manufacturer into a ~$1B global consumer brand.

My path into marketing has never been conventional. I’m also a founding member and guitarist of The Starting Line, a band I helped start in 1999 that has sold more than one million records and remains active today. Before moving fully into brand leadership, I spent seven years in artist management at Red Light Management.

Being a marketer, manager, and working musician has given me an unusual perspective on audiences. I’ve seen the relationship between brands, artists, fans, and culture from nearly every side of the table - and learned that relevance can’t simply be bought. It has to be earned.

Experience

VANS | 2024 - 2026
Vice President / Head of Marketing, Americas
Led Vans Americas marketing across brand & integrated marketing, digital (media, CRM, loyalty), retail/DTC, wholesale, events, creators, talent, and culture. Rebuilt the region’s consumer-first marketing and go-to-market model, helping return the business to growth after four years of decline while advancing “Off the Wall,” Vans Warped Tour, Vans.com, and the creator ecosystem.

FENDER | 2018 - 2024
Senior Vice President, Global Marketing
Played a leadership role in Fender’s evolution from an approximately $400M heritage instrument manufacturer into a ~$1B global, culture-forward consumer brand. Led full-funnel marketing across brand, product, CRM, social, content, media, retail, and artist partnerships, helping grow the brand’s global audience, expand its artist and creator network, and strengthen the connection between cultural relevance and sustained commercial growth.

AMAZON | 2017 - 2018
Head of Music, Entertainment & Media | Amazon Tickets / Prime Live Events
Helped launch Amazon Tickets and Prime Live Events, creating exclusive entertainment experiences and integrating music, talent, and content across Amazon to drive Prime acquisition and engagement.

HARD ROCK INTERNATIONAL | 2014 - 2017
Director of Marketing & Entertainment
Led marketing and entertainment initiatives across 22 hotel and casino properties in 11 countries, connecting music and culture to the guest experience while contributing to significant portfolio growth.

RED LIGHT MANAGEMENT | 2008 - 2014
Artist Manager
Led business and brand strategy for recording artists across touring, partnerships, IP, and revenue - experience that shaped how I think about talent, audiences, culture, and community today.

Music + Culture

THE STARTING LINE

Guitarist · Songwriter · Recording Artist | 1999 - Present

I co-founded The Starting Line during my sophomore year in college while studying Civil Engineering. We’ve sold more than one million records, toured for more than two decades, and continue to write, record, and perform today.

Being a working musician isn’t separate from my marketing career; it has shaped the way I approach it.

I know what it feels like to build an audience one person at a time, to create something people choose to identify with, and to protect the trust that develops between an artist (or brand) and a community. I’ve also been on the other side of enough creator/talent-brand conversations to understand the difference between a real creative partnership and a transactional one.

Those experiences continue to influence how I think about brands, talent, fandom, community, and culture - and why I believe the most enduring growth comes from creating genuine value for the people you’re trying to reach.

How I Lead

Marketing is a team sport.

I lead with clarity, empathy, and accountability. I believe the strongest organizations connect brand, consumer insight, digital, creative, and commercial strategy around a shared understanding of the audience and the business.

My role as a leader is to create that clarity, set a high bar, give talented people room to do their best work, and make sure great ideas ultimately translate into meaningful outcomes.

Get In Touch

I’m always interested in conversations about brands, culture, growth, music, and what comes next.

MatthewKWatts@me.com
linkedin.com/in/matthewkwatts
Los Angeles, California