Ryan McLain
Global Brand & Marketing Leader | Strategic Growth & Cultural Leadership
- Role
- Director of Marketing at Ernie Ball Music Man
- Location
- San Francisco, CA, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Ryan McLain
Global brand and marketing leader with 25 years of experience building and evolving a category-defining musical instrument brand.As Director of Marketing at Ernie Ball and Ernie Ball Music Man, I lead global brand strategy and execution across product, creative, content, artist relations, experiential, retail, and digital. I partner with sales and product leadership to align positioning and go-to-market strategy with long-term business objectives.I am accountable for annual global marketing planning, budget, and investment strategy, setting allocation priorities and performance expectations.In addition to leading marketing, I contribute to company-wide strategic planning, organizational alignment, AI adoption, and operational structure. My role centers on bringing clarity to complex environments, defining priorities, strengthening accountability, and ensuring strategy translates into disciplined execution.I believe brands earn equity by staying culturally relevant and creatively bold.
Experience
Director of Marketing
Jul 2020 — Present · Larkspur, CA, US
Lead global brand strategy and execution for a privately held organization distributed in over 135 countries, with focused oversight across core international markets.Direct a 12-person cross-functional marketing team spanning product, creative, content, artist relations, experiential, retail, and digital. Stabilized and strengthened the department during a period of significant turnover, building a high-retention, performance-driven team.Drive integrated go-to-market strategy in partnership with sales and product leadership, supporting retail expansion, SKU growth, and sustained commercial performance across key accounts.Developed and scaled global merchandising and retail display programs, contributing to sustained incremental growth across major retail partners.Relaunched legacy brand platforms and experiential initiatives, including the Ernie Ball Vans Warped Tour Battle of the Bands, reinforcing cultural relevance and artist engagement.Expanded digital and direct-to-consumer capabilities, including performance marketing initiatives and the launch of a custom 3D instrument builder.Oversee original content initiatives, including the Big Sound video series, strengthening brand storytelling and audience growth.Lead creative and marketing strategy for NAMM, the industry’s largest global trade initiative.
Education
California State University, Chico
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Music
1998 — 2000
Cuesta College
Associate of Arts (AA)
Skills
- Video
- Music
- Sales
- Merchandising
- Leadership
- Music Industry
- Production Management
- Retail
- Sponsorship
- Budgeting
- Special Projects
- Editing
- Brand Activation
- Tour Management
- Production
- Recording Engineering
- Event Management
- Post Production
- Audio Engineering
- Digital Marketing
- Photography
- Technical Direction
- Experiential Marketing
- Mobile Staging
- Professional Audio
- Social Media
- Festivals
- Trade Show Production
- Event Marketing
- Film
- Video Production
- Drums
- Concerts
- Marketing
- Project Management
- Guitar
- Strategic Partnerships
- Creative Direction
- Content Development
- Trade Show Exhibitor
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