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Christopher Erb

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Christopher Erb
File:Chris Erb, EA SPORTS.jpg
Christopher Erb
Born1972 (age 51–52)
Alma materUniversity of Washington
Occupation(s)Vice President of Brand Marketing, EA SPORTS
EmployerElectronic Arts

Christopher Erb (born June 19, 1972) was the Senior Director of Marketing for the Madden NFL franchise and is currently the Vice President of Brand Marketing at EA SPORTS.

Career

Born in Waverly, New York and raised in Seattle, Washington, Erb is a graduate of the University of Washington. He is best known for his work at EA SPORTS, building its partnership marketing group. Erb began his career in the video game industry in 2000 as a Brand Manager at Wizards of the Coast. While there, he oversaw the development and launches of the Neopets Trading Card Game[1] and the Star Wars Trading Card Game. He also contributed to two MLB Showdown and two NFL Showdown TCG expansions in 2002, as well as the Pokemon and Dungeons & Dragons franchises.

Erb joined EA SPORTS in 2005 as the Senior Director of Marketing for the Madden NFL franchise. While leading the launch of Madden NFL from '06 to '09, he helped redefine the way popular video game franchises are launched and marketed, mirroring that of major theatrical releases.[2] This transition in marketing strategy spawned the events Maddenoliday[3][4] and Maddenpalooza, both of which reinforced the notion that the annual release date of Madden NFL is a day worth celebrating for gamers. The latter of these events - Maddenpalooza - was held in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.[5][6] Erb and his team's work on Madden NFL 07 and 08 was awarded back to back MI6 Best Overall Marketing Campaign Silver Awards. The Madden NFL titles from 2006 to 2009 remain as four of the top 25 selling sports video games of all time in North America.[citation needed]

In 2010, Erb became Vice President of Brand Marketing. In this capacity, he has helped guide the EA SPORTS brand beyond the console through strategic partnerships and licensing deals.[7][unreliable source?] In 2011, EA SPORTS opened retail locations in 3 airports across the country (Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City and Charlotte).[8] In addition to airport stores, EA SPORTS opened its first sports bar in a partnership with Carnival Cruise Lines.[9] In early 2012, EA SPORTS opened another bar location at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas.[10][11] Both bars allow consumers to play EA SPORTS titles on the bar televisions. For his work in this role, he was named to the 2011 iMedia 25 List of Internet Marketing Leaders and Advertisers.[12]

Since 2010, Erb has managed partnerships between EA SPORTS' most popular video game franchises and numerous brands, including McDonald's,[13] Nike,[14] Doritos,[15] Susan G. Komen,[16] Louisana Hot Sauce,[17] and Coors Light.[18] These partnerships have included everything from custom promotional packaging to full product line extensions, including custom gaming headsets created in partnership with Monster and Madden NFL flavored chips by Doritos.[19][20][21] Other partnerships have included those with professional sports leagues, including a weekly gaming tour that traveled with and mirrored NFL games.[22]

In 2012, Erb was announced as one of Brand Innovators' "40 Under 40", a recognition of his team's work to transform EA SPORTS into a lifestyle brand that interacts socially with its consumers year round.[23][24] The list, compiled annually, recognizes the achievements of brand marketers in digital media and emerging advertising technologies.

File:Chris Erb at Tedx Cincy 2012.jpg
Chris Erb at Tedx Cincy 2012

In addition to his role at EA SPORTS, Erb gives talks about brand marketing's future in the digital age. In this capacity, he was the keynote speaker at Ad:Tech Sydney in 2012.[25] Most recently, he spoke at Tedx Cincy[26][27] and Business Insider's 2012 Social Media ROI Conference.[28]

Personal life

On August 14, 2007, the launch date of Madden NFL 08, Erb was struck by a car in Time Square while walking home from the official Madden NFL Launch Event. After several months in the hospital, he returned to work on November 1, 2007. Erb currently serves on the Board of Directors for the ACLU of Southern California in a fundraising capacity. He has also been a member of the Brand Innovators Advisory Board since 2010.[29]

Video game credits

Erb has worked on numerous video game titles throughout his career, most notably:

References

  1. ^ Arneson, Erik. "Neopets Trading Card Game".
  2. ^ Radd, David. "Madden's Back". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  3. ^ Johnson, Greg. "Season Begins for 'Madden' Fans". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  4. ^ High, Kamau. "EA Readies Madden 08 Launch". AdWeek. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  5. ^ Fisher, Eric. "Rose Bowl to host new 'Maddenpalooza'". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  6. ^ Fahey, Mike. "EA's Maddenpalooza Maddetailed". Kotaku.
  7. ^ "EA SPORTS Adapts to Emerging Technologies and Emerging Play Styles". Brand Approved Blog. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  8. ^ Baar, Aaron. "EA SPORTS Creating Real World Experiences". Marketing Daily. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  9. ^ Gaudiosi, John. "EA SPORTS Sets Sail With Carnival for Interactive Funship 2.0 Gaming". Digital Trends. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  10. ^ Gaudiosi, John. "Electronic Arts Expands EA SPORTS Bar From Carnival Cruise Ships to Las Vegas Cosmopolitan Hotel". Forbes.com. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  11. ^ "Cosmopolitan Hotel Press". Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  12. ^ "2011 iMedia 25 - Internet Marketing Leaders and Innovators". Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  13. ^ "McDonald's Monopoly Commercial". Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  14. ^ Kr, Aaron. "EA SPORTS x Nike: Behind the Scenes". Sneaker News. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  15. ^ "Doritos and EA SPORTS Brings 3-D to Madden NFL 11". The Business Journals. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  16. ^ "EA Fights Breast Cancer". Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  17. ^ "EA SPORTS Teams with Hot Sauce for Football and Gulf Cleanup". Chief Marketer. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  18. ^ Gaudiosi, John. "Coors Light Wants Your Face in the Next Madden Game". Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  19. ^ "EA SPORTS & Monster Headphones: A Meeting of Giants". Hypebeast. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  20. ^ "Doritos Brings Fans Madden NFL-Inspired Flavored Chips". PR Newswire. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  21. ^ "Interview: EA SPORTS and Monster Discuss How The "MVP Carbon" Headset Isn't Just For Gaming". Complex. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  22. ^ "Electronic Arts Introduces Fans to NFL Football Rivalries in True Gaming Fashion". Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  23. ^ "2012 Brand Innovators '40 Under 40'". Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  24. ^ "Move Over, Basements of America. EA SPORTS Explains to Us Why Video Games Are Now Social". Bro Bible. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  25. ^ "2012 Ad:Tech Sydney Keynote Speech". Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  26. ^ "Tedx Talks". TED.com. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  27. ^ "Tedx Cincy 2012 Speeches - Chris Erb". Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  28. ^ Pennell, Arden. "Ford, Gap, Jack Daniel's: Check Out The Brands Speaking at 'Social Media ROI'". Business Insider. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  29. ^ "Brand Innovators Advisory Board". Retrieved 4 June 2012.

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