CMA Member Spotlight: Eric Meth,
Chief Strategy Officer, Surfside
Member Eric Meth, Chief Strategy Officer at Surfside, provides insight into his role and his choice to become a member of Cannabis Marketing Association.
What is the nature of your day-to-day job?
I look after Surfside’s sales, business development, and strategic partnership initiatives.
What brought you to the cannabis industry?
I saw a clear opportunity in 2017 to transfer 25 years of CPG/Pharma/Spirits/FMCG marketing experience to an underserved industry, particularly around utilizing consumer shopping & behavioral data and attribution measurement of digital media campaigns. Additionally having the ability to educate active and potential consumers and patients on the wellness benefits of cannabis as both a medical patient and adult-use consumer for many years.
What do you bring to the cannabis marketing community?
A consultative partnership approach to create long-standing and effective relationships to help marketers reach new consumers and grow their businesses.
What do you want your peers to know about you?
If we ever dine together, I consider myself a “daring omnivore” – no food aversions or allergies. I’ll try anything…..once. Maybe the same applies if we’re sharing a cannabis session.
Tell us a bit about your personal relationship with cannabis. How do you use it?
Cannabis either goes on me or in me in one way, shape or form on a daily basis. It’s part of my wellness regimen to help with sleep/stress,/sports recovery opposed to traditional OTC and pharmaceutical options. Additionally, cannabis has been an effective alternative to alcohol consumption for me, leading to a healthier personal lifestyle.
How has your job changed since cannabis was deemed essential? What does cannabis being deemed essential mean to you?
Particularly since the start of the pandemic, cannabis’ essential designation has accelerated the growth of the industry. And in many ways, it has also accelerated many operator’s understanding of the importance of effective marketing strategies and data analytics to understand their consumers, increase their customer acquisition volume and importance of measuring what matters. Cannabis being deemed essential to me means one more reason to move beyond the unnecessary and socially unjust and inequitable prohibition of the plant.
Why did you join CMA?
To take advantage of a forum of like-minded marketers, promote Surfside through educational platforms, and to network/meet more industry peers, prospective partners and new friends.
What is your favorite part of being a CMA member?
Having the ability to meet a wide variety of industry veterans to learn from, as well as discover and welcome new people into this great industry.
CMA’s mission is to bring a positive perception to, and authentic understanding of, cannabis and its consumers around the world. How are you working to bring a positive perception to cannabis and its consumers?
Sharing personal and secondary anecdotes of how cannabis has improved my well-being and the wellness of others and dispelling the stigmas and myths associated with the plant. Additionally heightening the awareness of the need for social justice and social equity as we continue to build and grow a purpose-driven industry that goes well beyond monetary reasons.
Connect with Eric Meth on LinkedIn!
To read more member content, view CMA’s Blog here.
