Keen, Inc. hired its first in-house VP of creative, Michael Minter. It also announced the launch of its new Innovation Lab based in Portland, OR. He was most recently global creative director/global director of marketing at Sanuk. Keen said the commitment to connecting deeper with existing and new fans and the energizing of Keen’s unique brand culture is amplified by Minter's hiring. The investment in a state-of-the-art Innovation Lab also reinforces Keen’s commitment to originality. These moves underscore the momentum of Keen as it enters its second decade. The first introduction from Keen’s new Lab is the brand-new UNEEK footwear line, officially launched at the coming Summer Market.
Minter brings years of experience to Keen from the outdoor, action sports, surf and footwear industries. His previous experience includes creative leadership time at ad agencies and influential brands like Sanuk and Billabong. At Sanuk, he led the design and development process as global creative director for nine years. During this time, Minter created big-picture brand-positioning strategies to help drive Sanuk’s substantial sales growth and brand presence.
“Michael is a perfect fit for the future path of Keen,” said Keen President, Steve Meineke, who recently joined the company in June. “He has a strong understanding of the Keen connection to today’s consumers. He also brings unmatched experience in reading and engaging consumer behavior, building creative strategy, and communicating compelling brand stories.”
Minter will manage and orchestrate all of Keen’s brand creative initiatives, with immediate focus on the brand’s continued launch of the groundbreaking UNEEK footwear platform. Michael’s creative storytelling and consumer-building visions for Keen and its mantra of living the HybridLife Create, Play, Care will be elevated through new ideation and injecting fresh perspective and innovation into the brand to connect new and existing fans worldwide.
“Keen is an amazing brand with an exciting future,” said Minter. “There simply aren't many companies out there with the true freedom and fearlessness needed to innovate, push design and keep things interesting. There’s great energy at Keen right now, I’m excited to join the team and help drive that forward.”
