Dive Brief:
- Lifestyle brand Eastside Golf named Annette Parker its first head of marketing effective last week, according to a company news release.
- Parker reports to Eastside Golf’s founding partners, CEO Earl Cooper and Creative Director Olajuwon Ajanaku. She will lead the brand’s marketing initiatives and storytelling, including its mission to challenge traditional narratives around the sport, per the release.
- Parker comes from Creative Artists Agency, where she spent over eight years as a sports marketing executive and drove the agency’s golf business. While there, she formed a working relationship with Eastside Golf in 2021, helping to scale the brand from infancy to its current status, according to the release.
Dive Insight:
Over the past several years, Parker has spearheaded efforts for Eastside Golf on several fronts, including the marketing of its annual golf tournament, which benefits golf programs at historically Black colleges and universities. Parker also has assisted with Eastside Golf's Community Golf Days, a series of events sponsored by Mercedes Benz, Bridgestone and the PGA Tour.
“Joining Eastside Golf is an incredible opportunity to continue reshaping how golf is consumed, positioned, and experienced,” Parker said in the release. “I viewed this not just as something that I wanted to do but rather something I needed to do, as I understand the unique opportunity and mission in front of this company. Since first learning about Earl and Olajuwon's work in the summer of 2020, I have been inspired by their authentic approach to celebrating all aspects of golf culture and their commitment to making the sport more accessible and diverse.”
Eastside Golf has been growing its footprint through a series of partnerships and collaborations. The brand recently partnered with Nordstrom to sell some of its men’s apparel — including its Swingman sweatshirt, hats, sweaters and polos — on its website and at two of the retailer’s flagship stores, in New York City and Los Angeles.
The brand also introduced a unisex golf shoe collaboration with Nike that includes the Victory Tour 3 and Air Max shoes, which retail for $210 and $180, respectively. After launching its first retail pop up last September in New York, Eastside Golf is planning a second store this coming fall in a site to be announced.
“Annette has been instrumental in Eastside Golf’s growth since 2021, quickly becoming a trusted advisor and helping us navigate key partnerships that have elevated our brand,” Earl Cooper, Eastside Golf CEO said in the release. “Her deep understanding of both the golf industry and our mission to create positive change in this sport makes her the ideal leader to help write the next chapter of our story.”
