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Bret Kovacs
Connector and Builder of Businesses, Brands, and Communities | Growth, Commerce, Product Development and Marketing
Bret Kovacs is an accomplished and results-driven professional with a diverse background in driving business growth and delivering exceptional outcomes. He has experience in industries like start-ups, media, entertainment, and global retail, with expertise in brand building, product development, and comprehensive commerce strategies. Bret excels in cultivating strong industry relationships, leading high-performing teams, and developing tailored marketing and communication strategies.
At Barstool Sports, Bret Kovacs managed commerce operations, overseeing direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and licensing ventures. He was responsible for creative and design, product development, partnerships, collaborations, events, and customer support. He also played a key role in growing the Southern brand, Old Row, with a focus on social engagement, commerce, and events.
Prior to his time at Barstool Sports, Bret served as the Head of Revenue at BuzzFeed's Product Labs, specializing in developing consumer products and commerce experiences aligned with BuzzFeed's social content expertise. As the CMO of Quirky, Bret led a comprehensive marketing team that handled advertising, digital strategies, partnerships, experiential marketing, PR, video, and content creation.
Before Quirky, Bret grew Action Marketing Group into a globally recognized experiential agency with clients such as Ford, Pepsi, adidas, Moët Hennessy, NBA, and Sony. His strategies focused on consumer engagement through digital, guerrilla, grassroots, mobile tours, PR/celebrity stunts, retail, and influencer seeding.
Bret Kovacs holds an MBA from the University of Denver - Daniels College of Business and a BA from the University of Colorado Boulder. His professional journey includes roles such as EVP & GM, Commerce, Licensing, Consumer Products at Morning Brew, Founding Partner (Acquired) at Auxiliary, and Vice President of Marketing at Quirky Inc. Bret has also been associated with organizations like Self-employed, Freelance, Barstool Sports, BuzzFeed, and Action Marketing Group.
Bret's areas of expertise span across commerce, business development, brand management, consumer product development, supply chain, operations, advertising, customer acquisition/retention, digital/social media strategy, cross-promotional marketing, experiential marketing, strategic partnerships, account management, community growth, product launches, content marketing, public relations, and data analytics.
