Keith Meyer has been working with Timex for several years now and has logged a ton of miles and even met his wife Brooke in the process. Meyer sat down with slowtwitch to share a few details about Timex and himself.
Slowtwitch: Keith, what exactly is your role at Timex?
Keith: As Manager of Event Marketing and Sponsorships for Timex, I am responsible for all of our sport related events and athlete sponsorships. On the events side, I am responsible for evaluating our current and perspective events to ensure we are aligned with our business objectives. I am also responsible for all of our on site and pre/post event activities at the events. On the athlete side I manage Team Sports Inc., who runs the management of our Timex Multisport Team, as well as our Timex Mobile Vehicle that is the heart and soul of the program. I am also going in to my second year of hosting tri clinics internally here at Timex, which concludes with all participants racing in the Pat Griskus sprint triathlon right here in Middlebury, CT. This year we expect to have more than 12 staff members racing, and even more cheering! There is a lot at stake at the Pat Griskus Triathlon since we have a competition with our neighbors down the road, Cannondale and Thule, for what we call the “Corporate Cup.” Thule has the Corporate Cup and we want it back.
ST: Prior to this gig you actually ran the Timex Multisport team through Tom Schuler’s Team Sports out of Wisconsin.
Keith: Yes I did. In fact, I think I logged more miles in the Timex truck than any other manager to date, but I think Tristan Brown, the current manager, is about to surpass me. Those were a few of my best years, where I learned a lot about who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. I give a lot of credit to Tom Schuler for teaching me so much about my job and about life in general. I think my dogs miss that place the most since we would all walk to work together every day and they would hang out in my office and wait for the UPS lady to bring them treats. They were a staple in the office.
ST: Who recruited you to come to “the other side”?
Keith: I can’t say that I was recruited, although that does sound a lot better, but I was a perfect fit to fill the shoes of my good friend Dave O’Brien who was ready to leave Timex at that point. I learned a lot from Dave and we had a lot of really good times out on the road. Funny, I remember asking him if nice jeans and a button down were ok for my interview. I still fit into that suit I bought, which is promising.
ST: How long has Timex been involved with triathlon and Ironman?
Keith: Next year (2011) Timex will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Timex Ironman digital sports watch and we’re the longest running sponsor and licensee of Ironman.
ST: From the Timex perspective, what has changed over the years?
Keith: We have made significant additions to our already robust list of events and sponsorships with the addition of the ING NYC Marathon, which addresses our desire to grow our business internationally. Our global affiliates have really done a great job promoting this in their respective countries and it has really become a global event for Timex. The second big addition is our partnership with the NY Football Giants and the Timex Performance Center. We partnered with the Giants to support our strategy to expand into what we refer to as the “Stick and ball” sports and to increase our awareness of our health and fitness products to this large group of consumers. This sparked the overhaul of our Timex Mobile Vehicle to try and mimic what we are doing in the Timex Performance Center and put it on wheels to share with the entire country. Facebook has become a major part of our marketing plans and especially with our team. It is not only a fun place for all of us to snoop on what our high school friends may be up to, but it has become one of our main marketing tools here at Timex.
ST: It is interesting that Timex sponsors both events and a team. Usually brands decide to do one or the other.
Keith: We are completely dedicated to the sport of triathlon, and I think the depth of our involvement is a strong example of this commitment. Supporting events at the local, national and international levels gives us the opportunity to connect directly with a wide variety of athletes. The team and athlete sponsorships are equally important to us. After nine years, the Timex Multisport Team continues to be the most recognized and strongest triathlon team out there. I have to say, it is great to see so many other companies supporting triathlon teams now which is great for both the athletes and our sport. We feel strongly about supporting a variety of athletes including top professionals, up-and-coming elite athletes and top age group athletes from around the world. These are not just world-class athletes; they also work full-time, juggle family and training, and remain at the top of the sport. As we introduce new products these athletes further support us at the retail level, hosting clinics and group runs/rides. This level of penetration is so valuable for us.
ST: There have always been very strong age groupers on the team and also quite a few good Pros. But it seems a lot tougher to hold on to the Pros.
Keith: Yes, it sure is. We are very proud of the place that we hold in some of these athletes’ lives and consider it an honor to have so many top professionals start their career with our program. It is a great program because we give the professionals all of the tools they need to do their job and to not have to worry about finding sponsors, chasing down paychecks, etc. We just want them to focus on racing. I don’t want to pat myself on the back, but a few of these “hard to keep pro athletes” such as Linsey Corbin and Jordan Rapp come to mind as examples of athletes I signed as age groupers who grew into elite pros. I still remember having a coffee with Jordan at a little bakery below Targetraining in Westport, CT, and I am hoping for a speedy and healthy recovery for Jordan.
ST: There are changes to the look of the team this year in terms of color too. Why the change to red?
Keith: Red has always been our main corporate brand color. If you remember back a few years, we did have red uniforms. And with our switch to our new bike sponsor, Orbea & Shimano, we felt like the time was right for a uniform update as well. After seeing pictures from Oceanside, I can tell you the red really pops!
ST: Maybe I should have asked why orange before?
Keith: Orange is the official color for our Timex Ironman line of products, and since we were mostly comprised of Ironman athletes, we felt orange was a great fit. The team has since expanded to incorporate additional athletes including some marathoners to enhance our presence at the ING New York City Marathon.
ST: You just recently had the annual team camp and it looks like there were a ton of folks there this time. Is the team bigger?
Keith: Yes, we have made some additions in terms of the size and scope of the team. We currently have the largest team in our history with 50 athletes, and we also have the largest number of international athletes on the team this year with 14. That’s key to supporting our effort to grow the brand globally. We also made a move from sunny California in March to sunny East Rutherford, NJ in February, to host camp at the Timex Performance Center which happens to be the home of the NY Giants football team. (Ed: big team pic at bottom of interview) This year we really focused on team-building among the athletes in addition to individual performance, and I think we accomplished that.
ST: Just got a note that a Timex truck overhaul is happening, when will it be done?
Keith: Oh yeah! We were waiting for some new shots from Oceanside 70.3 so we can showcase our newest sponsors to the team, Orbea and Shimano, and show off our new hot red Sugoi apparel. Along with the new graphics, we have gutted the truck and will be completely renovating the interior so that it will be visibly appealing and more functional. We plan to create a comfortable atmosphere at events where our athletes and others feel they can hang out and relax. You will see the updates at Ironman St George.
ST: At which triathlons will we see the truck this year?
Keith: The truck is making a return to the full distance Ironman events in 2010 so we will be at St. George, Coeur d’Alene, Lake Placid, Canada, Wisconsin and Clearwater 70.3. In addition to these events, we are launching a brand new clinic series called the “Train Smarter Tour” where the truck will be stopping at some of our sport specialty retailers near each event the week before the Ironman, to host a clinic run by one of our Timex Multisport Team Athletes. The full schedule will be available at www.timexironman.com soon.
ST: Anything new from Timex the folks should look out for?
Keith: Yes, we are back in the GPS arena with our new Ironman Global Trainer Bodylink System. It’s waterproof, has a 15-hour battery life, works with all ANT-based third party equipment (powertap etc…), and is offered with an optional heart rate strap and/or speed and cadence sensor. It will be available exclusively at REI stores in June, and widely available in September. We’ve had our athletes using this since training camp, and we are getting very positive feedback.
ST: How about yourself. Which races are you doing this year?
Keith: Well, I’m registered for a return to Mooseman 70.3 and Ironman Lake Placid, but I’ve got a few excuses in my back pocket should I decide to bail.
ST: You did Ironman Wisconsin when you lived there so I guess Lake Placid makes sense with you living in CT.
Keith: Actually, though I did live in WI for a few years, I was back here in CT when I raced in Wisconsin. Yes, Lake Placid has a very special place in my heart as it was my very first Ironman and even more special because my wife raced that one with me. It is still my favorite Ironman of them all.
ST: Does your job even allow you to train much?
Keith: No more than any other 8-5 job I would guess. We have some incredible terrain in our backyard that we ride and run at lunch, which is great. Starting in June, there are some open water swim groups that meet at 7am a few days per week, which I cannot wait for.
ST: Let us talk about some personal stuff, is that ok?
Keith: Hit me.
ST: You actually met your wife while working as the Team Timex manager. Isn’t that correct?
Keith: True statement. It was 2005 and I was down in Panama City Beach, FL (no, not spring break) at the Ironman. Our truck was positioned in the expo across from the Janus booth, which is where I first spotted Brooke. We caught each other’s eye a few times and then I saw her carrying a ton of bags back to the booth so I ran to the rescue and the rest is history. Funny story about the next night there… a bunch of the sponsors always went out to dinner together and that night we joined up with the Janus crew and someone thought it would be funny to tell the wait staff that it was our engagement party, little did they know, huh? Brooke has the illustrious title of being the first Ironman of the family, a title she reminds me of often.
ST: Does she still travel like you?
Keith: Nah…she tagged along with me in 2006 to Kona and the NYC Marathon but quickly realized that it’s not that much fun hanging out while I work. I think she’s planning a return to Hawaii this year though, so I’m pretty pumped about that. Also, her job in CT does not require her to travel at all so she hangs out with the village idiots (our labs) while I’m on the road.
ST: Tell us about your music taste.
Keith: It’s really good. But it changes constantly. I’m hooked on Pandora at work and on my iPhone. A few channels I have right now are Howie Day, Coldplay, Frank Sinatra and Beethoven. I can say I enjoy every type of music except heavy metal.
ST: What was the last book you read?
Keith: Leaving Microsoft to Change the World. An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children
ST: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Keith: I’ll be fresh out of MBA school and ready to conquer the world. Kidding, but not about school. I’ve still got a lot that I’d like to accomplish while here at Timex and the opportunity for growth for me in this position is tremendous. I’d like to say that I’ll be here in CT at Timex and raising a family in five years.
ST: Is there anything else we should know about you?
Keith: I used to live on Beef Jerky and Cheesy Pringles when I drove the Timex truck, I never paid to take a shower and never ate a roller dog from the gas station before 10am. Most of my bikes cost more than any car I’ve ever owned. My current car has 336,000 miles on it.
Team Timex at the 2010 team launch
