Mat Vlasic

Mat Vlasic was named CEO of Bravado, the merchandising division of Universal Music Group, in March, 2016, after working his way up the corporate ladder at Sony Music Entertainment, where he went from the Finance & Operations department to VP/Merchandising. The son of famed talent agent Marsha Vlasic, who has represented the likes of Neil Young and Muse in a career that has seen her at ICM and, most recently, Artist Group International, Mat had a passion for music, branding and marketing from an early age, making him ideally suited for his current post.

With music merchandising evolving from concert T-shirts and souvenirs to fashion lines, pop-up shops and a variety of artist-branded projects, Vlasic is at the center of a business that is more important than ever in connecting artists with their fan base. Since being acquired by UMG in 2007, Bravado has grown into the leader in its field, representing more than 200 artists, including the Rolling Stones, Prince, Guns N’ Roses, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Travis Scott and Selena Gomez. Bravado also created an exclusive “retail experience” at Austin’s famed club Antone’s during UMG’s SXSW showcases offering limited-edition merchandise during the day.

You’ve been at Bravado for almost a year. What has the transition been like?

It’s been great. We’ve been able to try new things and innovate with the support of the company across the board. In a music world that’s becoming increasingly digital, we’re one of the last physical manifestations in the marketplace, and we’ve been able to use that to help our labels and artists connect with their fans on a deeper level. Between pop-up shops and interacting with fans through merchandise, it’s been a great year. It’s gone rather quickly. I’ve had the freedom to creatively act in an innovative way, sometimes failing, but then learning from our mistakes and making it work the second time around. The atmosphere here encourages that kind of risk-taking.

The business has come a long way from selling T-shirts at concerts.

There’s definitely an upward trend going on. It’s an area that’s equally important to the artists and the fans. One that can help an artist expand their ecosystem beyond the music. If you look at the artists we worked with last year -- Justin Bieber, The 1975, Kanye West -- the events and emotional connection driven from the experiential retail programs we did with them were amazing. Two thousand fans lined up at The 1975 pop-up shop on album release date, and were able to step into their world -- they have a very specific vision for their creative – and actually meet them. Then they flew to London the next day to do the same thing over there. The tour T-shirt is still very important, and always will be as a keepsake, memorabilia. But we’re thinking beyond that, to establish artists as brands – whether that be a fashion line, a fragrance, etc.

And then you have Bob Marley, who has spawned a variety of consumer product lines.

The product has to match up with the artist’s vision, and be consistent with the messaging and brand. It has to make financial business sense. If you can match those things together, the sky is the limit. We’re pushing the envelope every day as we come out with new and unique products that allow fans and artists to connect.

Do you foresee a day when merchandising will also include the physical record -- vinyl and CD?

We definitely work closely with our sister labels within the Universal Music Group, including Interscope, Republic, Def Jam, Island and Capitol. We have a great relationship with them and the artists we mutually represent. The whole is a lot more than the sum of the parts when we’re all sitting in the same room. They’re a valued partner of ours. We have the biggest and broadest retail distribution network in the world for merchandising, with boots on the ground in 44 territories, people living and breathing artist merchandising and brand-building every day, talking to the biggest and best retailers in the world. If we can help the labels by distributing music through those channels, we do. It all starts with the music, though. That is of paramount importance. And we look at what we’re doing as a marketing tool, revenue-driver, brand-building exercise … there are so many benefits to it.

How did you get into the area of merchandising?

I’ve always loved music. I grew up in this business, around artists and know how to take their vision and help them achieve it, and what we’ve built here is the best infrastructure for an artist to achieve that vision.

You recently acquired the rights to Prince’s merchandising. As a generation of musicians starts to die off, their estates are charged with the mission to keep their brands alive through companies like Bravado.

The legacy should live on, and that’s one of the things we really can help accomplish through our channels. Not just marketing and selling products to the existing fan base, but also introducing it to new fans, so we can help turn on a new generation to Prince.

What are your own personal goals?

Ultimately, my task is to help grow this company, help our artists build their brands, find new talent, connect musicians with their old fans and create new ones. That involves a lot of different things that keep me pretty busy during the course of the day.

You must work closely with UMe, UMG’s catalog division?

Yes, of course. We share a good number of artists with [UMe Pres./CEO] Bruce [Resnikoff] and his team and enjoy a great working relationship.

How does this job complement your own personal qualities?

[Laughs] I really hate talking about myself, but I’m a marketer, a brand-builder and an artist advocate. Put the three of those together and I’m quite well-suited to do this job.

One last question. Any relation to Vlasic pickle?

Not directly. I’m sure there must be some because it’s a unique last name, Croatian.