Matt Hickman has been promoted to the newly created position of director of brand strategy for WaterSki and Wakeboarding. The change comes as the brands focus on developing new products that go beyond traditional print and website offerings.

Hickman, former editor of Wakeboarding and more recently the digital content director for Bonnier's water sports group, will lead the restructured teams at WaterSki and Wakeboarding as they position themselves to better connect with their partners and audiences in a changing media landscape.

"We're putting an emphasis on creating and implementing the total-media opportunities our clients desire," says Hickman. "This includes packaging and customizing our current offerings, which comprise video, e-newsletters, digital guides, creative services and a reinvented app-based boat program that we'll roll out this year — all centered around robust integrated print programs. We're really pulling together the strengths of our teams to execute our new initiatives, as there is no monopoly on good ideas."

A first step in this evolution is to firmly establish the brands as agenda setters by offering marketing partners integrated programs across multiple media channels to better serve their needs.

"By changing our strategy to become the main hub for all aspects of our industry, we can help lead the sports into an era of greater accomplishment for the participants as well as our marketing partners," Hickman added.