Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Abraham.
Peter, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I came to UCLA so I could be as close as possible to Hollywood. I threw myself into the film business, even before I graduated, and eventually focused on producing TV commercials. I spent 20 years producing commercials, with some side ventures into making movies. I produced the acclaimed film, I am trying to Break Your Heart, about the band Wilco.
But in the early 2000s, I could see dark clouds on the horizon for traditional media. We were entering the information age, and digital was about to change everything. So I taught myself some new skills, started a new running event, and began working as an agency for Nike, Red Bull, and other brands. My event was acquired by the LA Marathon, and I became the Chief Marketing Officer there. We rebuilt the marathon from near-bankruptcy by focusing on the mission of inspiring athletes and connecting communities. I was really proud of the work we did there, and I found my passion for affecting positive change in the community with my work.
Since 2011, I’ve had my own marketing agency, the Abraham Studio, and I work with all kinds of brands to find their voice and build communities around their businesses. I’ve worked a lot with lululemon, with Ironman Triathlon, Best Buy, and others. I’ve also launched a tech startup, Freestyle Studios that makes high quality sports coaching apps.
My unique sweet spot lies at the intersection of sports, technology, and community.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not smooth at all.
I’ve been fired, lost money, started over in my forties, and been a father and husband through all of that. Life is about how you respond to big challenges. But if you plan on it being hard, then at worst it’s what you imagined. And it can only go up from there.
One must be grateful for learning lessons all the time, and it’s pointless to look back in regret.
Please tell us about Abraham Studio.
My marketing work is about going deep with a brand and understanding what its purpose is. You cannot execute good marketing without that understanding. Once a brand gets that, strategically the road forward is much simpler. As a business, you want to connect with your tribe based on values, not a price point or product feature.
So I have a process to help brands uncover their core reason for being, and then we create powerful marketing that brings value to their customers. I’ve worked with brands like Nike, lululemon, Best Buy, Ironman Triathlon, UCLA and many others.
My best work comes when a business asks me to help them solve a problem with no pre-determined tactical plan. In those cases we can get really creative with solutions that drive revenue and build their tribe.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Skiing with my brother and my dad. That was the religion in my family. We skied every vacation our entire lives, and in my junior year of high school the three of us moved to Chamonix, France to go to school and ski for the season. I’ll never forget it.
Contact Info:
- Address: Abraham Content Marketing Studio
312 Arizona Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401 - Website: abrhm.com
- Phone: 310.613.5530
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @thepeterabraham
- Twitter: @PeterAbraham
Image Credit:
LA Marathon start: Rich Cruse Photography
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