Z-Man recently announced the appointment of Cory Schmidt as its Media Relations and Marketing Manager.
A lifelong friend of the fishing industry, Schmidt has served diverse roles over a thirty-plus-year career-including fisheries and natural resources management, fishing guide and scribe. A Colorado native, he launched his career as an enthusiastic bait-tank cleaner, commercial fly-tier and part-time manager for an independent outdoor retailer. At age 16, Schmidt also authored his first national article in In-Fisherman magazine, where he has served as field editor for close to two decades. He has since authored hundreds of articles for In-Fisherman, as well as contributing to Fishing Tackle Retailer, Bassmaster, North American Fisherman, Field & Stream and numerous regional publications.
In recent years, he has spearheaded public relations and marketing campaigns for several notable companies in the fishing industry.
As Media Relations and Marketing Manager, Schmidt will lead Z-Man’s communications efforts and will be charged with drafting and distributing press releases, serving as Z-Man’s primary media contact, and coordinating participation in media events. He will also run point on Z-Man’s media buying efforts and will assist with marketing strategy and new product development.
“I’ve always believed that when you surround yourself with good people, good things happen,” said Z-Man president Daniel Nussbaum. “Cory is a smart, solid guy who fits right in with the Z-Man culture. He just ‘gets it’ when it comes to the fishing industry and the benefits of Z-Man’s products, namely our ElaZtech ® softbaits. I’ve worked closely with Cory for the last several years as he’s expertly crafted all of Z-Man’s press releases. He’s a skillful writer, but brings a whole lot more to the table in terms of fishing knowledge, industry know-how, and marketing savvy.”
Now a twenty-five year Minnesota resident, the lifelong angler adds an important regional and multi-species perspective to the South Carolina-based company that will greatly enhance its marketing and product development efforts. “We’ve had a ton of success in Midwestern and Northern markets in recent years,” adds Nussbaum. “But, a lot of those fisheries are outside our comfort zone, and we’ve barely scratched the surface as a result.”
“My friend and colleague Ned Kehde introduced me to the Z-Man folks and their baits a number of years ago,” recalled Schmidt. “Right away, I liked Z-Man’s people and its culture. They were doing things differently, approaching the lure business with a refreshing perspective. Of course, the baits caught fish. Now, having worked with them for the past several years, I can say Z-Man is unquestionably one of the most positive, innovative groups of fishing individuals I’ve met. It’s a fast-growing company, no doubt, but they still feel like a close-knit crew, most all of them folks who fish on their days off. That speaks volumes.
Schmidt continues: “Daniel and the whole team approach the crafting of new fishing lures with fresh eyes. They’re working with the concepts and materials of the future, like ElaZtech. And they’ve fostered an awesome community of great anglers and top-notch pros-each of whom bring their own unique perspectives and ideas. You can’t help but succeed in such a culture. I’m excited to pitch in.”
“What I’m looking forward to most is working with Cory on developing ElaZtech products for a variety of fisheries – crappie, panfish, pike, muskie, and walleye – and communicating their effectiveness to the fishing world,” adds Nussbaum. “We feel like we’re just getting warmed up and have a lot of great stuff in the works for our anglers.”
