Creative Strategist and Marketing Specialist.
With more than 20 years across brand strategy, creative direction, and marketing/PR, I help lifestyle, outdoor, and sports brands grow by understanding people and turning that understanding into strategy, concepts, and communication that actually work.
Fredrik Ekström
Independant Brand Consultant
"Put me in front of the consumer, in front of the market; that's where the magic happens. Good marketers give people what they expect. The best surprise them with something they never knew they wanted, and then they fall in love with it."
Fredrik Ekström
Above The Clouds
About Me
I've spent my career working at the intersection of consumer behavior, strategy, and activation, both inside brands and on the agency side.
I've held roles as Creative Director, Head of Marketing, Head of Global PR and Brand Strategist, leading everything from global brand repositioning and sustainability transformation strategies to go-to-market strategies, campaigns, and long-term communication frameworks. I've worked closely with executive teams, led internal and external teams, and been accountable not just for ideas but for results.
Today, I run Above The Clouds, my freelance brand consultancy that bridges insight, strategy, and brand storytelling. It's where I bring together everything I've learned about consumers, culture, sustainability, and brand-building over the years, helping brands make better decisions and create real business impact.
My background spans both agency life and senior in-house leadership, which means I understand the reality of challenges and strengths from both sides of the table.
I started my career working with skateboards and snowboards in the '90s in Sweden. After that followed a few years of soul-searching, working as a chef for some of Stockholm's top restaurants at the time, living in Malaysia working as a specialty dive instructor, and managing dive centers, before moving back home to start a "professional" career.
When I came home, I started with the fundamentals. I studied Business and Marketing at Stockholm University, finishing my Bachelor's in Business Economics. During that time, I also went abroad to study at Fudan University in Shanghai, where I wrote my thesis on how to build brands in the Yangtze River Delta region. I later completed my Master's in Business Administration, specialised in Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, at the Marketing Academy (MarknadsAkademien) at Stockholm University, and returned to Shanghai to write my Master's thesis on consumer-to-consumer marketplaces in emerging Chinese markets.
I started my career in creative PR, working at Prime PR, at the time one of the world's most awarded PR agencies. It taught me how culture, storytelling, sustainability, and earned media shape brands and move people in the real world.
I worked at United Minds, a brand agency, focusing deeply on brand development through consumer behavior, trends, and foresight, helping brands navigate cultural change, sustainability expectations, and shifting consumer values.
I spent six years working inside Tretorn, a Swedish heritage brand, holding roles as head of marketing, creative director, and global PR, and sitting on the executive management team. There, I led global brand repositioning, sustainability strategy, and large-scale activations, including founding the Eco Essentials Initiative and embedding sustainability into product, communication, and business decisions.
Alongside this, I've founded and managed a creative PR & content agency focused on the food and beverage industry, built PR and content platforms, and worked hands-on with leading food and beverage, hospitality, fashion, outdoor, and ingredient brands, as well as organizations.
These experiences matter because they shape how I work today, with respect for objectives, tight budgets, teams, and the need to turn good intentions into long lasting results.
Freelance Strategy Days
I run my own Strategy Days Free-Touring event in Engelberg.
Over three days, you will engage in morning strategy sessions that lay the groundwork for your business’s future, followed by freeskiing or ski touring workshops arranged by Freeride Days Engelberg, where you pick and choose after your own interest and capabilities. Each day concludes with co-creation sessions, where you'll have the opportunity to develop your strategies collaboratively while gaining insights from other participants.
Trailfulness Running club
I do my own Trailfulness Running Trips. Our focus is on mountain trail running, but not just any run; ours are explorative journeys through some of the world's most breathtaking landscapes. through a unique blend of running and mindfulness—Trailfulness. Whether you're a seasoned trail runner or a nature lover looking for a new way to experience the outdoors, the trip offers a unique opportunity to challenge your body, soothe your mind, and expand your horizons.
Let's Connect & Collaborate
I offer a freelance consultant service where you as client get the benefits of in-depth expertise across a number of specialty areas, without having to increase your permanent staff or contract a full size agency.