Clayton Durant is a dynamic marketing and music industry entrepreneur, known for his expertise in social strategy, entertainment marketing, music management, and brand partnerships. As the Director of Emerging Media and Platform Strategy at MikeWorldWide, Clayton drives digital strategy and technology adoption at an agency that represents over 80+ brands, including Nikon, Red Lobster and Deloitte. He also spearheads the firm's Platform Fluency Initiative (PFI), serving as an internal educational resource and think-tank, while simultaneously acting as the editor-in-chief of the agency's Media Quake newsletter which collectively has grown to more than 6,500+ subscribers.
Beyond his corporate role, Clayton leads CAD Management, a music and entertainment consulting firm he founded in 2016. Under Clayton's leadership, CAD Management established a groundbreaking A&R partnership with SoundCloud's artist services division, Repost, as part of a customized creator service program aimed at developing a new roster of promising independent artists. This innovative partnership, alongside other influential music industry figures like Linda Perry and T-Pain's Nappy Boy Entertainment, leveraged Repost's leading artist services to provide tailored marketing and distribution plans to support breaking artists and help them grow their careers on and off SoundCloud.
Before CAD Management, Clayton served as Marketing Director for the Atlanta-based Rz3 Recordings, a record label founded by 6x Grammy-winning producer Tricky Stewart and managers Mark and Judi Stewart. He was instrumental in shaping the label's artist marketing program for acts like MK XYZ and oversaw the label's corporate communications strategy.
As an Adjunct Instructor, Clayton imparts his music business expertise by teaching courses at NYU's Clive Davis School of Recorded Music, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, as well as at Long Island University's Roc Nation School of Music and Sports Management.
Clayton is also an avid writer, co-authoring the Beats, Bytes & Brands column for Adweek, and has been featured in a wide range of publications, including Variety, The Wrap, Yahoo Finance, Forbes, CNBC, Business Insider, and Billboard. He holds a BA in Public Relations and Marketing from Roger Williams University and an MA in Music Business from New York University.