Always on the cutting edge of innovation, KastKing has announced the hiring of marketing and social media powerhouse RJ Macalanda as its social media and influencer strategist for the company. The role suits him well, as Macalanda has seen explosive growth and viewership from his own start-up fishing brand, Fish Boss, which was the fastest-growing fishing account on TikTok in 2022, reaching 100,000 followers in five months and a total of 58 million views. He is the leading expert on short-form video strategies in the fishing industry and a TikTok creative partner. While he’ll continue to direct the Fish Boss brand, Macalanda brings his specialized skill sets to the KastKing marketing and social media efforts in a full-time capacity.
“RJ is truly passionate about traveling and fishing,” said Joe Woodward, KastKing’s director of marketing. “He is involved with global e-commerce networks and has been on the cutting edge of digital trends. In the last seven years, he traveled to over 55 countries while working remotely and catching fish along the way. During his travels, he experienced different fishing cultures, products, and consumer behaviors. RJ will combine his marketing and fishing knowledge to grow KastKing’s social media presence.”
Before his own social media growth, Macalanda worked with brands as the head of partnerships to find celebrities, influencers, and professional athletes for collaboration. Furthermore, he is a full-stack digital marketer who has developed marketing campaigns that have changed the trajectory of other brands like Walmart, Tyson, Dell, Anheuser Busch, and IRONMAN.
Macalanda is equally excited about joining KastKing, noting he’s been a long-time admirer of the KastKing brand.
“It was a no-brainer when they asked me to join the team,” said Macalanda. “Since traveling and looking at the fishing industry from a global perspective, I noticed KastKing was starting to make waves with product innovation and a unique go-to-market strategy. They’re on all the various shopping platforms across the globe, and I shared how impressed I was with their overall approach while visiting their booth at ICAST a couple of years ago. I could see they were about to explode with growth and told them I was excited to see where it goes next.”
Macalanda said the initial discussion at ICAST started a relationship with KastKing that led to further conversations over the next several months discussing strategies for integrating its impressive team of celebrities and pro staffers into its marketing efforts, which eventually led to his assuming these responsibilities full-time for KastKing.
“I could tell we had a shared vision for introducing people to nature through fishing, as well as emphasizing sustainability,” said Macalanda. “I look forward to seeing where we can take this company in serving anglers across the globe.”
