Backcountry Marketing

An interview is the bedrock of storytelling. It has the potential to make or break the content that's being produced. In this episode, Cole Heilborn shares tips and tricks after running hundreds of interviews for leading brands in the outdoor industry.    Takeaways   -Preparation and casting are crucial for successful interviews. - Active listening and asking follow-up questions are essential. - I...

Everyone wants to get outside. Time and time again we see headlines about overtourism and the downsides of destination towns being flooded with people. What role does marketing play in fixing this problem? Is marketing to blame? Kylie Kullack is the Head of Client Engagement at STRUCK, STRUCK is an agency that has seen tremendous success driving people to tourist destinations around Utah and in th...

What is the value of a loyal audience?    This is a big question that many brands ask themselves as they evaluate whether or not to pursue brand storytelling. In this episode, we explore the dollars and cents of customer loyalty, how brand storytelling builds loyalty with an audience, and how the countless decisions in the filmmaking process are opportunities to either build or break trust with a...

Liz Esche is the Head of Marketing at Mind Studio , a tech company that is helping revolutionize the AI industry. Liz cut her teeth working in the outdoor industry over the years but recently jumped ship to work in the tech field. In this thought-provoking episode, she shares her insights and observations about AI's impact on the outdoor industry.   In this episode, Cole and Lindsay discuss:   The...

  The outdoor industry is good at its craft. Maybe a little too good. Every brand is producing products that are tougher, lighter, and more effective than ever before. Our industry has done such a great job of pushing each other to constantly improve that it's all starting to look, feel, and perform the same.  This is a good problem to have because it brings out the best in everyone. But in a sea...

Sakeus Bankson is the Snow and Mountain Bike Catagory Editor at Patagonia, with past roles at The Ski Journal and Freehub Mountain Bike Magazine.    In this episode, Sakeus and Cole discuss:   Why mountain biking is such a tough category The difference between extraction and appreciation How to tell stories as a brand Thoughts on e-bikes How to fight for the places we love to recreate in   And muc...

Lindsay Yaw Rogers is the founder of Raw Strategy, an agency that works with high level athletes and leaders throughout the industry on positioning and messaging. She works with the Olympic and paralympic athletes as well as the North Face athlete team.   In this episode, Cole and Lindsay discuss:   How brands could better work with and equip their athletes The differences between influencers, amb...

It's been a long time in the works, but we're excited to announce the launch of our first mini-series.  These Fireside Chats are short discussions where we'll delve into the heart of storytelling and its pivotal role in today's marketing landscape.  In these short episodes, we'll explore the art of storytelling, and uncover the insights to help you craft narratives that captivate, resonate, and le...

Should we still care about print media? What does the future hold for print?   Zapata ("Zap") Espinoza has spent his entire life on two-wheels, with stints as a pro-class BMX and motocross racer, started working as the editor of Mountain Bike Action and Motocross Action Magazines in 1986. He's been a prominent voice in bike media ever since.   In this episode, Cole and Zap discuss:   The evolution...

Patience. According to Jordan Williams, patience is the most undervalued tool in marketing.   Our guest for this episode has a pretty impressive resume in the outdoor industry. From Smartwool, to Vail Resorts, to REI, to Red Bull, Jordan Williams has been working in marketing for outdoor businesses for years. He's here to share his expertise across Marketing, Brand, eCommerce, and Retail.   Jordan...

2023 has been an incredible year of deep conversations and new ideas. We've got a few updates for you as we move into 2024. Thank you for continuing to support the show and we'll see you in the New Year!   -Cole, Emily, Joseph and Angie   Email Newsletter Topic Suggestion Form Port Side Productions  

Anik Champoux is the Programs and Marketing Director for Protect Our Winters (POW) Canada . An avid skier, Anik had the privilege of being a 'ski bum' early in her career, which led her to take a marketing job at Whistler Blackcomb, staying on through the eventual sale of Whistler to Vail Resorts. After a bit of time with Vail Resorts, she craved more meaning and purpose in her work, which led her...

Building a team is one of the most important aspects of succeeding in marketing, and really, business in general. How do you make sure you have the right people and the right culture to perform successfully? Our guest on this episode, Sarah Harper Burke, knows a thing or two about building teams. She's spent her entire career, as she says it, "supporting people to get outside," holding roles in Sa...

What do Deuter, Ortovox, Clif, onX, and Salomon all have in common? They have all had the pleasure of having this episode's guest as an employee.  In this episode, we're hearing from one of our favorite past guests, Becky Marcelliano, but from a different perspective. Becky currently works at onX as their Senior Access & Stewardship Marketing Manager. In her role, she works across all three vertic...

As leaders in the outdoor industry, how do we make the best hiring decisions possible? Our guest on this episode helps us break down what hiring looks like in the industry and how to make sure you're hiring the right person for the job.   Tony O'Neill is the founder and president of Highline Outdoor Group. They are a purpose-driven executive search firm for forward-thinking outdoor industry and sp...

James Merrill worked for a decade as a contractor for the United States Agency for International Development and through that work, saw how single-use plastic led to the degradation of natural resources and impacted low-income communities. So, he founded Opolis - a truly sustainable line of sunglasses. They're making sunglasses out of plant-based and recycled plastics.    In this episode, Cole and...

Sharon Scott has held roles in marketing, product development, and buying throughout her career in the outdoor industry. Now, she's the founder of OtterScope.net, fractional and interim product, marketing, and strategy for passion-fueled brands that get people outside, and out of their comfort zones. In this episode, Cole and Sharon chat about: - turning insights into a successful product line - r...

Yoon Kim started out in the outdoor industry in 2010, working in finance before that. He started the outdoor industry's first digital agency in 2010, and the industry's first media conference in 2014, the Outdoor Media Summit. In this conversation, Cole and Yoon discuss: - the future of outdoor industry events - why some industry's tradeshows thrive while others suffer - what the biggest threat is...

So, how can brands continue to connect with audiences in new and innovative ways now that the golden age of branded films is dead? Our guest on this episode will help us learn how. Lindsey Hagen is the Head of Development at gnarlybay, a full production studio based in Boulder, CO. She oversees all creative development, sales efforts, and marketing for the company. She also directs with a focus on...

You may recognize this episode's guest from a past episode of the Backcountry Marketing Podcast. As he describes himself, Sam Van Boxtel is "just a climber obsessed with social media." Well, he's much more than that. Sam is a climber and entrepreneur based in Vancouver, Washington. He and his team make up Climbers Crag, the climbing industry's leading social media agency, helping outdoor brands wi...

Scot Keith is the founder and CEO of One Twenty Three West (123W), an advertising agency in Vancouver. They moved from the garage to an industrial laundromat and now they work in a B-grade building with plywood floors - all to keep the talent high and the overhead low. In this episode, Cole and Scot discuss: - how to start an agency - the power of creativity - positioning an agency with low overhe...

Evan Swinehart is the Director and Partner of Lumenati Productions. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a film degree, Evan spent years shooting and finding work within the outdoor industry as well as the ad world. Eventually, Evan started Lumenati Productions to help serve more brands and projects. In part 4 of our 4-part storytelling series, Cole and Evan discuss: - what is hap...

Tony Sattler is the Executive Vice President of Experience and Insight st Swanson Russell where he helps create innovative strategies and experiences for their key clients while constantly evolving the agency's core research and strategy development capabilities. In Part 3 of our 4-part Storytelling Series, Cole and Tony discuss: - how brands can create exceptional experiences - why data strategy...

Megan Prettyman is the Marketing Manager at Gear Patrol and joins us on the show to talk about the importance of understanding your audience for storytelling and more.   This is part 2 of our 4-part Storytelling Series.   In this episode, Cole and Megan talk about: audience segmentation how to use data to tell stories what product journalism is and why it is important meet your audience where they...

Roo Smith is a commercial/documentary filmmaker and photographer based in Boulder, Colorado. He has produced films for Outside Magazine in Ireland, camera operated for Netflix in the Rocky Mountain West, photographed among indigenous communities in Peru and Ecuador, directed videos with professional climbers in Mexico and has received notable recognition in his hometown of Orcas Island in Washingt...