Blanketed in drippy mosses and mists, one usually ventures to the beautiful and serene Columbia River Gorge to escape the hustle and grind of the workplace. But the rush that comes from a breath-taking view after a strenuous slew of switchbacks certainly doesn’t end at the doorstep. Au contraire, inspiration from the wilderness is an integral part of any Pacific Northwest venture and here are five reasons why people who know how to have a good outdoor adventure know what it takes to produce good marketing:
1. What’s not to love about a well maintained trail beyond a hidden trailhead?
Sometimes an excellent well-traveled roadside marvel like Multnomah Falls is convenient and irresistible. Those that thirst for real adventure know there is something much more satisfying about a well kept trail behind a hidden trailhead. Off highway 14, up a residential backroad, it’s easy to miss the turnoff to a favorite hidden gem in the Gorge: Wind Mountain. The trailhead is marked by a humble sign but that only adds to the adventurer’s delight of a beautifully maintained trail to an excellent lookout. True, a nationally compelling, emotionally provocative, what-you-see-is-what-you-get Multnomah-like campaign, is undoubtedly effective. However, there is something much more satisfying and organic about a less ostentatious, speak-for-itself sort of tactic. Poler Stuff’s commandeering of the sweet and compelling #campvibes has social media working for them and their commitment to profiling real backyard adventures makes it feel as though we have stumbled upon a trove of amazing gear behind a mysterious trailhead.
A Multnomah Falls-like campaign:
A speak-for-itself approach:
2. It takes a village.
In this get-outside-or-bust community, its hard not to notice how giving PNW outdoorsmen and women are to the trails that love them back. With an extensively backwoods based recreation community, it’s sometimes hard to find a seldom trodden trail. The great thing is that this far from curbs adventure-seeking enthusiasm. Rather, more often than not, friends are headed out to volunteer a long morning to the maintenance of popular biking trails or favorite rivers. This infectious mentality makes its way into the marketing realm with a unique focus on crowdfunding and an understanding that a good campaign rides heavily on a solid social media platform. Active, interesting Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest feeds go together with successful crowdfunding like chocolate and vanilla and who better than Eugene based Red Wagon Creamery to show us that?!
Oregon communities investing in themselves:
3. The best beta comes from friends.
One of, if not the absolute most important thing about a good outdoor adventure is the friends that accompany along the way. The coolest trails, the fluffiest powder days, and the best high water runs are bettered by good people. As evident by awesome staple PNW companies like The Clymb, people are making a living out of community based idea sharing. Their “member exclusive pricing” model incentives friends to share and to share often. With perks for both the existing members and new members with every sign-up, word-of-mouth marketing is invaluable to this company’s success. Having graced the list of most successful new companies, best to work for, and fastest growing, we think we’d trust these guys to give us adventure beta.
4. The pioneering spirit lives on.
Historically notable for the heart pounding tales of frontier pushing and backwoods exploring, the Northwest still proudly boasts this reputation today redefining what’s plausible, what’s possible and what works. Stepping outside of the old playbook is what a good outdoor adventurer does best and something that is well achieved in the sometimes quirky, sometimes unpredictable, always fresh Pacific Northwest.
5. Talk about a fool proof color scheme.
Mossy greens, basalt grey-browns, cedar reds, cascading blues…Boasting a palette that would make Van Gough swoon, the Northwest is a paint box that is comforting yet compelling, unobtrusive but alluring. The perfect backdrop for an epic bike ride or a product page, these colors are the perfect go-to’s.
Columbia Sportswear employs a palette that evokes the Pacific Northwest
There is endless inspiration in backyard behemoth rivers, towering rocky basalt cliffs, and Mt. Hood’s proud profile, and they certainly fuel our professional fire. In the Pacific Northwest, work and play are invariably intertwined and our love of the wilderness makes it far past the doorstep. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest to keep up with our Wind Mountain like marketing know-how and fresh powder day like outlook.