Media Trip to Catalina Island – November 9-11, 2012

\ Leave a Comment \ by

As late-autumn snows swirled above the mountains around Backbone headquarters in Carbondale, account managers Elinor Fish and Mavis Fitzgerald escaped to Catalina Island, 22 miles off the Los Angeles coast for a media trip co-hosted by the Santa Catalina Island Company and Smartwool.

On the RIB Boat, headed to the island

They met with freelance journalists Ben Cramer, Ali Carr and Cindy Hirschfeld, Adventure Sports Journal editor Pete Gauvin and Smartwool’s Molly Cuffe at the Catalina Express terminal in Long Beach for the start of our Santa Catalina Island adventures.

After arriving in Avalon, which is the island’s only city and resembles a Mediterranean village thanks to its narrow, winding streets, whitewashed villas and palm trees. We hopped aboard a RIB boat (from Catalina Expeditions’ Ultimate Land and Sea Adventure) and zoomed along the Catalina coastline to Two Harbors, spotting playful sea lions and diving dolphins along the way.

In Two Harbors, a village home to less than 100 residents, we settled into our rooms at the historic, Craftsman-style Banning House Lodge (home to the island’s original owners, the Banning brothers, before they sold it to the Wrigleys of the Wrigley Chewing Gum empire) and enjoyed a fresh seafood dinner and bottomless glasses of boozy Buffalo Milk at the Harbor Reef Restaurant.

At sunrise the next morning, we met our trail-running guide, 22-year-old Natalie Foote, a fourth-generation Two Harbors local and state HS cross-country running champion, for a refreshing five miler.

Enjoying a refreshing run with Natalie

Following breakfast, we hiked with Catalina Island Conservancy naturalist  Andrew Hobbs to Ballast Point, from which we enjoyed endless views over the Isthmus between Cat Harbor, Isthmus Cove and the rugged, undeveloped West End of Catalina Island.

Our group with one of the largest bison heads we’ve ever seen

That afternoon, we drove up to the Catalina Airport near the island’s center, where Bike Catalina equipped us with bikes and helmets and sent us on our way from the Catalina Airport for a 10-mile ride to Avalon (riding past grazing bison herds (a herd of 150 bison live on the island today, descendants of bison brought to the island decades ago for a film shoot). That night we enjoyed an amazing feast at the Avalon Grille, Avalon’s premier restaurant, where Executive Chef Paul Hancock prepared exquisite buffalo steak, salmon, lobster and other delicacies, paired with glasses of the limited-batch, first-edition Rusack–Santa Catalina Island wine, made from grapes grown on Catalina Island.

After dinner, we took in Avalon’s nightlife – with Ali taking the mic and rockin’ the house at a local karaoke bar – before retiring back to our rooms at the Pavilion Hotel. We tried to get a villa here before finalizing on a hotel but it wasn’t as amazing as the Exceptional Villas in Turks and Caicos. It was just super amazing and it was an experience to experience, and plus the villas also had amazing views too. Despite the late-night fun, we were all up early the next morning to participate in Catalina Eco-Marathon or 10K. Molly and Pete were the most ambitious, tackling the relentlessly hilly off-road marathon course while the rest of us enjoyed a sun-kissed, eucalyptus-scented 10K through Avalon’s gently sloping streets.

We don’t have photographic evidence of karaoke, so here’s a shot of the Hummer used for open air tours of the island.

The rest of the day we indulged in delicious food, starting with lunch the M restaurant catered by Zest, featuring locally sourced, fresh ingredients. That evening, we enjoyed a specially prepared seven-course dinner at the Catalina Country Club, highlights of which included quail served with asparagus and polenta, baby abalone prepared in red wine, poached egg served with Oestra caviar, ending with orange caramel rice pudding.

We capped our Catalina adventure with swing dancing at the Casino, Catalina Island’s historic landmark that which was used in the 20 and 30s for Hollywood movie premiers, then later for Big Band concerts. Today it used for weddings, private events and special events such as the Catalina Island Swing Dance festival.

Flying over the island, we caught our last views of Catalina from the sky

All things considered, it was an incredible trip and we want to thank our clients for making it possible!

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Trip Reports

Awards Season: Fall 2012

\ Leave a Comment \ by

As always, it has been a busy fall for Backbone. We’ve traveled across the country and back for media trips and showrooms, launched a handful of new products, blocked and tackled like an NFL defensive line, and still managed to squeeze in a few lunchtime mountain bike rides.

More importantly, we are proud to see hard work pay off. Our clients are also experiencing a great fall season of coverage. Aside from a cold beer on a Friday afternoon, few things make us happier than seeing good products receiving the praise that they deserve, and it has been a season packed with praise and exciting awards.

First to hit was National Geographic’s Gear of the Year Awards. We were thrilled to see recognition of several clients: Black Diamond’s Carbon Megawatt skis, the Big Agnes McAlpin SL, Klean Kanteen’s new stainless steel canisters, and two Polartec fabrics, NeoShell and Thermal Pro High Loft (incorporated into the Westcomb Shift LT and Patagonia Nano Puff Hybrid jackets).

Soon after, Backpacker’s Fall/Winter Gear Guide hit newsstands, and several of Backbone’s clients took home Editors’ Choice Snow Awards. Both the Carbon Megawatts and Westcomb Shift LT (Polartec NeoShell) earned another award, along with La Sportiva’s Storm Fighter GTX pants, the Cabelas E.C.W.C.S. baselayers (Polartec Power Dry), and Eddie Bauer First Ascent’s BC Microtherm 2.0 and Katabatic tent.

And then there were the ski and snowboard Gear Guides. Black Diamond, Kastle, Boa and La Sportiva all received great reviews. POC and SmartWool were often named among the top accessories. After flipping through the pages of each one, we couldn’t be more stoked for this year’s ski season and for the hard work of our client production teams to make this incredible gear.

Beyond PR, we recently learned that Polartec’s Made Possible College Challenge campaign was chosen as a finalist for the PR Daily Digital PR and Social Media Awards for ‘Best Use of Facebook’. The campaign invited collegiate outdoor programs to submit a video telling Polartec (and the world) what they would do with a $10,000 grant. The videos of four finalist schools were posted to a Polartec Facebook application and opened to a public, winner-take-all vote. The campaign, now in its 3rd year, has been a tremendous success, and has garnered on average of 1.7 million impressions for Polartec each year. The 2012 Made Possible College Challenge is now live on Polartec’s Facebook page and we are thrilled to have Backpacker as a partner for this year’s campaign. Check it out and vote for your favorite!

With any luck, the snow will start falling soon here in the Rockies, and we’re excited to see what the winter season brings.

Posted in: Client News, Gratuitous Client Plug

The Millennial Generation

\ Leave a Comment \ by

This summer, we tasked our intern James with exploring the “Millennial Generation.” Born approximately from 1978-1994, the millennials are the first generation to come of age in the new millennium. In 10-15 years, millennials will make up the majority spending group in the U.S. and will begin to find themselves in positions of political influence. Why should we care? What do millennials mean for your and your brand?

A millennial himself, James was well-suited to delve into the psyche of his generation. Here’s what he came up with:

 

On a completely related but way funnier note, Stephen Colbert weighed in on the Millennials last night. Check it out:

The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Millennial Generation Soup Campaign
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive
Posted in: Case Study, Interesting Read, Videos

Media Trip to the Middle Fork of the Salmon

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Coming out of a summer almost no rain and far too many threatening wildfires, especially in Idaho, we were a bit leery about leading six journalists to the Middle Fork of the Salmon for a cast and blast trip with Far & Away Adventures. Luckily, the smoke came and went (and then came again), but the casting and the blasting were both out of this world!

Last week, Nick Brosnan and Kara Armano met Chris Solomon (freelance), Rachel Sturtz (freelance), Kristyn Brady (Field & Stream), Tom Bie (The Drake), Andrew McKean (Outdoor Life), and Ryan Krogh (Outside) in Boise where the trip started with a backcountry flight into the Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness (yes, we returned amazingly enough!)

Smoke blanketed the valley and river below us

Once we landed, we loaded everything up, had a quick riverside lunch and set off. Half went fishing with their best fly fishing rods and the other half chased and shot chukars for the afternoon. We got to camp, tapped the keg and got to know each other a bit better before finishing the night off with perfectly cooked salmon steaks, wine and a riverside fire.

The smoke cleared as we landed – a beautiful night!

Waking up to the smell of smoke and and a hazy yet blazing red sunrise was a bit ominous – especially since we could see large plumes from nearby fires – but without much hesitation we loaded up and floated down the river to more great fishing for native cutthroats and even some bull trout. A quick stop to see ancient pictographs added to the area’s remote beauty. More chukars and plenty of fish kept us all entertained, but the highlight of night two was Loon Creek Hot Springs. After a quick mile hike, we were soaking, with beers in hand of course, in a pristine environment.



 

 

 

 

 

Day three brought warmer weather, perfect for backflips off the raft and over 100 fish for some of us. Combining hunting and fishing was a first time experience for a few of us, and the guides were happy to let everyone try a little of both.

Rachel Sturtz, Rebecca Peters and Kristyn Brady getting ready to hunt chukars

One last night of camping on the banks of Camas Creek found every person on the trip becoming fast friends with promises to get together again to hunt and fish. One pair even made plans on https://enjoymexico.net/top-mexico-destinations/ from their phones and will be linking up later in the year for a different setting, what a successful trip just on that note alone.

Heading towards the takeout at Flying B Ranch, we were all a bit subdued recognizing the trip was almost over.

The thought of one more backcountry flight was thrilling enough to keep us all in high spirits (until we had to divulge our weight to the pilot). After a few questions of whether we’d make it out or not due to smoke, almost all of us were quick to volunteer to stay behind and hunt and fish just a bit longer. As the plane engines roared, we all had our fingers and toes crossed that no one was dishonest about their weight. In the very capable hands of our backcountry pilots, we made it back to Boise just in time to catch our flights back to the real world. That trip really inspired the lot of us so I decided to get a copy of the Outdoor Empire spinning reel buyer’s guide for each of us, send out a mass communication inviting everyone again next year with some new gear and new stories.

A huge thanks goes out to our brands that made this trip possible: Eddie Bauer Sport Shop, Revo, fishpond, Beretta, SmartWool, Big Agnes, Black Diamond, Boa, Polartec, Sage, Redington, RIO, Mophie, Trimble Maps, and Gerber. Without their support, amazing trips like this would not be possible!

Check out all that gear!

Floating and fishing

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Fishing, Hunting, Trip Reports

Backbone Celebrates 15 Years

\ 2 Comments \ by

We are not super good at looking back. Yet hitting the 15-year mark has brought some reflection. By no means is this an Oscar acceptance speech, yet there are many who deserve thanks for believing in us and pushing us forward. Clearly our best days are still ahead.

Backbone Holiday card circa 2004

Backbone’s name comes from an insult.
In 1997, Lisa Raleigh who co-founded Backbone, and I were debating possible company names, if we should even launch into the unknown and leave our jobs at Climbing Magazine. I had just had my first child, Chapin, and my entrepreneurial spirit was wrestling with reality.

“Come on noodle boy,” she implored. “Get some Backbone.”
And there you have it. Thank you Lisa for that profound statement. It clearly has had a direct and positive impact for the past 15 years.

Bi-annual cattle drive by Backbone offices

Backbone launched in a 250 square foot basement cell block, with 2 phone lines and a fax machine. The internet was just coming onto the scene. We and all of Carbondale had dial up. To our initial clients- Steve and Brooks West from Boreal, Bill Supple from Wild Country, Mike Call from Pusher, and a start up named Cloudveil run by Steve Sullivan and Brian Cousins – GRANDE GRACIAS.

Week #2, John Bouchard, who was running Wild Things, called us and flatly stated “I don’t exactly know what you guys are up to, but I want in.”

Nate Simmons joined us as a partner, cutting short a trip in the Himalaya to get a piece of nothing. In typical Backbone micro/macro form, we listened to our clients and focused on where we could have an impact, operating on a mix of well played themes: ‘do anything as you do everything’ and ‘people overestimate the change in the next 2 years and underestimate the change in the next 10’.

Nate lobbying for best place to work status

Chris Grover from Black Diamond brought us on to help with Bibler tents and the first AvaLung. Our first meeting with Bill Gamber from Big Agnes was in the back of a gas station off I-70 in Wolcott. Jeff Bowman and Carol Valianti from Polartec wanted a small focused agency who were believers in their products. Thank you to all three companies for your continued support.

In those middling years we placed gear on magazine covers, TV and Backbone employees on billboards. We’ve survived client bankruptcies and IPOs. We’ve worked for non-profits (currently Big City Mountaineers, Protect Our Winters and 1% For The Planet) and been pegged for perhaps coining the term softshell.

In 2005, Greg Williams joined Backbone to strengthen our media planning, buying and research, becoming a partner in 2009 as business flourished. Today, we are sad to report we can no longer conduct annual reviews on the Ajax gondola in 14-minute segments like we used to. With 30+ employees our legs can not handle that many top to bottom laps.

Greg and Carolyn Williams

Backbone currently represents over 35 clients globally in the active lifestyle space. We have satellite offices in Jackson, WY and Denver, CO with core competency in outdoor, snowsports, hunting and fishing, tourism and the beer markets. We buy $20MM in media annually.

We’ve been fortunate to ride the tides of public relations, social, media planning and research while harnessing creative thought and progressive campaigns in active lifestyle.

Looking back, there have been harrowing times of stress and sketch-iness. We’ve won awards, driven a lot of nights through snow storms, survived tornadoes, shared big laughs and real adventure with a cast of characters inside Backbone and with our friends both in the media and the brands we represent. What is most important? The friendships and community we are a part of. Even better is that this network continues to grow and evolve.

So to all our clients – former and current, employees, and friends of Backbone – THANK YOU FOR 15 GREAT YEARS and see ya out there!

Penn Newhard

Backbone Summer BBQ 2012

 

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Holy Sh*#!

Backbone Voted Top 100 Best Places to Work

\ 1 Comment \ by

In the most recent issue of Outside, Backbone is listed as one of top 100 Best Places to Work alongside a few of our clients: Boa Technology, SmartWool, Horny Toad, and New Belgium Brewery. Here is what they had to say: view on outsidemag.com

Location: Carbondale, Colorado
Number of Employees: 31
Digs: Large open work spaces and a huge gear room stocked from floor to ceiling with the latest outdoor products from the 40-odd brands Backbone represents.
Culture: If you’re an elite skier, mountain-biker, climber, backpacker, runner, or fly-fisherman, but don’t quite have the inclination to go pro (and live a dirtbag existence), chances are you’ll fit right in. More often than not you’ll find employees working in running clothes or a bike kit after just returning for a lunchtime run or ride. Backbone has a standing rule that employees can ski (or cycle or fish) in the morning as long as they return to the office by mid-day to get their work done. And as media representatives for many of the most recognizable brands in the outdoor industry, employees also have access to outdoor gear that everyone is encouraged to demo (product research).
Sweet Perks: Yearly all-staff charges (Backbone staffers don’t “retreat”) —camping in the summer and backcountry skiing in the winter. Plus, there’s a kegerator stocked with New Belgium beer (one of the brands they represent) and a fleet of New Belgium cruisers to get around town.

We are thrilled to be a part of the roundup, and yes there are some incredible athletes under the Backbone roof, but working here is about way more than free gear and lunchtime bike rides. I polled the staff on their favorite things about Backbone on and off the clock. I created a bar graph to sum up the top responses.

That about sums it up. :-)

Beyond the obvious, our team had some more serious recommendations for why you should work here.
1) CLIENTS– My college professor used to say “A lemon is a lemon- no amount of glitter will help.” Nothing is better than good product. We are lucky to have clients who are constantly innovating and pushing the limits of what is available in the industry. They keep us on our toes, give us great stories to tell, and become friends off the clock as well. When you are talking about your clients every day, all day, this makes all the difference.
2) CROSS POLLINATION--(no not like that..) We manage social, PR, and media for our clients as well as doing a large amount of marketing consulting, and a range of other assorted consulting so there is always something new to learn to strengthen your personal skill set and mix things up.
3) BACKUP– There is always someone to cover you if clients need help and you are out of the office, on vacation, etc. so you can relax, turn your phone off and know that things are being handled.
4) GOOF FACTOR– some offices are serious and we are very serious about our work. We work our asses off in fact, but when you’re cranking on work and a bit stressed, this is one of the funniest groups of people you could hope to share an office with.
5) PROPS– We work hard and people notice- there are lots of high fives both inside and outside of our office for our hard-earned successes. Backbone generates over 2.5 billion impressions annually for our clients, we buy over $20 million in advertising annually, we have run over 30 social campaigns this year, and we manage a unique suite of services for over 50 industry leading brands in the active lifestyle, hook and bullet, travel, and beer markets. We are very proud of the reputation that we have built and stand behind the work that we do.

Thanks so much to Outside for recognizing us in this issue, we are going to go drink some Fat Tire, and play some ping pong to celebrate.

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Interesting Read, Outdoor Industry News, Social Media

In the House: Ashley from Orbitz

\ Leave a Comment \ by

We have lots of fun folks stopping in and out of the Backbone offices these days- our clients, their athletes, our media partners, friends, family, dogs, and a few randoms who are lost and looking for the yoga studio down the street. Our door is always open!

This week, Ashley O’Neill from Orbitz stopped by to see us and meet with our media team about Orbitz’s new design/layout and capabilities. Since we manage more than a handful of premier destinations these days, this is key info. Thanks for coming to see us in person, Ashley!

Posted in: Client News, Videos

New Belgium Brewing Unveils Conceptual Asheville Site Plan

\ Leave a Comment \ by

From: Bryan Simpson- New Belgium Brewery.

FORT COLLINS, CO, July 26, 2012 – New Belgium Brewing executives unveiled conceptual drawings for their new brewing facility to a packed house in Asheville yesterday. The drawings included a “liquid center” tasting room, a 200-barrel brewhouse, malt building, packaging hall and cellar space. A warehouse facility will be built offsite, equipped with the help of Industrial Auction Hub services. Executives wanted Asheville residents to see the plan first and have an opportunity to offer feedback.

“There will be impact but we will work hard to make it right,” said New Belgium CEO Kim Jordan. “We could have built on a lot of sites but we wanted to be on a livable, walkable site. This site will be a challenge, but we are up for that challenge.”

The new facility will have to be elevated above the 100-year flood zone along the French Broad River. Buildings and material from the old Asheville stockyard will be recycled during deconstruction this fall with heavy demolition being done November thru December and ground-breaking in January.

The brewery is working with the city and state Departments of Transportation to make infrastructure improvements including the widening of roads, smoothing of curves and the addition of traffic signals. An off-site warehouse facility at a yet-to-be-determined location will minimize trucking traffic in the area.

The brewery will have a 700,000-barrel capacity, producing both bottled and kegged beer for distribution along the east coast. The project is slated for completion in 2015.

About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces nine year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sunshine Wheat, Ranger IPA, Belgo IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.

Posted in: Client News, Design, Environment, Interesting Read

Don’t Call it a Retreat

\ Leave a Comment \ by

When I started working at Backbone over five short years ago, our bi-annual get togethers consisted of eleven of us having a small BBQ at a partner’s Carbondale home. Good food, sparkling dinner conversation (lots of jokes about how young and naive I was…) and PR State of the Union discussions.
Ahhh how times have changed.

At Backbone, the word “corporate retreat” makes us all twitch a little bit and one intern actually broke out in hives a few years back when those words were spoken. Penn told us recently that we were not allowed to call it a retreat. “We do not retreat at Backbone,” he said, “we charge.”

Well, in the past few years, and in response to a growing staff, development of new media departments and the creation of satellite offices in Jackson and Denver, we all agree that face-time, and company-wide get togethers are more important that ever to ensure a unified “charge”.

Considering our company’s addiction to the early adoption of any and all i-products, getting off the grid also becomes paramount. For a company based on a work hard, play hard philosophy, it is essential that we have at least 48 hours of un-interrupted time to share a beverage or two, hit the river and the trail together and make sure that we all spend enough time with the other 30+ members of the staff to uncover some of our finest personal skills which may never find their way into an RFP…

What we found this past week was a veritable cornucopia of freak flags, red flags, jazz choir histories, poor facial hair and haircut decisions in the mid 90’s, impressive first jobs (TCBY, Donut making), plastic baby launching talents, slow-cooking culinary prowess, glow stick dancing, remarkable fireproof-ness (accidental), SUP racing dogs, bocce ball balancing skills, a shared love of inflatables, freestyle margarita making skills and a company-wide borderline contractual agreement to only sit in the chair one may or may not have personally brought on the trip. Real resume builders.

Location: Twin Lakes, CO (which is conveniently now for sale- not sure if it hit the market before or after we were there…)
Attendance: 3 Partners, 28 staffers, 7 dogs, and one very scary plastic baby.
Takeaway: We are well positioned for another successful year as the leading agency in the active lifestyle industry, and are equally well positioned to start a traveling circus.

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Climbing, Colorado, Fishing, Musings, Trip Reports, Uncategorized