Mixing it up in NYC

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Pro riders Jeremy Jones and Forrest Shearer with US Water Polo team members Jessica Steffens, and Heather Petri

Question:  What do pistachios, water polo, Jeremy Jones, Olympic medalists, fashion models and Mt. Everest climbers have in common?

Answer:  Backbone Media.

A couple weeks ago we hosted our semi-annual showroom in NYC. It was our most eclectic event to date, and definitely the most fun.

Participating brands included SmartWool, Jones Snowboards, Black Diamond, Polartec, Eddie Bauer, POC, Klean Kanteen, REVO, Gerber Legendary Blades, Horny Toad, Glamourpuss NYC, MIPS and American Pistachio Growers. A diverse mix for sure.

Scott Rolfson shows off the latest from Klean Kanteen

In addition to exhibiting brands, we also had a myriad of special guests at the event. Team USA Water Polo gold medalists Heather Petri and Jessica Steffens represented pistachios along with USC director of nutrition, Becci Twombley. Snowboard pioneers Chris Klug and Jeremy Jones were on hand promoting the new TGR movie Further and the Chris Klug Foundation, respectively. Glamourpuss had a Ford model at their booth. Eddie Bauer brought professional mountain guide Melissa Arnot, who just became the first woman to summit Everest four times.

Guide Melissa Arnot and Molly McWhinnie from Eddie Bauer show off the latest apparel and gear to Dan Tower.

Joe Brown from Gizmodo with Fielding and Olympic snowboarder Chris Klug

Like our diverse portfolio of clients, most of the guests at our showroom came from very different places. But in addition to attending our event, they all had something else in common—they all have a story to tell–just like the brands we represent. So, it was awesome to watch water polo players interact with big mountain snowboarders. Or one of the country’s leading nutritionists connecting with one of the country’s best alpinists. And it was certainly fun watching some of the guys trying to connect with the fashion model.

When you add in over 50 journalists who attended the showroom, you get a super successful event. That’s a story worth telling.

Thanks to all who helped make the event happen and everyone who attended.

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, NY Times

Backbone MEDIA

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In 1997, when we started Backbone we debated to call it Backbone Media or Backbone PR. As there were only two of us and it was deadlocked we turned to mediation. For mediation we used two systems, one was the 8 Ball which we used more as a new business prognosticator. For yes/no questions we relied on the tried and true system of justice: rock, scissors, paper.

I threw scissors and won and we became Backbone Media.

Scroll forward to today and it proves that sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. The late ’90’s saw the rise of PR and now we all live in a paid/earned/owned impression format that melds social, media planning and buying and new school PR.

As barriers have broken down, connectivity has grown. This is best evidenced by the blurring of traditional media (pure editorial) and the dark side (PR) and the fact that many big brands are media companies on their own right.  Witness, JLD recently writing a piece in Backcountry magazine, Jonathan Georger sitting on a social panel for Aspen Chamber Resort Association and Nate Simmons being on Outside TV, not once but twice recently.

As Backbone’s services continue to expand there is no longer clear delineation between marketing channels. Integration and (for lack of a better word) leverage of all things marketing is the new norm. The mix now requires more quantifiable market research, app development, digital buys/optimization and of course PR.

Which is why if someone thinks you will throw rock you throw scissors.

Posted in: Making fun of the boss, Musings, NY Times, Social Media, Videos