A little glimpse into the past of Backbone Media’s Steve Metcalf, back when he worked on the other side of media, back when he had hair…
Dax in Decline
The venerable Dax Kelm profiled on the back cover of Decline magazine. It’s all downhill from here… (click image to enlarge).
Backbone MEDIA
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.
It All Adds Up
Fall is our slow time. Time to relax.
Unless you think about it.
Ali Carr Troxell examining new Spring 2012 Big Agnes tents @ Outside HQ
Outside Publisher Larry Burke and Sam Moulton check out a 'still secret' BD Powder ski for 2012
Fall planning gets cranked up and a quick look at our Google Calendar tells a different story. In the last month~ish, Backbone has been in Boulder multiple times, Portland, Ventura, Austria, NYC, Santa Fe, Fort Collins, Moab, Phoenix, Pierre (that’d be South Dakota), Vegas and Jackson Hole.
Mavis sent this shot from Austria where she was schralping with Team NH - aka Kastle athletes Colby James West and Chris Davenport
More travel on the horizon with Boulder, Santa Fe, LA, Seattle, Banff, Steamboat and the Canary Islands (legit work trip FYI) are all loaded on our collective itineraries.
Cool to see this descending from Castleton Tower outside Moab
Why the acceleration? Predominantly it comes from growth in our digital and media divisions as well as continued integration with PR. As the landscape changes we are seeing more expansion of services with existing clients and new business in social media strategy, app development, curation and media planning.
Teva on ice in NYC showroom along with Backbone clients Black Diamond, Eddie Bauer/First Ascent and Revo
It’s interesting because while many were quick to call for the death of print, the decentralization of media has acted as a correction of sorts opening marketers eyes to the various tools at their disposal. Good real time data and thought has focused on brands better defining their goals, accessing information and utilizing the various mediums to best suit their needs. Some see online as a more DTC tool and less as a brand builder – preferring print or TV for the greater brand reach. Others see gain in community based and engaged communication. Either way it’s an interesting time to be in involved and rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty.
See you out there.
Understanding Facebook Engagement with EdgeRank
For a little over a week now, I have been the newest member of the Backbone Media team. As most of you have probably noticed, there have been some recent changes to the layout of your Facebook news feed. Although this may have initially thrown some people off (evident in the flurry of negative feedback seen around the web), the intent was to provide a more personalized experience for users.
Facebook’s continued struggle is essentially blending your real life experiences with relevant content and stories posted from friends and brands – all organized in an easy to digest timeline. The monkey behind all of that is a set of algorithms called EdgeRank. On September 21, Facebook improved its EdgeRank system to display content and interactions from your friends to be more relevant. Meaning, EdgeRank is optimizing Top Stories for users who are more likely to interact, thus dropping less engaging content into your Recent Stories – we’ll get back to this later.
For those of you who find yourself instinctively heading for the “X” at the top of the page, fear not, I promise it’s not as frightening as it looks. Before we get into the actual formula it’s important to understand what an edge is and how they’re created. Edges begin simply as objects, which can be any input (a video, photo, like, status update, etc.). Three factors are then taken into account when determining the edge associated with an object.
The EdgeRank formula is based on three elements: affinity, weight and time decay. While this does make the algo seem simple, there’s actually a huge amount of complexity behind these three factors.
1.) Affinity score: An object’s Affinity score is determined by the amount you interact with a person/brand’s objects. For example a person whose photos you view often will have a high affinity score. Higher Affinity scores drive higher EdgeRank.
2.) Weight: Weight is believed to be determined by the current objectives of the Facebook team when the object is created. The most recent weight hierarchy generally places videos, photos, links, and status updates at the top of the list. Just like with Affinity scores, greater weighted objects receive higher EdgeRank.
3.) Time Decay: The last factor in determining EdgeRank ensures that old “news” does not repeatedly appear in the top news section of your feed, an object must receive constant interaction or its EdgeRank will decline.
These three factors work together to give every object an EdgeRank. The higher the EdgeRank, the more likely the object is to appear in a user’s top stories.
So what can be done to ensure your brand is able to break into a user’s news feeds?
First, brands need to provide continuous, engaging content to ensure affinity scores among users remain at high levels, and that time-decay does not lead to page stagnancy. Asking questions about who, what, when, etc. are great ways to keep users engaged. An emphasis on posting highly weighted objects such as videos, photos, and links will also contribute to a strong EdgeRank. It should be noted that content quality should not deteriorate, as interesting creative (stories, posts, videos) are still the primary drivers of user engagement.
Now with an understanding of this new process of populating the Top Stories section of a news feed, we took a look at a sample set of Backbone clients to determine what effects this has. Four criteria were taken into account in our analysis:
1.) Daily Active Users–The number of people who have interacted with or viewed the brand page or its posts.
2.) Daily Logged in Views–Daily page views from users logged into Facebook.
3.) Daily Likes/Comments– The number of likes and comments made on news feed stories.
4.) Daily News Feed Impressions–The raw number of times people have viewed a story in a news feed.
The Results.
Looking at the percentage change across these four metrics showed substantial increases virtually across the board:
- The increase in daily impressions suggests high EdgeRank scores are associated with these clients. The remaining data implies that users, who are now able to quickly and easily find news from their favorite pages, are more inclined to engage.
- Although this defines a positive correlation between users and established pages, it may pose additional issues for brands new to Facebook by making it more difficult to break into user’s news feeds.
- Brands with a higher post frequency will see higher daily active user scores, but I would be careful of posting too much for the sake of EdgeRank – content is still the biggest game in town.
- Cross referencing page engagement metrics with the Reach Insights will uncover more insight to maximize your content and its virality.
As of this morning, Facebook launched a new set of Page Insights to further glean insight to the types of content users engage with, as well as what people are talking about. More on that later…
#TheMeeting7
The Meeting, “the premier gathering of snowsports filmmakers, athletes, sponsors, media and fans”, went down in Aspen/Snowmass this past weekend for the seventh year.
TGR's OFTR screening
When I first went in 2005 with the Freeskier crew, The Meeting was only getting started, and, back then, for me it was basically just a reason to go party in Aspen for the weekend and watch ski and snowboard movies. Since its inception, The Meeting has grown in importance and this year Penn, Georger, Mavis, Laura, Lindsay and I were all there. Backbone’s new client, TGR, screened its new ski film One For The Road. Sigi from Kastle was also in town with Kastle athlete Griffin Post, who’s a breakthrough performer in OFTR.
Olympics panel
There’s no other event quite like The Meeting – screenings of most of the major ski and snowboard films, thought-provoking panel discussions on the Olympics, the environment, and social marketing, and a bunch of fun-loving people converging in Aspen during one of the most pleasant times of the year.
Thanks, Aspen/Snowmass, for creating an event that celebrates skiing and snowboarding, and facilitates discussion about how to make them even better.
Here’s a little edit of the weekend. Sit back, go full screen, turn on the HD, and press play.
#TheMeeting7 from Aspen/Snowmass on Vimeo.
Showing My Best Side
I’m new to the outdoor industry. My colleagues here at Backbone Media call me the FNG. Even Gary, our UPS guy, calls me the new guy because he hasn’t learned my name yet. For those of you who haven’t met me or don’t remember a time before golden Aspen leaves and dreams of endless face shots, here is a little background.
I’ve done PR and marketing for years but was recently reminded how tied together work and lifestyle can be. Take advertising, for example. When a brand wants to run an advertisement that includes people, they typically hire models and pay them handsomely.
So, when a buddy of mine from Ski.com asked me if I’d help him out by posing for a few photographs that might make it into an advertisement, I jumped at the chance. I pulled my ski gear out of storage and put it on in August. The heat was brutal but I sweat it out and braved the embarrassment of doing a photo shoot at a popular spot in Aspen. In the summer. In ski clothes. I looked like a real fool but figured that the payoff would be worth it.
Time passed and I forgot all about the embarrassment of the photo shoot and my buddy Dan never mentioned anything to me about it. But yesterday, an advance copy of the November issue of Outside arrived at the office and it was like Christmas around here. Everyone at the Backbone office scrambled to hold the issue and pore over the pages. I did the same and much to my surprise, I found a picture of myself gracing the pages. Only this time I was not being humiliated in an Aspen park wearing my ski gear in the middle of August. I was standing amongst beautiful snowy peaks choosing boxes off a supermarket shelf, determining which resort to visit this winter.
It’s amazing what can be done with Photoshop. The ad came out beautifully and not only will it run in Outside but it’s also on Ski.com and will also appear in Freeskier, SnoWorld, and Mountain Magazine. The ad shows my best side so only I (and a few select friends, and colleagues, and oh, nevermind…) know that it’s me.
Needless to say, I didn’t get rich by modeling for Ski.com so I’ll stick to my day job at Backbone Media. Hopefully my status as the new guy is starting to fade and I’ll just become part of the crew.
Giving Back
The common wisdom is you get what you give. Which is great and all. But in this day and age there needs to be new adage that allows you to get even a little time to give anything at all, especially when your voicemail is full and email overflowing.
Another favorite saying is if you want something done, give it to a busy person. True to some degree but what about all the slackers in the world?
The point to be made here is the admission that yes, things are as hectic as ever and yes, this is exactly the reason to get involved in causes that are foundational to your own personal or corporate culture (did I just really type the words corporate culture?). If the truth is that you have to be a crazy to make it on the news – then all us sane people need to voice the more common middle road or risk being forgotten.
Which brings us to Freshmullet and Chase Jarvis.
Stu Bowen is a surfer, activist and runs the blog freshmullet.com
He is also one of 1% For The Planet’s founding Ambassadors, along with Chase. Fresh Mullet is cool – from a cultural standpoint (ha, ha this time I was able to omit the evil corporate word). If you haven’t, check out the site.
Now Chase Jarvis is also cool. He is a photographer which means he can wear jeans and a plain white t-shirt. He too is a 1% Ambassador and wow, check out the planetary alignment here – he is on Freshmullet.com
Chase also is a big proponent of the best camera you have is the one you have with you – alluding to the fact that with phones we are all part of the ‘new’ media and that pictures are as much about the moment as they are about the composition, ISO and exposure.
So check it out, here are real people, who have real jobs and are really busy – yet they are giving back.
Point being, lead by example. If we want to make a difference we all have to get involved.
Why are we in this business?
We are all busy. Ironically, too busy, in fact, to even ponder such heavy questions like “why are we in this business anyway?”
Luckily, rather than have to sit ponderously, I was reminded why by an email from Andrew Bisharat over at Rock & Ice. Andrew organized the Rifle RendezSPEW Clean Up, and his thank you to sponsors including Big Agnes, Black Diamond, Gregory, La Sportiva and Backbone serves as an excellent summation as to why the outdoor biz is unique.
Simply put it is great to work in an industry that embraces a lifestyle, cares for public land, and is a creative extension of both business and personal relationships. Thanks AB for the insight.
**Don’t quit reading early as a link to Andrew’s blog Evening Sends takes a hilarious look behind the scenes.
—
Rifle RendezSPEW 2011
The Rifle RendezSPEW was an amazing success. An unprecedented amount of work was achieved, money raised, shwag raffled and fun had.
The Rifle RendezSPEW (formerly called the Rifle Clean Up) was part community service, part informal climbing competition, and it ended with a big barbeque, raffle and costume party where you had to dress up as a Rifle route. Over 150 climbers participated in the event on August 27.
At the registration area, there was a Five Ten shoe and Black Diamond harness demo. For a $10 registration fee, climbers got all the food and beer they could eat and drink, and they received a shwag bag with the new Rifle issue of Rock and Ice magazine, a CAMP Photon wire carabiner, a block of CAMP chalk, a Grivel 3F quickdraw sling, a Lapis boar’s hair brush, a Sterling Rope t-shirt or hat from Black Diamond or La Sportiva, a garbage bag for picking up trash and a Clif Bar. We had 100 shwag bags stuffed, and sold them all by noon.
This year, the event worked closely with the City of Rifle, and climbers were able to buy their season parking passes during the morning registration, which took place at the Feline parking lot. Communications between the City of Rifle and the Rifle Climbers Coalition (RCC) improved, and their concerns over climbers camping illegally and milling around in the road at the Project Wall were voiced and addressed.
photo: Andrew Bisharat
Meanwhile, the RendezSPEW showcased what a good user group climbers are to the Park, first by helping the City clean ashes out all barbeque and campfire pits. Further, concerns over climbers standing in the road at the Project were addressed by a massive rebuilding of the retaining wall beneath the Project Wall warm-up routes, as well as clearing out a new picnic area across the river, which will eventually have a picnic table and bench for climbers to congregate (as opposed to in the middle of the road).
Other clean-up projects included removing aluminum quickdraws that have been left in place on many popular routes for years. About a hundred pounds of frighteningly bad gear was cleaned this year, and either left as is, or outfitted with steel perma-draws. Strange Ranger, Cryptic Egyptian, Huge, Bauhaus Proklamation, Simply Read, 7 P.M. Show, Zulu, Anti-Phil and others were cleaned of bad gear.
New steel anchors were placed on all the aforementioned routes, in addition to Easy Skankin’, Spurt-atron, I am Not a Philistine, Sometimes Always, Apocalypse 05, Present Tense, PMS and others.
Glue-ins were added on the seasonally seeping, but excellent routes Le Specimen and Hand Me the Canteen Boy.
Belay and trail improvements were made to the newly popular Sanctuary wall, and fallen trees were chopped and removed from the Arsenal and elsewhere. Dog droppings and garbage were cleaned up throughout the Park.
photo: Jamie Lynn Miller
In addition to the clean up, the Game of SPEW (Send Points for Elitist Wankers) was held. Climbers were given a booklet/scorecard that explained the rules of the game, where climbers earned points for climbing routes and doing clean up projects, as well as other fun extra-credit points such as “Calling The Redpoint” (+750 SPEW points) or doing pull-ups at the anchors (50 pts/pull-up). You could also lose points for various penalties—Top Roping (-300), “Calling The Redpoint Fail” (-750). The winner, Keller Rinaudo, racked up an extra 3,000 points for climbing Rumor Has It in his birthday suit (Lynn Hill belayed), earning him a commemorative sweatshirt that says “I’m the Best Climber in Rifle.” Edgardo Baca came in with the lowest score, which earned him the “I’m the Worst Climber in Rifle” sweatshirt.
This year, one of the main goals of the RendezSPEW was to raise funds to cover the costs of a bird study that the Rifle Climbers Coalition (RCC) commissioned earlier this summer. The bird study was to determine if and exactly where golden eagles are nesting in the front half of Box Canyon, which resides on public lands that are managed by the Department of Wildlife (DOW) and are currently closed to climbing due to protect the eagle nests. The RCC, with the guidance and help of the Access Fund, is putting together a comprehensive proposal for how climbing can co-exist with the eagles to be presented to the DOW this November. The RCC recognizes the front half of the Canyon as an amazing climbing resource with potential for numerous moderate and futuristic lines; it is our long-term goal to open climbing access here, and this bird study was one step in this process. The RendezSPEW not only succeeded in raising the $800 balance we needed to cover the bird study, but with a total of $3,000 raised, there are now extra funds that will be used for future updates to the canyon, including hardware upgrades for routes and picnic benches for climbers.
The after party will go down as one of the most memorable, as dozens of climbers showed up dressed as Rifle routes (earning everyone an extra 10,000 SPEW points). The Beast, Glue Fairy, Le Specimen, Merry Maids, Living in Fear, Brown Chicken, Quasimodo, King Fisher, I am not a Philistine, FireArms, Purple and Green, Tijuana Crack Whore(s), Gay Science, Pinch Fest and several versions of Euro-Trash all made memorable appearances.
A massive raffle and a DJ dance party finished off the event.
This event could not have happened without the incredible support of the climbing industry.
Special thanks to CAMP, ClimbTech, Liberty Mountain, and the American Safe Climbing Association for their donations of steel hardware that is being used to keep Rifle safe and user friendly.
Thanks to Avery Brewing and the Lander Brewing Co for supplying the beer.
Thanks to the Access Fund, Big Agnes, Black Diamond, Backbone Media, CAMP, ClimbTech, Cypher, Deuter, Edelweiss, Five Ten, Grivel, La Sportiva, Liberty Mountain, Prana, Patagonia, Rab, Rock and Ice magazine, Singing Rock, Sterling Rope, Summit Canyon Mountaineering and Wolverine Publishing for the amazing support!!!
—Andrew Bisharat, on behalf of the Rifle Climbers Coalition (rifleclimbers.org).
**Check out the extra curricular adventures of DirtBAG, Jtron and the Prince of Unnecessary Darkness here
Fast Company 30 Second MBA
Over the past month a number of Backbone clients have been a part of Fast Company’s 30 Second MBA online program.
If you are looking insight and advice from industry leaders ranging from Mark Zuckerberg, Tony Hsieh and Conan O’Brien on topics such as Innovation, Faith in Business and Creative Management check it out.
View the videos from Travis Campbell from Far Bank, Peter Metcalf from Black Diamond, Steve Jones from TGR and Penn Newhard from Backbone and we look forward to future videos from other Backbone clients.