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PODCAST

Backcountry Marketing

Go behind-the-scenes with outdoor industry experts as they break down what it takes to produce creative work that works. Produced by: Port Side

business marketing

All Episodes

49:43

Are Brand Impressions Irrelevant?

Backcountry Marketing ·

2026/02/18

Episode Description In this episode, host Cole Heilborn sits down with Ryan Watson, CMO and COO at MTNTOUGH Fitness Labs, to unpack a hot take that should make every outdoor marketer pause: brand marketing for the sake of impressions is dead. Ryan breaks down why measurement has changed the game, why "one big campaign, one big message" is an outdated operating system, and how the best brands are blending performance rigor with brand-level creativity. We also go deep on community as the next frontier

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54:09

Navigating Change: Chris Burkard on Creativity, Risk,...

Backcountry Marketing ·

2026/02/04

In this episode (initially aired on June 18th, 2025), Cole sits down with Chris Burkard—photographer, creative director, adventurer, and storyteller. Chris shares his unique perspective on navigating the constant changes shaping the outdoor industry, creativity, and marketing. They dive deep into the evolving role of creatives in a constantly changing outdoor industry. From the blurred lines between artistry and strategy to the challenges of maintaining authenticity in a data-driven world, Chris

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30:56

Why "Brand" Has Lost Its Meaning

Backcountry Marketing ·

2026/01/21

Every company has a brand, but very few have built one intentionally or with differentiation. We use the word "brand" interchangeably with "company," when in reality most companies have never done the work required to intentionally shape what their brand stands for. In this episode, I sit down with Marc Peruzzi, Creative Director at Cache Seven, to unpack one of the most misunderstood ideas in outdoor marketing: the difference between a company and a brand. Marc shares why so many outdoor companies

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51:38

Brand Marketing is a Comfortable Lie Without Product...

Backcountry Marketing ·

2026/01/07

Does the outdoor industry overindex on brand? Alex Maier, President of OnWater, joins the show to challenge one of the outdoor industry's biggest assumptions: that brand marketing alone drives growth. Drawing from his experience in SaaS and outdoor, Alex breaks down why product marketing is the missing link for many brands, how listening to customers actually fuels innovation, and what outdoor companies can learn from software when it comes to adoption, retention, and trust. We unpack the difference

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08:40

2025, The Year that Almost Broke Us

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/12/17

2025, almost broke Port Side as a company. But we've grown, grown some more and have rebuilt the business from the ground up. In this episode, Cole shares a raw behind the scenes look at year and the role that the podcast has played in allowing us to come back stronger. Thank you for supporting us! About: This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio creating content strategy + production for active brands, rooted in emotion. Enjoy this episode and discover other resources

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59:39

Get Lazy, Get Dropped: Inside SATISFY's Brand +...

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/12/03

Daniel Groh, Chief Brand Officer at SATISFY, breaks down how the brand builds an emotion-first running world that turns casual observers into true fans. He explains why Satisfy treats people as guests, not customers, and how speaking to "people who run" opens the door to more honest, human storytelling. Daniel shares how they use emotional athlete content, localized community runs, and shock-and-awe moments at events like UTMB and Cocodona to create loyalty in a world where loyalty is fragile. He

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50:14

Why Brand Belongs in Product Development

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/11/19

Shelby Rossi, global brand manager for goggles and helmets at Oakley, digs into what happens when brand and marketing plug into the product development process from day one. Using WTR ICON, Oakley's new surf helmet, as a case study, Shelby explains how a cross-functional "task force" of R&D, UX, product, sports marketing, and brand broke down silos, validated a real consumer problem, and reshaped how Oakley brings innovation to market. About: This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative

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01:00:56

Creatives Aren't Commodities: Red Bull's Chris Whitten

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/11/05

In this episode, Cole sits down with Chris Whitten, Senior Production Manager at Red Bull, to unpack what separates irreplaceable creatives from the rest. Chris shares lessons from his journey through agency and brand-side production, spanning roles at Saatchi & Saatchi and now Red Bull, and offers candid advice for photographers, filmmakers, and producers who want to build long-term client relationships. The episode explores how mindset impacts success, why outreach is a creative act, and how to

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10:54

How Passion Blinds Brands to Strategy

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/10/29

In this solo episode, Cole Heilborn breaks down the differences between a strategist and a filmmaker. When content underperforms, brands often point to the creative execution, but more often than not, the real problem lies upstream in the strategy. Cole explains the downsides of a passion-led industry, why filmmakers have had to accept responsibility for defining KPIs and audience understanding, how skipping strategy leads to wasted resources, and what questions brands should ask before a camera

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54:46

Why Your Campaigns and Branded Content Aren’t Working

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/10/22

Some brands treat branded content and campaigns as separate things, one emotional or value-driven, and the other transactional. But what happens when they work together? In this episode, Trent Marsh, Marketing Director at Riton Optics, joins me to unpack what he calls the marketer’s trap, when teams invest in strategies they wouldn’t engage with themselves. Trent shares how to break that cycle by pairing campaigns and content to serve the same purpose, building trust, emotion, and results

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01:21:39

Brand Is Social, Social Is Brand: How Outdoor Brands...

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/10/08

Maren Hamilton, former Head of Social at The North Face and current Director of Global Brand and Community at popFly. We break down her core thesis: brand is social and social is brand. Maren shares why brands must stop treating social as a downstream channel, how to bring social thinking upstream into campaign planning and what it takes to build a social-first brand. Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below: Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show?

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01:22

Respect Your Audience

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/10/01

Cole shares a quick reminder about respecting your audience. Ask yourself: Does this provide value? If not, don't hit publish. About: This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio creating video strategy + production for active brands, rooted in emotion. Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below: Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show? Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years. LinkedIn | Join the

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48:54

Experience a New High: The Strategy Behind Altra’s...

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/09/17

Altra’s Head of Marketing, Reyna Alishio, and Backbone Media’s Senior Director of Strategy, Andy Ralston, take us behind the brand’s seasonal campaign, Experience a New High. We unpack the core insight tying mental wellbeing, social connection, and running to a younger audience; how a one-two punch of broad digital reach plus in-person activation moved awareness and consideration; and why the medium is part of the message when your pop-up is a Dopamine Dispensary. We also get into what went right,

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17:31

How to Be Creative

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/09/10

Ready to jump start your creativity? Cole Heilborn breaks down Port Side’s playbook for developing ideas that work in the wild. From setting guardrails and asking “why” three times, to building a culture of candor and using constraints, music, boredom, and flow to unlock divergent thinking, this solo episode is for marketers and creatives who want to ship better work, not just talk about it. About: This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio. We help brands that move,

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03:11

Your Audience is Tired

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/09/03

In this solo episode, Cole Heilborn unpacks the reality of digital fatigue and what it means for marketers. With endless competition for attention, from Netflix to Reddit to YouTube, your audience is already exhausted. They don’t want to be disrupted. They want content that feels valuable, entertaining, and emotionally resonant. Cole challenges brands to stop creating just to “show up” and start designing campaigns that genuinely add something to people’s lives. About: This podcast is produced by

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01:02:12

Hitting the Reset Button on Creative with Vail...

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/08/20

In this episode, I’m joined by Dillon Snyder, Creative Director at Vail Resorts. Dillon makes the case that much of today’s marketing output has become the equivalent of “yellow page ads.” We unpack why so much creative feels homogenized, how overemphasis on bottom-funnel tactics hurts long-term brand health, and why simplicity is often harder than complexity. Dillon also shares his vision for a “reset button” on creative: more collaboration between creatives and marketers, less energy on

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42:16

Why Superfeet Rebuilt Their Brand Around Emotion

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/07/30

What happens when a legacy brand decides to go back to its roots while completely reimagining what it stands for? Mike Donnelly, VP of Marketing, at Superfeet shares the behind-the-scenes process of repositioning Superfeet from a product people don’t see to a brand people feel. We talk about why “Performance Amplified” became the rallying cry, how to build emotional resonance around an invisible product, and the surprising lessons they learned when media and consumers didn’t react the way they

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17:23

One Question That Could Justify the ROI of Branded...

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/07/23

Is there a simple question to understand the ROI of branded content? Cole reflects on his takeaways from a panel discussion he hosted, the value of brand investments, knowing your audience, long form vs short form, and an update to the rebrand of Port Side About: This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio. We help brands that move, create strategy-led, emotionally charged video campaigns Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below: Insight Deck | Want 20 of our

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01:17:23

Why Middling Is a Critical Mistake | Inside Sorel’s...

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/07/16

In this episode, I'm joined by Michael Minter, VP of Brand at Sorel, who shares a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the brand’s reawakening. Sorel has been everything from a Canadian work boot to a fashion-forward winter staple, and now it’s entering a bold new chapter. We discuss what it takes to bring a heritage brand into the future, how to balance instinct and insight in a data-driven world, and why most outdoor content lacks real emotional impact. Michael also breaks down the creative strategy

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43:19

The Art of Letting Go: Building a Brand with Your...

Backcountry Marketing ·

2025/07/02

In this episode, MJ Carroll, Brand Director at HEST, unpacks the tension every marketer faces: How much control do you keep, and how much do you let your community shape your brand? We dive into what happens when you hand over creative control, why tension between brand and performance is healthy, and how HEST has built a passionate community by focusing on comfort, connection, and consistency. MJ also shares what she’s learned about content, team dynamics, and why she believes experiential events

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70 results

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