Cole Heilborn (00:00):

Lately, I've been thinking about brands and I've been thinking about their content as if that's a surprise. And I came to the realization not too long ago that I think there's an opportunity for brands to expect more from their content. I think there's an opportunity for their content to be working harder, smarter, more strategically, and most importantly, producing more results. Now, let me get into this and let me explain what I mean. But first I want to tell you a story. So as you know, we've been producing this show for almost five years, over 200 episodes. And over the course of that time, we've never had a fiscal sponsor for the show. Here at Portside, we've fronted all of the money to produce the show. It's cost us tens of thousands of dollars, hundreds, if not thousands of uncompensated time. But despite all of the effort, even through our slowest, most scary, desolate financial seasons and our busiest seasons where we have too much work and we can't keep up with the podcast, we've always made it a priority to continue to invest in this show.

(01:11):

And the reason is because the investment has as a disproportionate effect on our business based on the input that it's required. This show has produced hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of client work for us. This show has helped us continue to learn, help us continue to understand what's happening out there in the world, keeps us educated, keeps us on our toes. It also allows us to show up in the world in a really meaningful way. That's true to my personality, a place of curiosity, a place of asking questions, trying to better understand, asking why, learning from those around us. And then finally, it's given us a position as a company. It's given us the ability to craft a positioning that's very unique to us through our backcountry marketing filter. But I was thinking about our podcast and I was thinking about the results that it has driven for us.

(02:07):

And then I was thinking about this idea of what if brands creative work could actually work harder and smarter for them? I think often brands, and I'm not talking about the obvious brands here, okay, I'm talking about the mid-size brand who has one or two people in-house who are doing content creation, who are working with external vendors, who are managing socials, trying to stay on top of YouTube. And I think those brands often settle for less than desirable outcomes from the creative content that they're producing. And in these sort of situations, we all understand what's going on, right? Staying on top of content is so difficult. It takes so much work, it takes so much energy, so much mental capacity, not to mention money. And when you're a mid-size brand dealing with post COVID, with tariffs, with a rapidly changing ecosystem, it's a lot to manage.

(03:07):

And so I understand why, but I think a question that I've been asking myself is, if you're not going to do it right and you're not going to do it, well, then what's the point of doing it in the first place? I mean, the reality is that if you're not doing something well, why bother? If you're doing it, you're only doing it then to check a box. And if it's not producing the results that you're looking for, then either you are, either it's not worth doing, you're doing it the wrong way, or you aren't patient enough. I think I'd like to challenge the outdoor industry to try and make their content work harder for you. And it doesn't mean that every post is driving sales conversions and driving people to a website where they're buying and becoming life on customers, but I think we should put a greater emphasis on the problem solving ability that great creative and great content can produce for a brand.

(04:06):

Content is so powerful and it really doesn't take a whole lot for it to work well. It takes knowing a clear understanding of your goals, having a great brand, being creative, and how you show up, and then knowing who your audience is. And if you do all those things and you understand how to use the platforms, the world is your oyster. I think content these days, it has to entertain. Remember, your audience doesn't care about really anything that you post. So it has to be entertaining. It has to be interesting. It has to provide value, it has to play in culture, it has to be educational. And I think if your content isn't doing that, then I mean, that's the bare minimum right there.

(04:52):

I think a good litmus test is this. Your brand should feel excited about spending money to produce content because if you're excited to spend it, it means that the investment will pay off. It means the investment is already paying off. I think that's a good litmus test to consider. Is your brand excited to invest in content? If not, it might mean that your content isn't working as well as it should be or as it could be. Please don't treat your content as an afterthought. It should lead the way for your brand. It's how your brand shows up in the world. It doesn't replace a great brand, but it's how your brand presents and interacts with your customers and your audience. And if you aren't being remembered through your brand or through your content, then you're being forgotten. And if you're being forgotten, then the timeline is real short. So start asking the hard questions. Demand more of your content and get creative. Because remember, the audience has seen everything before. They don't want to be marketed to. They want to be entertained, they want to be intrigued. They want to be seen and surprised and delighted. How can you use your content to do that?

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