World's Worst PR Predictions for 2015

1.  You’ll hate social media more than ever

There’s an ubergalactic thumb-wrestling match going on right now to see who disdains social media more.

Is it the increasingly isolated user … whose news feed is morphing into a steady diet of promoted posts, kitten photos, first-world-problem bragplaining, and powder cuckolding?

Or is it the producer … who like the ever-hopeful freelance writers before them, have volunteered to hitch their careers on daily milk runs to the great cow of creativity.  But to add a new wrinkle, these new economy careerists have a new glass to fill every single day. (Did you hear chat rooms are back? ...Sorry about all that time you put into the Google Plus program; turns out the platform sucks and is going nowhere... Ramp up that Instagram posting frequency....  Should we be on Ello? ... Explain to me again why those other guys have a bigger Facebook audience?  ....You’re not answering your Snapchat account. ...My nephew just got retweeted by Vin Diesel. Why don't we do that?)

This Bud’s for you, community managers.  I feel your pain.

2. You’ll wish you invented something

Like triple-baked snowsealed work gloves. 

Or standup paddle anything. 

Or Chris Davenport.

3. You’ll start making plans for when Outdoor Retailer moves to Las Vegas

According to something I found on the internets, the Outdoor Retailer contract at the Salt Palace Convention Center runs through the end of 2016. 

Also found on the internet is the nearest available hotel room to the upcoming 2015 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market show … which is a short JetBlue connection away.

For the last few years, I found it pretty damn hard to believe that the show would leave Utah while Kenji was in charge. But, since Kenji has left the building, maybe that door has finally opened. Just sayin'.

4. You’ll be asked to produce a video
Good video costs good money.  And by “good money” I mean watch-yourself-while-you-kick-yourself-in-the-balls expensive. 

The concept, the scripting, the planning, the travel, the shoot, the lighting, the terrible first take, the make up to make you look like you’re not wearing make up, the editing … oh, God, the editing …. And then finally a finished product that looks pleasantly effortless like you just whipped out your iPhone and caught a perfect moment in digital amber. That shit is hard.  And those who understand what it takes, understand what it takes.

While there are a handful of brands that are already six exits down the video highway, many of the rest are quietly shuffling their feet, hoping that brand imagery that can be sent by fax will continue to be OK for their needs. Those folks are certainly not ready to spend $100k on a video program. Or $50k. And probably not $20k either.

“Visual storytelling” isn’t marketing bullshit. It’s essential. And since many of the excellent video producers have long since bailed on the outdoor world because of the lack of budget, guess who’s gonna be on the list for that that $2000 video RFP that goes out next month?

5.  You’ll stick your head through the drywall in your office

“Actually, I don’t have health insurance and I’m not planning on getting any anytime soon. I’m a healthy guy and I’ve been pretty lucky in the past.”

 -- Comment made by a media guest on day two of a backcountry fam trip, immediately after telling the group about the numerous crazy adventure-based media fam trips he’d been on in the last 12 months.

6. You’ll walk out on a keynote speaker

It’s a red wine and salt kind of reaction for an outdoor local to be lectured on anything by a non-outdoor person.  Seriously, that Cabernet literally leaps out of the damn shag carpet.

Part of that reaction is outdoor DNA, a historic reluctance to take any advice (even good advice) from 90-day wonders. But part of it is also the industry’s legitimate pride as custodians of truly special and increasingly rare experiences. This group sees itself as exceptional  ... and truly distinct from other industries in its ongoing appreciation of natural beauty and non-competitive athleticism. And until the double-digit growth slows down, it's gonna be tough to tell them otherwise.

“Data crunch all you want in your pretty keynote,” says the voice in our head, “But I’ll bet you a billion dollars that if it snows three feet on Friday your entire argument is toast.”

And that voice will be right.

7. You’ll like a post on Facebook which openly shames “bad” PR people

It’ll happen. Probably as soon as this post goes live.

8.  You’ll start blogging again

When blogging first hit the scene, it was mind-blowing cool. Man, writing that sentence sure makes me feel old.

But it was. It was long-format bantering on big meaty topics. It was one-upmanship. It was wordplay. People got excited. People got mad. People lawyered up.  It was like the rap-off scene in Eminem's “8 Mile” … if it had been done by mildly overweight insomniac startup marketing consultants with tons of time on their hands because the dot-com bubble had just burst.

Alas, blogging was hard, too. It was a long distance race rather than a sprint. You had to feed the beast with regular content. With graphic elements. With photos and colors and illustrations and links and …  

And then we found Facebook. 

Believe it or not, Facebook was truly cutting edge once upon a time. Especially for bloggers with writing block. It was slick. It was turnkey. It was unexpected.  Seriously … don’t laugh.   

The worm, however, has turned. Facebook wants your money, and is going to get it one way or another. And huddled masses of “alternative” SM channels keep on growing, faster than neglected cilantro after a spring rainstorm. 

So, people are dusting off their blogs. As the anchor for all social media content.  As a driving force for inbound traffic.  As a cool thing to do that builds value for a brand, not for an IPO-hopeful Twitter knockoff.

9. You’ll get a product request from a part-time SLC barista

At the twice-annual Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, there is understandably much fanfare about the “working media list” which is available to exhibitors and their representatives.

The list for the upcoming 2015 winter show – or at least the most recent one we’ve received – has an impressive 520 bodies on it, representing 271 media outlets. 

Out of that 271, a sizable 108 are classified as Internet-only outlets … and 71 are attending the show from the greater Salt Lake area.

The only thing harder than publishing is freelance writing. So when that barista calls, give 'em a break.

10. You’ll get stuck with a bar tab

And hopefully, my steak frites and double Crown & ginger will be on it too.

Because Made-in-America matters

So ... why did Pale Morning Media just start a Made-in-America PR division?

Actually, it’s not that new. We’ve been active in the promotion of domestic manufacturing brands and storylines for the last six years, building direct experience, deepening our contacts and meeting some fantastically enthusiastic people along the way. For the last two years, we’ve also been the administrators of the American Made Outdoor Gear Awards, which we helped create and launch for our friends at Kokatat. So at this point, we’re really just formalizing our commitment to the space, assigning staff roles, and dedicating future time and resources to the category. We see outdoor gear "makers" as an engaging community going through an exciting time, and we want to be a part of it.

Is Pale Morning Media actually big enough to have "specialties"?

Even a one-person shop can have specialties, as long as they're fluent in a particular market and are able to engage that community. Pale Morning Media has been a specialist in the Outdoor market since day one, and over the last decade the agency has also built the staff and knowledge base to have specialties in Ski, Hunt/Fish and Natural Products.

Imagine you're on National Public Radio with Kai Ryssdal. Explain the importance of Made-in America gear in 10 seconds or less. Don't bore me, I'm driving home and only paying half attention.

If you’re only paying half attention, then you’re probably not somebody that’s going to care much about where stuff is made.

But if I had Kai’s ear, I’d tell him that American gear manufacturers are making a deliberate choice to sacrifice short-term profits for a long-term benefit that doesn’t exist yet. That type of economic optimism is worth encouraging, especially when it’s tied to an industry that celebrates the environment, health and adventure.

What does a Made-in-America “commitment” actually mean?

We all know that it’s got to be more than just putting on a red, white and blue trucker hat and calling yourself an expert. There has to be more meat on the bone than that.

So to build on the work we’ve done in the past, we’ve committed ourselves to an ongoing campaign of education. Our goal internally is to reach a level of fluency that you can only get when you live, breathe and eat something every day. That internal dedication is matched by an external commitment to share what we’re learning, so that more people are conversant, interested and eager for news on the topic.

A sample of this line of thinking is GearMadeHere.org, a Made-in-America news and social media portal that we’re launching this month. Like a lot of American manufacturing initiatives, GearMadeHere.org is a small first step toward a larger goal. We hope people will check it out, enjoy it, and send us their own stories and links to post.

How big is the Made-in-America gear community?

Big enough that it should get noticed more often. In the data collected during last year’s American Made Outdoor Gear Awards, brands with a substantial and measurable made-in-America commitment were found in all parts of the country and at all sizes of organizations.

A big chunk of the most excited and most intriguing companies were relatively young and growing fairly fast: 42% of applicants were founded in the last 10 years, and 76% of applicants had a hand in creating more than 500 new manufacturing jobs in the last year. That’s solid stuff.

Does support of Made-in-America brands mean that you’re opposed to making things elsewhere?

Of course not. Global manufacturing is an essential part of our world and our culture, with many positive impacts and inspiring stories.

We’re just adding a new layer to our current services. It’s really no different that having a bike division or a ski division, or putting a sign out on Main Street that says we’re now open on Saturdays.

What’s the most awesome piece of American-made outdoor gear?
A chimney sweep friend of mine from Wyoming once told me that America makes two things better than anybody else in the world … bicycles and guns. It's tough to disagree with that kind of country logic, but plenty of awesome can be found in virtually every outdoor category right now.

Why aren’t more people telling their Made-in-America story?
Most people are actually trying really hard to tell their story, but are struggling to find the right way to do it. It can be a tricky balancing act to tell your story to a bunch of vested parties, all the while staying compliant with FTC and California regulations.

You think consumers actually care where their stuff is made?
I think the more relevant conversation is “how many” actually care. And the obvious answer to that is “more and more every day.” A healthy majority of Made-in-America outdoor industry gear makers -- more than 90% -- are planning to increase the size and scope of their manufacturing operation in the coming year. You don’t do that unless you’ve got fans.

Is this a good business decision for Pale Morning Media?
As a business owner, you make a lot of decisions for a lot of different reasons. Some are for money, some are for free skiing, and some are for your kids. I don’t think this decision is necessarily going to do much for our short-term bottom line, but I do think it’s a positive step for Pale Morning Media in the long-term.

'Gear Institute' strips things down to the bare essentials

Once upon a time there, was no gear. Now, there is very much gear. Scholars from the future will call it this the Gear Era, and they will scientifically pinpoint the moment in time when Gear became a Thing.

That future timeline will likely date back to 1973, when the same crazy kids who were smoking weed, getting naked and having sex to "Eat a Peach" decided that that they'd rather smoke weed, get naked, and run around with all the other future running shoe company CEOs. Streaking was the antithesis of gear, but it was also the doorway.

In the 40 years since then, Gear has become more than running shoes and skis and packs and gloves and lighters and Gore Tex dog leashes and barbecue grills. Gear has become stuff that we actually think about before we buy it. Sometimes, Gear gets bought before we even plan an adventure. And Gear can often become the dusty icon in the corner of the room that reminds us of those adventures we once had.

Seeking to "professionalize" the modern art of Gear reviewing, a team of outdoor journalists has erected a unique digital structure from their base in New Mexico. Known as the "Gear Institute," the independently published website draws part of its inspiration from the sterile testing environment of Consumer Reports ... and the rest from the seemingly insatiable demand among the general public for gear reviews.

There are no lab coats that I'm aware of at this institute, and as yet there is no PhD available in Gearology. However, if they have their way ... the lab coats may be coming.

Below is a quick conversation with Justin Nyberg, co-founder of the Gear Institute:

Why are people so obsessed with gear?

Because gear is power. I’m only half kidding. Just about anything cool you’d want to do in the outdoors requires equipment of some kind, and the stuff is pricey. I think people’s obsession with gear is just a proxy for their obsession with expanding their horizons—doing it faster, cleaner, more efficiently, more comfortably, or just in a cooler way. Plus, when you get right down to it, we’re all materialistic gluttons. New stuff is always fun.

Where did the idea for the Gear Institute hatch? I hope scotch was involved.

Actually, it was green chili. My buddy Pete Kray invited me to the breakfast spot with the hottest green chili in New Mexico—Horseman’s Haven Cafe, in Santa Fe. While the steam was pouring out of our eyes, we got to bemoaning the lack of thorough, objective, expert gear testing websites out there. It seemed like everything out there was either really superficial or just unhelpful to a consumer trying to make a smart buying decision. And we both knew many of the brightest, most thorough, and best respected outdoor gear testers in the industry who deserved to have their work highlighted. So we launched our own.

If things work perfectly, what will the Gear Institute look like in 10 years?

The Taj Mahal! No, if things continue the way we’re going, we’re going to have an expert in each major product category in the outdoor industry, cranking out objective reports that help savvy consumers make sense of the flood of gear on the market. It’s going to be a really robust, consumer-friendly tool. Knives, heart rate monitors, high-power flashlights, dog PFDs—you name it. Beyond that, the expansion plan is something we keep close to our chests, but ultimately, we want people to equate the Gear Institute with the testing organizations we respect the most in other industries—groups like Consumer Reports in consumer products, and websites like CNET.com in tech. (On the print side, it publications like Outside’s Buyers Guide, Backpacker’s Gear Guide, and Mountain Magazine’s ski tests that I think set the bar in our industry.)

How do you feel about Wes Welker joining the Broncos?

That’s football, right?

Who is on the core team? And how many people are on the "roster"?

Tal-ee Roberts is our tech maestro; he built the site and all it’s features. He’s a genius. Ken Marold designed it—we wanted to have the best looking and most user friendly tool for consumers to get clear info on products, and he really delivered. Peter Kray is our publisher and deals with our ad sales, along with Chris Van Leuven, who’s on contract for us. And I coordinate all our testers. Right now, we have 42 testers, and I’m recruiting more every other week or so. Each one is an independent freelancer who knows their particular niche very well, and each one came recommended by folks we respect. It’s shaping up to be a sort of All Star team of outdoor industry testers. The idea is that you should be able to come to the Gear Institute and no matter what you’re looking for, you’re going to get straight, objective advice from someone whose opinion is well respected.

Is the Gear Institute working to be the Consumer Reports of gear?

In a lot of ways, yes. We are totally inspired by their approach. Outdoor gear buyers invest heavily in their gear, and sometimes put their lives on it, and they deserve an organization like Consumer Reports that is totally objective and only concerned with helping them make smart gear choices. There are some differences—for example, Gear Institute has to sell ads to support our site, but we take a strict, old school journalism approach to separating editorial from advertising interests. Our reports come straight from our independent testers, and our advertisers know they can’t influence those reports.

In your lifetime, how many products have you reviewed?

More than I can count. I was at Outside magazine for 6 years, doing a lot of gear stories. I spent years testing gear of all sorts, so I have a good sense of how most of the technology works. But these days, I leave the testing mostly to our crew, who can focus on one niche at a time.

What's the worst piece of gear you've ever reviewed? Did that review see the light of day?

Oh man, there’s been a bunch. Some companies make the silliest stuff. But junk isn’t really worth anyone’s time. We’ll give it a fair shake, but with so many products to choose from, we usually invest our time in stuff we can recommend for someone, rather than to just publish an alert that some product no one has heard of isn’t up to snuff. But if we take the time to review a major, production-line product, and it falls apart, we’ll definitely publish the results.

What's the difference between a "good" gear expert and a "bad" gear expert?

There’s a lot. But mainly a “good” gear expert is able to step outside of his or her own biases and help explain the product’s strengths and weaknesses objectively—so any buyer can understand its strengths and weaknesses, and make their own decision. “Bad” gear experts are usually just folks whose opinion on a product is a reflection of their own personal tastes. A good gear expert has seen enough product to know who will love the product, who will hate it, and how it compares to other products like it. They speak for everyone, not just for themselves.

Are you getting pushback from companies about being "too honest"?

No. The opposite actually. What we hear on the trade show floor is a lot of encouragement, and almost gratitude for finally filling this gap. People want something real. I think it’s a bigger shift in marketing strategies that social media is helping bringing about. It’s all about authenticity. With so many people voting with their “Like” and “Share” buttons, it’s clear that people mostly respond to what they believe in. And you don’t stand a chance if you’re not credible. So I think it’s sort of an old-school, out of touch mindset to say “give us a glowing review or we’ll never work with you again.” But the responsibility goes both ways—whether we praise a product or criticize it, the goal is always the same: be fair, be thorough, and let the evidence do the talking. We don’t expect marketers to love every one of our reviews. But we do hope our testers have earned their respect. The good thing is that most of the products in this industry are really good—they do what they’re supposed to do without a lot of sacrifices—and so it’s rare that we have to call something out.

Are you ever disappointed when you don't get pushback from companies about being "too honest"?

Funny question—no. We’re not gunning for a fight. We’re just having a great time.

LINK: GEAR INSTITUTE

Twenty years after MacGyver was cancelled ... the 'fix it' tradition lives on

I've never been invited to a meeting, but I have heard from her co-workers that the club definitely exists. One part uber-devoted Backpacker subscriber and one part gear dork, the Hostetter Fan Clubbers are also 100% into whatever Kristin happens to be talking about at the moment.

And for the last 15 years, Kristin has talked a shit-ton about gear. Since the Clinton era, she's been the gear editor for Backpacker magazine, putting thousands of camping and hiking products through their paces. She's written about gear, done YouTube videos about gear, gone on NBC Today, CBS’s The Early Show, and even shared a set with Martha Stewart.

This month, Kristin added her latest trick ... a book. "The Complete Guide to Outdoor Gear Maintenance and Repair: Step-by-Step Techniques to Maximize Performance and Save Money."

And as much as the Hostetter Fan Club likes gear (and Kristin), I bet they like saving money, too.

To help spread the word about the new project, Wicked Outdoorsy sent Kristin some actual questions. And she actually answered.

So you asked your readers to send it their broken gear, and then you fixed it all and documented the process. How many submissions did you get ... and how many made it into the book?
Yeah, I’ve been writing about gear repair for so many years, but for this book I wanted to get my hands dirty and gut check all my advice. What better way to do it than go through the process of fixing real busted gear? It was massively time consuming, but well worth the effort. Close to 100 people responded to my call for submissions. I got everything from tears in fabrics to broken zippers to fireball stoves and mildewy tents. Lots of mildewy tents. I ended up using about 20 of them, and all of these people are featured in the book. They were very stoked to participate and get their gear fixed for free.

Was any of the busted gear totally hopeless?
Before I gave up on anything, I sought outside advice. I was constantly on the horn with warranty departments to learn about their techniques, and it proved invaluable. But some things were pretty hopeless. I’m all for fixing everything you can, but there comes a point where you have to decide whether it’s worth the effort and time. I had one guy send me a huge, decades-old, 4-person JanSport tent. The inner surface of the rainfly looked like a parched desert floor ((I have a photo of it I’ll send you)): the coating was peeling and flaking in a million tiny pieces. The first step was to remove the flaky coating (which entailed a few trips to the laundrymat—the only time you should put your tent in the wash—and then some laborious scrubbing with a stiff brush and steel wool). It took me a couple hours to do one small section. It was doable, but ultimately just not worth the effort. I completed that section for him (cleaning the fabric thoroughly and applying a new coating). Then I returned it to him with instructions and a couple of bottles of Aquaseal Poly Coat, so he could finish the job himself.

Is any gear truly unfixable?
Yeah, particularly fabrics that have been neglected (left wet and crammed inside a stuffsack), contaminated with chemicals like DEET, or degraded by serious UV rays. They’re pretty much shot and you’ll never be able to restore them to their former glory. The lesson is simple: take care of your gear and it will last. The book, by the way, is not just a repair manual. It’s filled with care and maintenance tips, too.

How important has the influence of MacGyver been in your life?
God, I love that guy. Such a stud, and not because of his feathered, golden-highlighted locks. Everybody loves a man—or a woman-- who can fix things. One thing MacGyver taught me is to never be without caught without a multitool (remember his Swiss Army knife?) One of my favorite MacGyver moments was when he, clad in an awesome red head-to-toe outfit, got buried in an avalanche, probed out a tunnel using his Scott ski pole, and shot a little red bandana parachute out to signal his rescuers. As a young skier, the lessons learned from that episode were priceless: Don’t try to race an avalanche and always make use of the tools you have at hand to get out of bind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG3Iapth75I&feature=related

What was the first piece of gear you ever repaired?
I don’t recall my first repair, but I do recall a key one from about 12 years ago. I was on a 5-dayer in Isle Royal National Park with a bunch of other journalists. Our MSR stove went kaput and since I was 7 months pregnant at the time, continuing my intake of hot food was paramount. I remember sitting at a makeshift table with my buddy Michael Hodgson and completely dissecting, cleaning, and reassembling the stove. We fixed it, and instead of eating cold, crappy, freeze-dried meals for the next few days, we ate hot, crappy ones.

Did you take shop in high school? What grade did you get?
No, I didn’t take shop, but I dated a cute guy who did.

Is gear repair an art that is slipping away?
I hope not. The thing is, gear these days is so well made. If you’re buying top-quality stuff to begin with, it should last you a good long time. And from an environmental perspective, it’s so much more responsible (and gratifying) to keep your old stuff in use rather than run out and replace it because of a little glitch. Don’t get me wrong, I love shiny new gear and my job ensures that I have a steady flow of it. Sometimes there’s an advance in technology that makes old stuff obsolete. But still, good gear repair skills are key, because problems typically happen when you’re out in the field, far from REI. A gash in your rain jacket can really suck if you’re on a 5-day hike on the Olympic Coast and it’s pouring.

How do you feel Bobby Valentine is doing with the Red Sox? Can he be fixed?
Well, he’s not off to a very good start. His big problem—a lackluster, and seemingly nonchalant group of starting pitchers (yeah, I’m talking to you Beckett)—is not something you can fix with Seam Grip.