One tough brand - SHOPSIFTED By Ana G. Kalaw

Tag : functionality fabric

It was sunny the whole time we were in Portland, Oregon. The skieswere clear; the weather, calm. It stayed like this the whole fourdays we were there, partly to enjoy Oregon’s verdant greeneryand nature appeal, but mostly to see and experience for ourselveshow a small hat company back in the late ’30s grew into thebillion-dollar outerwear-providing company that it is now.
It should have been the rain and muggy weather, not the sun,welcoming us — a small group of local lifestyle press —to Portland, Oregon, birthplace of outdoor apparel providerColumbia Sportswear Company. After all, it rains nine months out ofthe year in this coastal state. Though its inhabitants enjoy awarm, dry spell now and then, most of them have gotten used to thedamp, cool weather, and have, in fact, built businesses out of it.Columbia, for one, partly credits the rain for its success. Asidefrom the volume of rain jackets it sells each year, Columbiabelieves that, without the showers, Oregon wouldn’t have allthe lush, green flora and thriving ecosystem its residents soenjoy, a landscape and system that, consequentially, has birthedone of the most successful outdoor industries in the United States.
The people of Oregon love to hike their mountains, fish theirrivers and ski their snow-capped peaks during the winter, and formore than 60 years, Columbia Sportswear Company, has provided theproper equipment and apparel that each of these outdoor enthusiastsneed. And since the appeals of Oregon can also be seen andexperienced in other places where nature has a strong presence,Columbia’s reputation has grown far beyond Mt.Hood, thesnow-capped mountain that towers over Oregon and the ColumbiaRiver, the river that borders Oregon on one side and for which thecompany was named.
I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar
At the helm of this internationally renowned outerwear brands is84-year-old Gertrude Boyle, better known as Gert or Ma Boyle, whonow stands as chair of the board. Still sprightly and sharp-witteddespite her senior years, Gert, with her full head of white hairand menacing stare, commands attention as soon as she enters aroom. Her brisk, no-nonsense manner offers a clue as to how she wasable to turn a budding apparel company back in the ‘60s intothe international brand it is now.
Despite her father, Paul Lanfrom (a German who fled his country,along with his family, in the early stages of World War II), havingfounded Columbia as a hat company in 1938 in Portland, Gertwasn’t exactly groomed to run the family business; it wasactually her husband Neal who took over from Lanfrom during the‘50s. By this time, Columbia had transferred its interestsfrom hats to manufacturing its own outerwear products, fishingvests and shirts. While Neal ran Columbia, Gert stayed home takingcare of their three children — her input into the companyconsisted of sewing up prototypes of new and innovative styles fortheir fishing vests and jackets.
However, Neal died suddenly in 1970, leaving behind an expandingcompany dependent on bank loans and a widow with close to zerobusiness experience. Neal died on a Friday in December of 1970; bythe following Monday, three days after Neal’s passing and aday after his funeral, Gert, along with her son Tim, was at theColumbia headquarters trying to assure all of the company’s40 employees that everything was going to be all right.
In the next few years, mother and son had to overcome many hurdles:gender prejudice (back then, many of their suppliers didn’twant to put their trust in a woman boss), worried bank managers,preying employees, preying buyers (one local businessman offered tobuy Columbia for $1,400 after “newly-discoveredobjections” to which Gert replied, “For $1,400, I wouldjust as soon as run this business into the ground myself!”)and just plain inexperience. Says Gert, “Truth be known, Ireally didn’t know anything. I got thrown into this businessonly because I had the right genes.”
Soon enough, with the help of some sympathetic bankers and advicefrom local businessmen, and by trimming their inventory andagreeing to manufacture products for other brands, Gert, Tim andthe company were able to post a profit and were finally able to saythat Columbia Sportswear Company was staying open. In 1977,company’s sales were approaching $1.5 million and Columbiawas no longer in debt.
It was in the ‘80s, however, when Columbia’s salesbegan to skyrocket, due, largely, to a jacket with a funny-soundingname and an unconventional advertising strategy that turned Gertinto an instant celebrity. In 1983, Columbia repackaged theirinnovative Interchange hunting jacket — a piece that featureda weatherproof outer shell and an insulating inner jacket thatcould be worn together or separately, so that each parka was reallythree or four garments in one — by producing it in brightercolors, angling it as a ski parka and naming it Bugaboo after themountains in British Columbia. Both the jacket and the name wereinstant hits. Says Gert, “The Bugaboo is my favorite. It putme on the map.” But it was something else that made sure shestayed on it. A year later, sales and brand awareness rose evenmore dramatically when Columbia first came out with its“tough mother” campaign.
A Mother’s ‘Tough ‘ Love
Mothers definitely know best and Columbia’s ad agency,Borders Perrin Norrander, wanted to capitalize on this bit ofwisdom by putting Gert’s face and motherly principles onprint. Recalls Gert in her autobiography One Tough Mother, “Iwould be portrayed as the world’s most exacting boss —a tough mother — who demanded and expected nothing less thanthe best out of my son and my company, personally inspecting eachand every product we manufactured.” Despite Gert’sapprehensions that their largely male consumer base wouldn’trespond to a figure that wasn’t exactly supermodel material,the campaign was an instant hit. People loved the ads that featuredGert’s raised brow expression alongside Tim’s childhoodrecollections of how it was growing up with a “toughmother.” These print ads were quickly followed by videocampaigns, which showed mother nonsensically dragging her sonthrough every single weather condition just to test their products.(In one TV spot, Tim, clad in an all-weather parka, is strappedonto the roof of an SUV, while Ma Boyle, at the wheel, drivesthrough rough terrain in gusty winds, pelting rain and snow. Inanother video, Gert tranquilizes Tim, in the middle of a boardroommeeting, with an aboriginal dart pipe; when he comes to, herealizes that she is about to leave him in the middle of the desertarmed with nothing but their Omni-Shade, UPF-enhanced apparel.)
These campaigns would run for the next 20-plus years and would evenbe translated into different languages; the latest one, featuringthe summer ’08 collection (shot in California’s DeathValley and involving a “Range Rover that had a beard, it wasso old”) was launched just recently. The message is clear andcan be understood by everyone across the globe: even if she’sa bit brazen about it, mom — particularly this tough mom— is looking out for you.
Columbia Across The Globe
For their next collection, however (fall-winter 2008), despite thetwo-decade success of Ma Boyle’s constant marketinginvolvement, Columbia Sportswear is leaving behind the “toughmother” campaign and moving into a new direction. Mark Shea,the brand’s international marketing manager, stresses thatColumbia is now targeting a younger mindset and, because of itshuge presence across the globe, is now aiming for a campaign thatis “universally acceptable” and can cut acrossdifferent cultures and climate settings. Aside from changing thelogo colors from a neutral brown to a more lively cool blue,Columbia has switched ad agencies and is introducing a new videocampaign that effectively illustrates how the brand’sproducts can be worn in all outdoor settings all across the globe.The new video, a montage of stirring images, portrays the brand asexactly what it is: one that is committed to providing apparel andfootwear in different aspects of the outdoors, from the playgroundto the campfire to the hiking trail, to all the way up Mt. Everest.
This new marketing slant also allows the brand to show off itsexpertise in each of the patented technologies they have infusedinto their products. From the start, Columbia has tried to produceapparel that makes life ultimately easier and more comfortable forthe outdoor sports enthusiast. There was the fishing jacket back inthe ‘60s (the prototype was sewed by Gert herself) that hadmagnets for attaching flies and lures, and a hook that would holdthe fishing rod. There were those Interchange parkas that allowedskiers to go from cold weather to toasty ski lodge fireplaceatmosphere with just one unzip.
These days, Columbia’s apparels are described in moretechnically impressive terms: Omni-Dry, Omni-Tech, Techlite andmore recently, Omni-Shade.
Omni-Dry is what Columbia calls its moisture-wicking technology.Columbia apparel featuring this product technology can mop upsweat, moisture and liquid like a sponge. This patentedwicking/evaporating technology keeps every hiker or trail walkercool and his clothing dry.
Omni-Tech is an advanced technology used in outerwear and footwearthat has waterproof qualities and a durable water-resistant finish.Despite these proofing layers, fabric is still extremely breathableand comfortable.
Techlite is a lightweight cushioning technology reserved forColumbia’s footwear, be it hiking boot or casual sandal.Aside from being extremely comfortable, these shoes provide supportwith an injection-molded sole and also have anti-microbialfeatures.
Columbia’s latest innovation is Omni-Shade, a technology thatinfuses clothing and headwear with an ultraviolet protection factor(UPF) ranging from 15 to 50 (think clothing with built-in sunblockbut without the sticky feeling). These clothing are“specifically designed and tested to be comfortable whileoffering protection from the sun in the hottest conditions.”What makes them UPF? A tight weave, for one, blocks damaging UVrays from passing through the fabric (the UPF feature even getsbetter with every wash as threads tighten up). Omni-Shade clothingalso has UV reflectors to reflect the sun’s rays from theskin. This innovative technology has earned the brand anendorsement and a seal of recommendation from the Skin CancerFoundation. Anna Sanford, who handles Columbia PR, says that about140 styles from the recent spring-summer collection bear the sealof recommendation. By next summer, Columbia is hoping that 330styles, about 80 percent of their inventory, will pass thestandard.
Omni-Shade technology is particularly important these days and isbeing stressed as a year-round necessity rather than just a summerluxury — not too many people realize that the sun’srays can still reach and damage even when the sky is overcast. UPFis especially important for kids, who spend a lot of time playingoutdoors unprotected from the sun. In some of America’ssouthern states and in some parts of Australia, the government hasactually mandated parents to dress their kids in UPF clothing whenoutdoors. In the Philippines, the need for UPF is still a growingawareness and is something that the local Columbia distributorshope to permeate. Omni-Shade for men and women are now available inthe local stores but, according to Columbia Philippines brandmanager Dino de Leon, Columbia’s local distributors arehoping to bring in Columbia for kids by the end of this year.
Fashion vs. Fashionable
When you look at Columbia’s pieces, trendy is not somethingthat would come to mind. Comfortable, practical and classic wouldbe more apt. “We are not a fashion brand,” says Shea,“but we are fashionable.” Though Columbia prioritizesaesthetic appeal only second to comfort, technology andfunctionality, the brand still manages to inject a bit of therecent trend into their products. We were given a sneak peek of thesummer collection for 2009, a set that collectively raisedexcitement amongst the Philippine press present. For women,Columbia plans to serve up a bevy of prints for their activewear,from bright florals to exotic batik. They’re also channelingthe stylish traveler by offering crease-resistant, lounge-friendlyclothing made of ultra-soft cotton and in the most sophisticatedneutral shades (black, white, dove grays). Designers are alsoinjecting a bit of tailoring into peacoat–style jackets andouterwear. Expect cowl-neck details, water-resistant shorts thatcan double as surf shorts (especially in our beach-loving culture)and lovely sheer rain jackets as well. Needless to say, Omni-Shade,Omni-Tech and Omni-Dry technologies are all present in thesepieces.
To further promote the rugged appeal of the brand, Columbia’smenswear is going with the now-popular “organic” look.A lot of distressed, “sun-washed” finishes will be seenon brand’s summer ’09 men’s collection, just togive off the “lived-in outdoor appeal.” New takes onplaid and the colors blue and orange are also to be expected.
Columbia is also in the process of going full-force with their golfcollection, coinciding with their heavy promotion of Omni-Shade.Pieces in this collection include waterproof and breathable, yetlightweight, jackets and shirts with venting systems in the back toallow for a more flexible, and dryer, swing.
Ma Boyle sat with us during the entire presentation, also viewingnext summer’s collection for the first time. For two hours,she was constantly shooting questions, giving approval andgenerally providing encouragement to her team of designers andmerchandisers. By the latter’s response to Gert, you can seethat, as far as the Columbia employees are concerned and despiteher “tough” exterior, this extraordinary octogenarianis the real sunshine amidst all of Oregon’s rain.
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Columbia is distributed in the Philippines by Primer Intl. and hasstores in Mall of Asia, Megamall and TriNoma.
E-mail comments to ana_kalaw@pldtdsl.net .