One tough brand
It was sunny the whole time we were in Portland, Oregon. The skies were clear; the weather, calm. It stayed like this the whole four days we were there, partly to enjoy Oregon’s verdant greenery and nature appeal, but mostly to see and experience for ourselves how a small hat company back in the late ’30s grew into the billion-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 provider Columbia Sportswear Company. After all, it rains nine months out of the year in this coastal state. Though its inhabitants enjoy a warm, dry spell now and then, most of them have gotten used to the damp, cool weather, and have, in fact, built businesses out of it. Columbia, for one, partly credits the rain for its success. Aside from the volume of rain jackets it sells each year, Columbia believes that, without the showers, Oregon wouldn’t have all the lush, green flora and thriving ecosystem its residents so enjoy, a landscape and system that, consequentially, has birthed one of the most successful outdoor industries in the United States.
The people of Oregon love to hike their mountains, fish their rivers and ski their snow-capped peaks during the winter, and for more than 60 years, Columbia Sportswear Company, has provided the proper equipment and apparel that each of these outdoor enthusiasts need. And since the appeals of Oregon can also be seen and experienced in other places where nature has a strong presence, Columbia’s reputation has grown far beyond Mt.Hood, the snow-capped mountain that towers over Oregon and the Columbia River, the river that borders Oregon on one side and for which the company was named.
I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar
At the helm of this internationally renowned outerwear brands is 84-year-old Gertrude Boyle, better known as Gert or Ma Boyle, who now stands as chair of the board. Still sprightly and sharp-witted despite her senior years, Gert, with her full head of white hair and menacing stare, commands attention as soon as she enters a room. Her brisk, no-nonsense manner offers a clue as to how she was able to turn a budding apparel company back in the ‘60s into the 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), having founded Columbia as a hat company in 1938 in Portland, Gert wasn’t exactly groomed to run the family business; it was actually her husband Neal who took over from Lanfrom during the ‘50s. By this time, Columbia had transferred its interests from hats to manufacturing its own outerwear products, fishing vests and shirts. While Neal ran Columbia, Gert stayed home taking care of their three children — her input into the company consisted of sewing up prototypes of new and innovative styles for their fishing vests and jackets.
However, Neal died suddenly in 1970, leaving behind an expanding company dependent on bank loans and a widow with close to zero business experience. Neal died on a Friday in December of 1970; by the following Monday, three days after Neal’s passing and a day after his funeral, Gert, along with her son Tim, was at the Columbia headquarters trying to assure all of the company’s 40 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’t want to put their trust in a woman boss), worried bank managers, preying employees, preying buyers (one local businessman offered to buy Columbia for $1,400 after “newly-discovered objections” to which Gert replied, “For $1,400, I would just as soon as run this business into the ground myself!”) and just plain inexperience. Says Gert, “Truth be known, I really didn’t know anything. I got thrown into this business only because I had the right genes.”
Soon enough, with the help of some sympathetic bankers and advice from local businessmen, and by trimming their inventory and agreeing to manufacture products for other brands, Gert, Tim and the company were able to post a profit and were finally able to say that Columbia Sportswear Company was staying open. In 1977, company’s sales were approaching $1.5 million and Columbia was no longer in debt.
It was in the ‘80s, however, when Columbia’s sales began to skyrocket, due, largely, to a jacket with a funny-sounding name and an unconventional advertising strategy that turned Gert into an instant celebrity. In 1983, Columbia repackaged their innovative Interchange hunting jacket — a piece that featured a weatherproof outer shell and an insulating inner jacket that could be worn together or separately, so that each parka was really three or four garments in one — by producing it in brighter colors, angling it as a ski parka and naming it Bugaboo after the mountains in British Columbia. Both the jacket and the name were instant hits. Says Gert, “The Bugaboo is my favorite. It put me on the map.” But it was something else that made sure she stayed on it. A year later, sales and brand awareness rose even more 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 of wisdom by putting Gert’s face and motherly principles on print. Recalls Gert in her autobiography One Tough Mother, “I would be portrayed as the world’s most exacting boss — a tough mother — who demanded and expected nothing less than the best out of my son and my company, personally inspecting each and every product we manufactured.” Despite Gert’s apprehensions that their largely male consumer base wouldn’t respond to a figure that wasn’t exactly supermodel material, the campaign was an instant hit. People loved the ads that featured Gert’s raised brow expression alongside Tim’s childhood recollections of how it was growing up with a “tough mother.” These print ads were quickly followed by video campaigns, which showed mother nonsensically dragging her son through every single weather condition just to test their products. (In one TV spot, Tim, clad in an all-weather parka, is strapped onto the roof of an SUV, while Ma Boyle, at the wheel, drives through rough terrain in gusty winds, pelting rain and snow. In another video, Gert tranquilizes Tim, in the middle of a boardroom meeting, with an aboriginal dart pipe; when he comes to, he realizes that she is about to leave him in the middle of the desert armed with nothing but their Omni-Shade, UPF-enhanced apparel.)
These campaigns would run for the next 20-plus years and would even be translated into different languages; the latest one, featuring the summer ’08 collection (shot in California’s Death Valley and involving a “Range Rover that had a beard, it was so old”) was launched just recently. The message is clear and can be understood by everyone across the globe: even if she’s a 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 the two-decade success of Ma Boyle’s constant marketing involvement, Columbia Sportswear is leaving behind the “tough mother” campaign and moving into a new direction. Mark Shea, the brand’s international marketing manager, stresses that Columbia is now targeting a younger mindset and, because of its huge presence across the globe, is now aiming for a campaign that is “universally acceptable” and can cut across different cultures and climate settings. Aside from changing the logo colors from a neutral brown to a more lively cool blue, Columbia has switched ad agencies and is introducing a new video campaign that effectively illustrates how the brand’s products can be worn in all outdoor settings all across the globe. The new video, a montage of stirring images, portrays the brand as exactly what it is: one that is committed to providing apparel and footwear in different aspects of the outdoors, from the playground to the campfire to the hiking trail, to all the way up Mt. Everest.
This new marketing slant also allows the brand to show off its expertise in each of the patented technologies they have infused into their products. From the start, Columbia has tried to produce apparel that makes life ultimately easier and more comfortable for the outdoor sports enthusiast. There was the fishing jacket back in the ‘60s (the prototype was sewed by Gert herself) that had magnets for attaching flies and lures, and a hook that would hold the fishing rod. There were those Interchange parkas that allowed skiers to go from cold weather to toasty ski lodge fireplace atmosphere with just one unzip.
These days, Columbia’s apparels are described in more technically impressive terms: Omni-Dry, Omni-Tech, Techlite and more recently, Omni-Shade.
Omni-Dry is what Columbia calls its moisture-wicking technology. Columbia apparel featuring this product technology can mop up sweat, moisture and liquid like a sponge. This patented wicking/evaporating technology keeps every hiker or trail walker cool and his clothing dry.
Omni-Tech is an advanced technology used in outerwear and footwear that has waterproof qualities and a durable water-resistant finish. Despite these proofing layers, fabric is still extremely breathable and comfortable.
Techlite is a lightweight cushioning technology reserved for Columbia’s footwear, be it hiking boot or casual sandal. Aside from being extremely comfortable, these shoes provide support with an injection-molded sole and also have anti-microbial features.
Columbia’s latest innovation is Omni-Shade, a technology that infuses clothing and headwear with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) ranging from 15 to 50 (think clothing with built-in sunblock but without the sticky feeling). These clothing are “specifically designed and tested to be comfortable while offering protection from the sun in the hottest conditions.” What makes them UPF? A tight weave, for one, blocks damaging UV rays from passing through the fabric (the UPF feature even gets better with every wash as threads tighten up). Omni-Shade clothing also has UV reflectors to reflect the sun’s rays from the skin. This innovative technology has earned the brand an endorsement and a seal of recommendation from the Skin Cancer Foundation. Anna Sanford, who handles Columbia PR, says that about 140 styles from the recent spring-summer collection bear the seal of recommendation. By next summer, Columbia is hoping that 330 styles, about 80 percent of their inventory, will pass the standard.
Omni-Shade technology is particularly important these days and is being stressed as a year-round necessity rather than just a summer luxury — not too many people realize that the sun’s rays can still reach and damage even when the sky is overcast. UPF is especially important for kids, who spend a lot of time playing outdoors unprotected from the sun. In some of America’s southern states and in some parts of Australia, the government has actually mandated parents to dress their kids in UPF clothing when outdoors. In the Philippines, the need for UPF is still a growing awareness and is something that the local Columbia distributors hope to permeate. Omni-Shade for men and women are now available in the local stores but, according to Columbia Philippines brand manager Dino de Leon, Columbia’s local distributors are hoping 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 something that would come to mind. Comfortable, practical and classic would be more apt. “We are not a fashion brand,” says Shea, “but we are fashionable.” Though Columbia prioritizes aesthetic appeal only second to comfort, technology and functionality, the brand still manages to inject a bit of the recent trend into their products. We were given a sneak peek of the summer collection for 2009, a set that collectively raised excitement 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 channeling the stylish traveler by offering crease-resistant, lounge-friendly clothing made of ultra-soft cotton and in the most sophisticated neutral shades (black, white, dove grays). Designers are also injecting a bit of tailoring into peacoat–style jackets and outerwear. Expect cowl-neck details, water-resistant shorts that can 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 these pieces.
To further promote the rugged appeal of the brand, Columbia’s menswear is going with the now-popular “organic” look. A lot of distressed, “sun-washed” finishes will be seen on brand’s summer ’09 men’s collection, just to give off the “lived-in outdoor appeal.” New takes on plaid and the colors blue and orange are also to be expected.
Columbia is also in the process of going full-force with their golf collection, coinciding with their heavy promotion of Omni-Shade. Pieces in this collection include waterproof and breathable, yet lightweight, jackets and shirts with venting systems in the back to allow for a more flexible, and dryer, swing.
Ma Boyle sat with us during the entire presentation, also viewing next summer’s collection for the first time. For two hours, she was constantly shooting questions, giving approval and generally providing encouragement to her team of designers and merchandisers. By the latter’s response to Gert, you can see that, as far as the Columbia employees are concerned and despite her “tough” exterior, this extraordinary octogenarian is the real sunshine amidst all of Oregon’s rain.
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Columbia is distributed in the Philippines by Primer Intl. and has stores in Mall of Asia, Megamall and TriNoma.
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