Andy Pearson, VP of Creative at Liquid Death, explains why brands should stop thinking like advertisers and start thinking like entertainers. We dive into how Liquid Death built one of the largest organic audiences without relying on paid media, why humor is an underrated marketing tool, and why the best brands behave more like memorable characters than carefully managed style guides.

We also pressure test some of the ideas behind The Relevance Project, discussing audience building, paid media, share of voice, and why Liquid Death doesn't have a brand book.

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a content strategy + production studio that helps outdoor brands become relevant, recognized, and build an audience. Want to learn more about how we can help?

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Relevance Project | We're building three brands in public. Follow along

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The Relevance Project is underway! 15 brands have applied to be considered. If you want to apply, reach out to us and submit your application by June 26th.

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a content strategy studio that helps outdoor brands become relevant, recognized, and build an audience. Want to learn more about how we can help?

Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below:

Slack Community | Tired of brainstorming with ChatGPT? Join us!

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LinkedIn | Join the conversation and share ideas with other industry peers.

Apple Podcast | Want to help us out? Leave us a review on Apple.

Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind? Share them with us here.

In this solo episode, Cole shares why he believes many outdoor brands already possess something unique beneath the surface, but struggle to translate that uniqueness into content that earns attention, builds an audience, and drives business results.

Cole also announces a public experiment: We're looking for one outdoor brand willing to partner with Port Side to test these ideas in real time. Together, we'll document the process, share the wins and failures publicly, and explore what it actually takes to build relevance and an audience through organic content.

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a content strategy studio that helps outdoor brands become relevant, recognized, and build an audience. Want to learn more about how we can help?

Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below:

Slack Community | Tired of brainstorming with ChatGPT? Join us!

Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show?

LinkedIn | Join the conversation and share ideas with other industry peers.

Apple Podcast | Want to help us out? Leave us a review on Apple.

Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind? Share them with us here.

Laura Jastram-Wrend joins Cole live at the HikeExpo to discuss what most outdoor brands are still getting wrong about the power of social. Laura breaks down why social should no longer be treated like an afterthought, how creator ecosystems outperform one-off influencer activations, and why "edutainment" is the new standard for outdoor content.

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio creating content strategy + production for outdoor brands, rooted in emotion. Want to learn more about how we can help?

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Slack Community | Tired of brainstorming with ChatGPT? Join us!

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Apple Podcast | Want to help us out? Leave us a review on Apple.

Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind? Share them with us here.

Cole hit the floor at the HikeExpo to interview founders about the reality of running social at a small brand. Is there an alternative to spending $10,000 a month on paid ads in a small business where cash flow is critical?

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.

About:

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio creating video strategy + production for active brands, rooted in emotion.

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Resilient businesses are built by building an audience.

In this solo episode, Cole Heilborn challenges the assumption that people inherently care about brand campaigns, product launches, or high-production content, and instead argues that attention must be earned through relevance and value over time.

Drawing from recent conversations, industry observations, and Port Side's own projects, Cole breaks down the growing disconnect between how brands produce content and how audiences actually consume it. While many brands continue to rely on intermittent campaign cycles, the most durable brands are consistently investing in content that serves, entertains, or resonates with their audience.

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio creating content strategy + production for outdoor brands, rooted in emotion. Want to learn more about how we can help?

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Slack Community | Tired of brainstorming with ChatGPT? Join us!

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In this episode, Greg Randolph, VP of Marketing at DECKED, and Bridget Noonan, Senior Brand Director at DECKED, break down one of the biggest tensions in modern marketing: brand vs performance.

We talk about the rise of performance marketing, why it worked so well for so long, and why many brands are now hitting a ceiling. Greg and Bridget share how DECKED is thinking about long-term growth, what it actually means to invest in brand, and why community, storytelling, and customer connection are becoming more important than ever.

We also get into the risks of over-relying on paid channels, how to think about creative and frequency, and finding a balance between brand and performance marketing

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio creating content strategy + production for outdoor brands, rooted in emotion. Want to learn more about how we can help?

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What is the value of great creative, and what happens when brands let marketing metrics dictate the work before the idea is even fully formed?

In this episode, Cole sits down with Rafael Oliveira, former Creative Director at Tracksmith, to talk about the role of the creative director, the tension between marketing and creative, and why distinction matters more than ever in a world where so many brands are producing work that looks the same. Rafa shares how Tracksmith approached creative as a long-term brand-building tool, why subtlety is often the marker of great work, and how brands can influence behavior by creating content that makes people feel something first.

They also get into the risk of sameness, why minimum viable creative is the wrong starting point, and how brands should think about making work that adds value beyond the transaction.

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 below:

Slack Community | Tired of brainstorming with ChatGPT? Join us!

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Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind? Share them with us here.

Episode Description

Most outdoor brands share a similar origin story: a founder identifies a need in the wild, builds a product in a garage, and grows a company from there. But as brands scale and growth pressures increase, something often gets lost in "the middle." The result is a sea of epic imagery, interchangeable storytelling, and campaigns that feel indistinguishable once the logo is removed.

Ryan Andrist, a marketing leader whose career spans The North Face, Sea to Summit, and Starbucks, joins the show to explore a persistent challenge in the outdoor industry.

Ryan and Cole unpack how growth pressures can muddy brand clarity and why the consumer insight is more important than ever.

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 below:

Slack Community | Tired of brainstorming with ChatGPT? Join us!

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 conversation and share ideas with other industry peers.

Apple Podcast | Want to help us out? Leave us a review on Apple.

Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind? Share them with us here.