How I Pitched This – Wild Rye, a purpose-driven brand

Journalists are inundated every single day with pitches from PR professionals, so when it comes to pitching a new collection launch, making sure your message resonates with the writer is of the utmost importance. How do we do this in a space like the cycling industry when new brands pop up with new products every single day? I always take a step back and think about the brand’s “why.” What is the problem we’re solving with this product? Why is it different from what’s already out there? Why should people care? 

Woman-owned Wild Rye’s purpose is to bring women-identifying individuals beautiful and technical mountain apparel that inspires confidence and gets more women outside. As an avid mountain biker and skier, I may be biased, but this mission is dang easy to stand behind. 

Let’s dig a little deeper into Wild Rye’s brand DNA. What does this mission mean for consumers? And what can we lead with to stand out in a sea (inbox) full of “spring/summer collection launch” product pitches? While Wild Rye is deeply rooted in several meaningful brand values (you can see them all here), one in particular stands out to me the most given the state of the world right now. 

“We’re here to empower women from the backcountry to the boardroom. In business, in life, in the outdoors, we're here to empower women.” 

This value goes far beyond selling a product. Wild Rye is working to make a positive impact for generations of women to come. THIS is why people should care. So, when pitching media on Wild Rye products, I make it a point to show them what the brand is doing to “walk the walk” when it comes to their brand values. For example: 

Beyond leading Wild Rye, founder Cassie Abel, is heavily focused on women’s empowerment and creating equal opportunities for other women entrepreneurs. In an effort to help all women-led brands overcome the funding gap, Abel founded Women-Led Wednesday — an annual shopping holiday to inspire conscious consumerism in support of women-led brands. She's used her platform to grow awareness and show that shopping women-led is the best way the public can support women-led brands in this inequitable funding landscape. 

Wild Rye also showed its incredible leadership in response to the increasing attacks on women’s health rights our country is currently facing. The brand launched a benefit tee with 100% of net proceeds going directly to state-level abortion funds. In a country with the developed world’s highest maternal mortality rate, no paid maternity leave, no universal subsidized child care and dismal access to mental healthcare, Abel had this to say; "Since the inception of Wild Rye we have fought tirelessly for women's rights and we will continue to stand up for women on all levels. 100% of net proceeds from the benefit tee will go directly to state-level abortion funds including KeepOurClinics.org and AbortionFunds.org, where the need is the greatest. This launch also includes a unisex option, encouraging men to step up and play a role in this fight as allies. We are using our platform to fight for half of the nation's access to health care and rights to their own bodies, and hope that other brands will follow.” 

Humanizing a brand and giving the media a window into the “why” is always an important element in my pitch strategy. This allows brand values and authenticity to really shine though in press coverage. Elevation Outdoors’ “Leading Lady: Build a women-owned business and create a massive ripple effect” and The Outbound’s “Women-led outdoorsy brands I love or want to try” are great examples. Most recently, Cassie Abel was recognized as a nominee for Outdoor Retailer’s Inspiration Awards in the “Emerging Leader” category. 

My team and I continue to see success from this in product roundups as well, helping journalists promote products with a purpose. Some recent wins include call outs in SELF’s “15 Best Hiking Shorts for Warm-Weather Outdoor Activities” and Forbes’ “Get Ready For Cycling Season With The Best New Bike Gear”. 

The key takeaway? People want to feel good about where they’re spending their hard earned dollars, so shine the spotlight on the people behind the brand and what fuels their fire.