How I Pitched This — Cotopaxi and How I Built This

We partnered with Cotopaxi, a fledgling outdoor brand with one backpack and maybe a couple of tees, back in 2014, when they first landed on the scene. Boasting only bright colorways, remnant materials, a Questival and a heck of a lot of vigor, Cotopaxi was certainly a detour from the classic outdoors brands we've all come to know as part of the outdoor industry.

Over the years the brand has listened, learned, and led in terms of sustainability, corporate responsibility, impact and cause-driven work, and eco-conscious product development, and has grown in leaps and bounds through the tireless work of CEO and co-founder Davis Smith.

They were a small VC-backed startup AND a benefit corporation, a unique corporate structure that we heavily publicized, and as they grew, the brand honed its identity, smartly cross-marketed between urban and outdoors.

A couple of years in, we at OutsidePR could see the potential for the brand to be the next big thing, the next Patagonia. So despite only having been in existence for 2-3 years at that point, we had our eyes firmly set on the holy grail of PR coverage for entrepreneurs, NPR's “How I Built This”. HIBT is not only one of the most popular podcasts in the U.S., it is the single-most desired media placement among entrepreneurs. 

As is well known, HIBT is about as easy to get placed on as the Ellen Show (unless you're a singing, dancing baby), and even finding the right contact was a struggle. Pitch after pitch, with news on Cotopaxi's growth, their unique positioning in the market, their impact campaigns and give back programming, and still nada. It was like shouting into a void. 

It wasn't until early 2020 that I finally received an email back, from a real person this time, confirming what we'd known all along - Cotopaxi has a legitimately compelling founder story and would be perfect for HIBT. It had only taken 3 years and 6+ emails.

The plan was to record live in front of an 800+ audience at a theatre in Salt Lake City in June of 2020. And then, the global health crisis hit. The show and recording was cancelled, and we were devastated. But, as is possible in this advanced age, the NPR team swiftly pivoted to virtually recorded interviews and the date was set for March. A slew of back and forth research emails ensued, with many days taken up solely by HIBT work, relaying and proofing answers to their numerous questions and contextual backstory work, before the day of recording was upon us.

It felt like a very long time coming, and I am cognizant that many other brands who may even be bigger, more well-known or have been established longer, have not yet appeared on HIBT. But it is testament to Davis' incredible story, his willingness to be vulnerable, open and humble, as well as our consistent work in keeping the HIBT up to speed on important milestones in the Cotopaxi journey, that eventually helped land this dream placement.

I am honored everyday to work with the clients, brands and media that we do, and look forward to many more OPR clients appearing on HIBT in the coming years!