Pale Morning Media, a public relations and creative communications agency for the outdoor world, is launching a specialty division focused on the promotion of American-made outdoor gear brands.
Pale Morning Media currently has specialties in Outdoor, Ski, Hunt/Fish and Natural Products. In addition, over the last six years, the agency has built a knowledge base, contact network and body of work during the active promotion of domestic manufacturing brands. The agency is also the co-creator and administrator of the American Made Outdoor Gear Awards, an annual celebration of positive stories in domestic manufacturing and sourcing.
“American gear manufacturers are making a deliberate choice to sacrifice short-term profits for a long-term benefit that doesn’t exist yet,” said Drew Simmons, president and founder of Pale Morning Media. “That type of economic optimism is worth encouraging, especially when it’s tied to an industry that celebrates the environment, health and adventure.”
The Pale Morning Media domestic manufacturing specialty is founded on a commitment to education, both internal and external. Within the agency, staff and resources have been committed to daily monitoring of the topic, engaging with trade groups, visiting gear manufacturers, and striving for fluency within the field.
The external educational commitment includes the compilation and distribution of key learnings through www.GearMadeHere.org, a Made-in-America news portal that will launch in October, 2014.
“Like many American manufacturing initiatives, GearMadeHere.org is a small first step toward a larger goal down the road,” said Simmons. “We hope people will check it out, enjoy it, and send us their own inspiring stories so we can share them.”
According to data from the 2014 American Made Outdoor Gear Awards, the majority of American gear makers surveyed reported making more than 70% their products in the United States. The entrants were also relatively young, with 42% founded in the last 10 years – and relatively active, as the entire community created more than 500 new manufacturing jobs in the last year.
While the data reflected obvious challenges facing Made-in-America gear brands, such as higher production costs, it also provided some compelling insight into the American maker mentality — 30% cited “quality” as the main benefit of domestic production, while 25% were doing it for enhanced “control.”
“Makers run a different type of company, with a different type of operational structure. They frequently function without traditional marketing departments, and often work in crowded offices just a few feet from their factory floor,” said Simmons. “But, for the most part, they’re incredibly enthusiastic about what they do, and couldn’t imagine doing things any other way.”
ABOUT PALE MORNING MEDIA: Pale Morning Media is a national public relations and creative communications firm dedicated to increasing the quality and quantity of brand visibility. The agency is based in the Mad River Valley of Vermont, with a satellite office in Portland, Maine. For more information, please visit www.palemorningmedia.com, or email [email protected].
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Drew Simmons
Founder/President • o 802.583.6069 • d 802.496.6064
Pale Morning Media • Public relations for the outdoor world
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