Company Profile
Founded in 1965 by climber and inventor Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia is known for creating rugged, technologically-advanced gear for outdoor enthusiasts. From its inception, Patagonia has been a passionate advocate for environmental protection, supporting and championing environmental issues and using recycled and organic materials in new ways to create cutting-edge gear that doesn't harm the planet.
A Revered Brand Starts Blogging
In early 2007, the marketing team at one of the most forward-thinking and beloved brands in outdoor gear began to contemplate starting a blog. "A couple of folks here at Patagonia had personal blogs," recalls Kasey Kersnowski, editor of Patagonia.com. "It was infectious, and we soon started talking about creating a blog for the Patagonia brand." Those "infectious" bloggers also happened to be using TypePad.
"We liked the level of customer service that TypePad offered," Kasey says. "We also like its scalability." The company chose Business Class for its priority customer service and bandwidth. "TypePad Business Class is a minimal investment. You really can't go wrong with it," Kasey says. Two years after the blog launched, the company is pleased with its choice: "TypePad has been really reliable for us, and has done a great job of keeping us in the loop with any issues that might affect us."
The name they chose for the blog - "The Cleanest Line" - was inspired by an article written by surfer Chris Malloy, in which he discussed how climbers and surfers shared a similar vision: "I'm after the cleanest line on the steepest part of the face," he wrote. The line resonated inside the company, as it also reflected Patagonia's mission - to build a company that offered the best gear, clothing and footwear on the market for outdoor adventurers, and to do it with the least harm possible to the environment.
The company commissioned an artist to create a custom blog banner, and The Cleanest Line was born. Today, the blog attracts a large readership that come for product reviews, insights into how Patagonia tests their gear, and journals "from the field" by Patagonia brand ambassadors, from surfers to swimmers to mountain climbers.
Bringing Legends to the Blogosphere
From the very start, The Cleanest Line felt more like a fireside chat than a corporate communications tool. "Here at Patagonia, we have a history of storytelling," Kasey explains. "We tell stories in all of our materials, so blogging was a natural evolution for us."
The blog gives the company a chance to tell stories that might otherwise have stayed un-told. "Patagonia is connected to so many great people and wonderful causes," Kasey says. "The blog allows us to tell the stories that don't fit on our main site or in our catalog."
One of the exciting things the company decided to do early on was to invite world-class athletes (and Patagonia brand ambassadors) to write guest posts on the blog. Their first guest blogger was Lynn Hill, the most famous female rock climber in the world. During the week Lynn guest-hosted the blog, the company "re-named" the blog "The Cleanest Lynn" and ran her posts on everything from traversing techniques to a series on How to Train.
"Lynn was a great blogger," Kasey enthuses. "She responded to everyone who asked a question in the comments --she really got into it."
In March 2008, Patagonia invited world-renowned surfer Gerry Lopez to guest-host the blog; once again, they re-named the blog for the week, calling it "The Lopez Line" and encouraged Gerry to post surf stories and share his insights with readers.
"We've been lucky in that the blog has created opportunities for us to highlight some of the awesome people who use Patagonia gear," says Kasey. "Through the blog, these wonderful legends are able to connect directly with our readers."
Advice for Other Business Bloggers
Kasey has this advice for companies who are thinking about starting a blog: "Tell stories," he urges. "Don't just re-purpose your standard marketing messages and turn your blog into a marketing vehicle."
Stories, he believes, have the ability to connect with people in ways that traditional business communications do not. "It's obvious that the face of business is changing," he says. "People want to develop relationships with the businesses they patronize. The more you can share your stories, the more you give your customers access to the inside and allow them to get to know you."
Says Kasey: "A blog gives you the opportunity to be more human and less corporate."
