Backcountry Marketing

Author: Port Side

Go behind-the-scenes with outdoor industry experts as they break down what it takes to produce creative work that works. Produced by: Port Side
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Brand Marketing is a Comfortable Lie Without Product Marketing
Episode 225
Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

Does the outdoor industry overindex on brand? Alex Maier, President of OnWater, joins the show to challenge one of the outdoor industry's biggest assumptions: that brand marketing alone drives growth. Drawing from his experience in SaaS and outdoor, Alex breaks down why product marketing is the missing link for many brands, how listening to customers actually fuels innovation, and what outdoor companies can learn from software when it comes to adoption, retention, and trust. We unpack the difference between brand and product marketing, why emotion still matters in utility-driven storytelling, and how ignoring customer pain points leads to "zombie brands." About: 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.