THE MOUNTAIN METAPHOR

HUX: Snowboarding and branding: not necessarily two things that come to mind at the same time. Can you explain how they come together for you?

‍Hamish: When you snowboard – whether in the backcountry, hitting big jumps or just shredding down the mountain – it becomes an expression of you, of your personality and your unique style. You can often recognise people from a distance because of this uniqueness and professional snowboarders build entire careers on their personal expression of the sport. In this sense, the snowboarder is the brand. Endless people snowboard, just as endless companies exist, but it is the small differences, the way you tell the story not just the story you tell, that distinguishes the few from the crowd.

HUX: When you think of a day in the mountains, how do you apply that vision to your branding approach?

Hamish: It’s funny, but the similarities are incredibly valid. Snowboarding offers limitless possibilities, freedom and unrestricted movement. I sometimes feel that companies can get stuck in the confines of more traditional thinking or repeating processes they have done before, but as soon you take a step back and realize there is no line in the sand to what you can and cannot do and open up a whole new territory of thought processes and goals, you realize that the possibilities are endless. 
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When I work with a brand my goal is to think across categories and branch out from what is already being done and see if we can approach growth and brand development with a totally fresh perspective. It’s the same as when I am in the mountains – there is always another peak, another way to descend and another possibility around the corner. We simply need to continue looking forward and not back to the path we just traversed.

HUX: Beyond snowboarding for fun, what take-aways do you have from actually doing it as a career?
Hamish: In any sporting career it is essential to continually progress. Remaining stagnant is a sure career-ender (as well as being very dull) so it is your responsibility to stay ahead of the curve. In snowboarding this means learning new tricks constantly, something I would do by watching and re-watching snowboard movies and practicing over and over again on my bed (laughs) until I felt ready to hit the jumps or grind rails. 
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In the world of branding the exact same theory applies: If a company stagnates and fails to keep an eye on trends or lead those trends itself, it will not survive the long haul. 

HUX: There seems to be a definite community surrounding the world of snowboarding. Has that given you any ideas in your approach to branding?Hamish: Definitely. One of things that has stayed with me throughout my adult life is the diverse but loyal community that snowboarding has created. As things have become more social in a digital way, that has only expanded further and there is a feeling of connection between people united by a passion for the same thing.That is something that is essential for brands to create. They need their own community of loyal followers, but it has to be authentic. You can’t “buy” this kind of thing, it has to grow organically and it grows because people can identify with a brand and its story. Once a company succeeds in this, they are in a genuine position of strength.

HUX: What are the best parts of snowboarding for you now?
Hamish: The silence…There is so much noise in our everyday lives that it’s sometimes hard to think with clarity. The space and quiet that I get when I snowboard helps me take a step back from it all and I usually return with more creativity and a refreshed purpose. It’s something for brands to think about too – there’s no need for a lot of noise. Keep a cohesive message, stay on track and develop that story. Simple.