Brands That Build: Chris King
One of the realities apparent in trail building is that it takes everyone for trails to happen. It's literally "all hands on deck." The "everyone" ranges from trail stewardship non-profits, policy and advocacy organizations, professional trail builders, and a multitude of volunteers, but what about for-profit companies like bike brands, component makers, coffee roasters, breweries, apparel companies, bike shops, and so many more? Without the backing and involvement of these brands, where would trail building be?
I'm excited to introduce a new series called "Brands that Build." In this series, we'll take a peek behind the curtain of a wide range of companies and hear about how and why they put money and time behind trail building, not only in their neck of the woods but, for some, globally as well. What better place to start than with a brand with quite a buzz ... Chris King.
Before we get into the interview, I have a few thoughts to share on this topic. Of course, there are so many connections between the content for this magazine and the undergrad courses I've been teaching in digital media and communications. Last semester, I taught a course called Visual Communication. We spent a considerable amount of time looking at ads, the power of a brand, and the associations and even emotions we have when we see a company's logo.
One way of describing branding is how we feel about a company. As an exercise in class, I projected a brand's logo up on the screen one at a time... Nike, Apple, Mercedes Benz, and many more. Some were high-end luxury brands, and at the end of the spectrum were lower-end brands. For each image, I asked my students to describe what words or emotions come to mind when they first see the logo. The conversation was fascinating. When we see a logo, we've built all kinds of associations and emotional connections with the brand. For many, their logo, in some way, becomes part of our identity (MacBook users, I'm especially talking to you).
As we jump into this series, a good question to ask is, "Why?" Why are brands involved in trail building? The answer is quite layer and nuanced. There is no single answer. First, we know that it is essential for businesses to be profitable. For example, that means we want to see companies like a Pivot or SRAM thrive. That funds R&D, which is why and how they can continue creating amazing products we enjoy. It also means they can employ more people. In the end, everyone benefits. It's a win-win.
So, how does involvement in trail building impact the bottom line? While it may not necessarily generate sales, what it does is create strong associations and emotional connections. I don't know about you, but I am more likely to support and buy from companies involved in trail building. Therefore, I have even more positive feelings when I see their logo. As a brand, which Trail Builder Mag also is, we want to create strong positive emotional connections with our followers and customers. With this new series, we get to tell why and how brands are involved in trail building, whether rolling up their sleeves, picking up a McLeod, moving dirt, or supporting trail-building efforts financially (or both). We hope you will not only deepen your love for these brands but support them as well. Let's jump into this ...
In this interview, we hear from Chris King's President and General Manager, Kirby Bedsaul (that’s him in the photo below).
Sean: Tell me about your company's involvement in trail building (e.g., volunteer, support, giveaways, etc.).
Kirby: We have been doing all sorts of different trail workday events since the Santa Barbara, CA, days over four decades ago. We have worked with cycling groups, trail-building groups, the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and so on. When we first started doing work on the trails, the trail-building scene was very different. There were not as many groups or organizations doing the level of work that's happening today. In Santa Barbra, Chris himself worked very closely with the Forest Service and some local riding groups. He would organize these big one-day work parties and get 50-100 plus people with all sorts of food and raffle prizes. It was a pretty big production. That style of trail work and commitment went all the way into the early 2000's.
Today, the work looks a little different. With all these new organizations working with the Forest Service, BLM, and private landowners, we can take a different approach. We don't have to be the conduit anymore. We get to be more integrated, obtain work objectives from trail leaders, and work anytime we want when the dirt is right. This has allowed us to create a new Chris King Traildaze group. Starting about five years ago, we have a program where any CKPC team member can put their name in a drawing to be picked for a work party during the week. When your name is picked, you get paid to work for the day on the trails instead of at the shop supporting our products. We try to make sure we pair people together who normally don't work with one another. This is a great way for all of us to get to know one another a little better. The times we spend with one another outside on the trails only strengthen our CKPC team.
With our new program, we can be very strategic on the work we do with having only 5-8 people vs. a big one-day dig party. We leave those events for the organizations, like the Northwest Trail Alliance (NWTA), to pull off. It's been a really cool transformation that I believe has brought even more people into the trail-building culture. We support our local group, Northwest Trail Alliance. We support them by being a platinum sponsor, allowing them access to our event space for meetings or events, supplying CKPC products for raffle gifts, and, most importantly, giving our time in labor. I think that's the biggest gift anyone can give ... your time helping to get the work done.
Sean: Why is it important for your brand to be involved in trail building?
Kirby: Well, we are a world-class bicycle component manufacturer, so it's only in line for us to support our trails. We need to give back in a way that helps to promote cycling, its culture, and its future. Having access to land for trails is not something to take lightly or take advantage of. We are very fortunate to have the education that has been happening over the years about trail building, why it's important, and what it actually does to help sustain the forest. We want to make sure we are part of this ever-growing movement. A big plus on the business side is talking to riders and always keeping our finger on the pulse of what people like, what they don't like, what they would like to see, and why. Real-world feedback is the best feedback you can get.
Sean: Do you have a system or culture to get employees involved? Do you have any incentives for employees to work on trails?
Kirby: Our biggest incentive is the one I mentioned above. We will pay our employees to leave work and go work on a designated trail workday for the day. We do the driving, help educate our team on the work we are going to do, have them fully involved in the work, provide food and beverages for the day, tons of comradery and laughing, and give them a lift back to the shop. It's a full turnkey day for our team members.
Sean: What projects are you especially proud of? Any cool stories you want to share?
Kirby: There are a lot of stories and a lot of laughing that has happened over the years. I think what I'm most proud of is our team's commitment to going out and doing the work. Every dig day has something special to it, so it's hard to pick one thing. I will say for myself that I'm really stoked to be a trail lead for the NWTA and a US Forest Service sawyer. I did this to help the CKPC team get more access to some fun trail projects.
Sean: What do you want trail builders to know about your brand?
Kirby: We don't do this work for just marketing assets. The work we do has been happening for over four decades, and it's a community we believe in. We believe in our cycling community and want to be a part of it even beyond the parts we make. We want to help it grow and stay healthy. We want to provide where we can and be a force of good on the land we have been granted access to. We believe actions speak louder than words. Let us know if you have a project, you need help with. If we can get there, we will help.
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That concludes our interview. If you have a story to tell, drop me an email.
Download “Do Unsanctioned Trails Hurt Mountain Biking?”
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Download “Do Unsanctioned Trails Hurt Mountain Biking?” 〰️
Interviewer: Sean Benesh Photos: Supplied by Kirby Bedsaul
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
