evo Partners with Backbone Media

July 28, 2016

SEATTLE (July 28, 2016) – Seattle-based action sports and outdoor retailer evo announced today it is teaming up with Backbone Media to drive public relations in North America.

evo is an innovative sport and lifestyle retailer with roots in the Pacific Northwest, featuring gear, clothing and accessories with an emphasis on accompanying events, art, adventure travel, expertise and service for skiers, snowboarders, mountain bikers, skateboarders, wakeboarders, surfers and more. Founded out of a Seattle garage in 2001, evo has developed a strong US and international following and continues not only to grow, but also thrive, in a generally challenged retail market, as it blends brick and mortar stores in Seattle, Portland and Denver (opening fall 2016) with best in class service, community and e-commerce.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Backbone, as they understand the nexus of arts and culture, outdoor, action sports and multi-channel commerce,” said Graham Gephart, evo director of marketing. “As we celebrate our fifteenth year, we are excited to build upon our successes with the launch of our third retail location in Denver, extension of specialty retail partnerships through our ‘La Familia’ program and the enrichment of our service and community platforms. Backbone Media was a natural fit to help tell the evo story and to shape this next chapter ahead.”

Charting a cooperative path between e-commerce and local brick and mortar retail, evo’s La Familia program allows online customers to purchase from evo’s curated and diverse collections and arrange free pick up and schedule service with a local retailer. Currently available in five states, La Familia jointly services online shoppers while building a localized retail partnership to facilitate ongoing service and community. For more information on La Familia locations: www.evo.com/locations/la-familia/

Understanding that modern consumers want to create experiences and connections that go deeper than gear, evo continues to grow its evoTrip adventure travel offering in 2016. Far descended from the first evoTrip ski and surf adventure to Japan and Bali in 2008, evoTrip now includes 13 ski, snowboard and mountain bike trips in Chile, Japan, Austria and Canada. For more information on evoTrip: www.evo.com/adventure-travel

“As the retail environment continues to be challenged nationally, it is invigorating to work with an upstart like evo,” said Penn Newhard, founder and managing partner at Backbone Media. “Their approach to modern retail displays a clear understanding of consumer trends, differentiated product lines, service and location.”

About evo: evo is an innovative action sports and outdoor lifestyle retailer with roots in the Pacific Northwest. The company’s focus on community and crafting extraordinary customer experiences has propelled the company from its humble beginnings in a small Seattle apartment to one of the fastest growing lifestyle retailers in the nation. Over 15 years, the action sports and outdoor retailer has grown from its strong online presence to open flagship stores in Seattle, WA, Portland, OR and soon Denver, CO, that proudly showcase evo’s trademark blend of sport, culture, art, retail, and service. Through evoTrip, customers can experience the evo lifestyle of sport and culture through destination travel to ski, snowboard, or mountain bike remote wonders around the world. Leveraging our success to give back, evo helps underserved youth through volunteer time, donations, and other support for local and national non-profit organizations including SOS Outreach and Chill Foundation. For more information on evo and its programs, please visit evo.com

About Backbone Media

Backbone Media targets, engages and inspires the active lifestyle market through public relations, social media, content creation and media planning and buying. For over 18 years, Backbone has worked with leading outdoor gear, apparel, technology, food and beverage brands, as well as tourism destinations around the world. Backbone has offices in Carbondale and Denver, Colorado, and Jackson, Wyoming.