“That means, by extension, that our customer service is really important to us. If a prospec- tive stand-up paddleboarder or an established stand-up paddleboarder reads about us, reads about the sport in a magazine or sees the sport on TV or the internet, we need to be ready to take that call, to answer their questions, and bring them through. There are people who don’t really know what type of board they want or why they should by a Red board, and that’s what our staff is here for. We love the sport and we’re available digitally or on the phone to hold anyone’s hand through that process – it’s what we do! It’s also key to our business and we want to get it right. That’s still our attitude ten years on and I think it really speaks to our message, our direction: we follow through con- sistently because we listen, we learn.” “For us, the safety element is also a big one. You are looking at a sport that when done right is relatively safe, but if it’s done wrong it can go really, really wrong – and it does happen. Everyone needs to take responsibility. The industry needs to be really big on safety and we take that responsibility very seriously. Any SUP can make pretty much any stretch of coastline your own personal playground but even pros need to set limits.” “For us, the safety element is also a big one.” And Red Paddle Co helps their customers responsibly set those limits. At redpaddle- co.com the complete eight-step SUP Safe: A Simple Guide is available to the general public. The SUP Safe Checklist, which holds to the motto ‘If in doubt, don’t go out,’ looks like this: The pedagogy doesn’t stop with sales, he con- tinued.
superb, second-to-none cosmetic finish – our boards look cleaner and smoother than anything you’ll find out there.”
Stand-up paddleboarders the world over seem to agree.
Red Paddle Co. took home the 2017 Gear of the Year award from Outside Magazine, the 2017 Gear of the Year award from Backpacker Magazine, the 2017 Gear of the Year from Men’s Journal, and the 2016 Inflatable Gear of the Year award from SUP Connect.
As the torchbearer for what’s become a globally-embraced competitive and leisure sport, the Red Paddle Co. business model continues to set high industry standards. “We’re always asking how we can bring customers into the brand, into the sport,” Andrew explained.
“We’re the only company in the world making inflatable SUPs this way.”
123 DECEMBER 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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