Kimberly Woo
Girls Marketing Manager - Osiris

Kimberly Woo
Girls Marketing Manager/Graphic Designer
Osiris

group Y: How old were you when you first started (surfing, skating, moto-x, snowboarding)?

Kim: I started snowboarding when I was twelve, started skating when I got a sector 9 for my sixteenth birthday, tried wakeboarding for the first time when I was eighteen and started surfing when I was in college.

Where did you go to college and what did you study?

UC San Diego, Visual Arts Media.

How long have you been in the action sports industry and what’s your background?

I started at Osiris in 2006, so I’ve just been in it for about three years now. In college, I worked at the campus gear shop, selling, renting and repairing surf and snow gear. I was on the snowboard team at school, which was basically just a group of kids that rented a house in Mammoth for the winter and we got to ride as many weekends as we wanted to. That’s kind of when I figured out that I wanted to be in this industry. I was studying video/film at the time so for a second I thought I was going to move to LA after college and do the whole entertainment industry thing but then I realized that was definitely not my scene and I loved San Diego way too much to leave it. The gear shop I worked at, called Outback Adventures, was just a small little spot where we rented wetsuits, surfboards and snowboards to students. This April, they are actually opening a sweet new retail space right in the middle of campus selling surf apparel and accessories, and I’m helping to design some of the new store graphics so I’m stoked on how that kind of came full circle.

You seem to be constantly on the go, working hard to support the womens program at Osiris. How did you end up in that position—ie were you hired to do that specifically or did it evolve out of something else?

I was initially hired on as a MySpace intern when they launched the girls brand, doing some graphics and web marketing. We didn’t even have a website at the time so MySpace was our only marketing tool. I helped out part time for about six months and then our receptionist had to take a maternity leave so I jumped at the chance to answer phones so I could get in full time. I would edit photos for the catalog while answering phones. I think everyone that called in during that time hated me since our real receptionist, Cynthia, is much nicer on the phone, ha ha. Eventually I got more involved in the marketing side of things and figured out that’s what I really loved doing. The team manager part sort of just developed on its own. It started from flowing product to a couple riders and it eventually grew into a whole team deal once I became good friends with the girls and realized the value in marketing a girls team. In that first year, I met a couple of people who influenced me a lot in what I’m doing today – Kathleen Penny, who created Maven, the girls program at Liquid Force, as well as my friend Valerie Gee who does Marketing & PR at Spy. KP, Val and I went to a bunch of the group Y events together and that’s actually how I made a lot of connections early on that have helped a lot in the past couple of years.

Osiris seems be blowing up their women’s program at the same time many other larger brands have cut their female-specific programs entirely. Has that been a conscious decision or is it just an organic component of the larger machine/strategy of Osiris?

Since the launch of the girls brand in 2006, under the direction of Jay Wilson and Krista Poehler, the strategy for the program was and still is based on creative marketing strategies. There wasn’t much of a budget to begin with so we resorted to grassroots advertising by getting consumers involved with the brand through unique campaigns such as the “suitcase contest.” (http://www.osirisgirls.com/suitcasecontest/winners/). I think because we are a smaller company and have less money to spend, I figured out how to utilize the resources I did have and take advantage of my freedom to try different things. This is the reason why our girls program has been successful thus far and can continue to exist at a time like this. Creating a girls team was a key factor in marketing and developing the program. There are many benefits to having female athletes represent your brand, it’s just a matter of finding the right riders. I think the companies that are selling female specific products without contributing back to the girls sports are doing a huge injustice to this industry.

Right now, it’s easy for a lot of companies to cut their female specific program because it may not be a big enough percentage of their sales, but I think its important to support the areas that have potential for growth, rather than just pulling the plug on it completely. It’s like the saying “if you are green you are growing, but if you are ripe then you are rotting.” Osiris has always been a leader in creativity and thinking outside the box so supporting a girls program when a lot of companies are cutting back is just one example of how we stand apart from the others. I’ve been lucky enough to have the support of the management and the right people on my side, including my riders, who have each played a role in helping to create the brand.

What are you listening to most on your ipod/car/at your desk right now?

Electro, reggae and hip hop are always at the top of my list. Lately I’ve been listening to Pretty Lights, Chromeo, Ratatat, Ladytron and Cut Copy but Tupac, Talib Kweli and Slightly Stoopid are always in the mix.

What is the best advice you’ve ever heard?

The best advice I’ve gotten is something my dad has always told me: if you do something you are passionate about, you will succeed.

What is the worst advice you’ve ever heard?

Can’t think of any–probably because I chose not to remember it because it was bad!

If you could plan a group Y event, and there were absolutely no limitations–not money, location, activities, speakers, etc.–what would you do?

I’d love to see a group Y event focused on female specific topics. I think the girls market has the most potential for growth in this industry and a lot of people are sleeping on it or going about it the wrong way completely. Girls’ action sports are nowhere close to being as big as they could be. There are some really talented people in this industry making things happen for the females and it’d be a great opportunity to hear what they have to say. It’d be sweet to incorporate some of the sports into the events too….anytime I get to ride and call it work, I’m stoked!

Tell me about your daily routine–what would be a typical work day for you?

A typical work day is unfortunately way too much face time with the computer. I use four computer monitors everyday…not exactly my idea of action sports. I do however throw down in my office chair–I’ve landed a couple 1080s, nothing on film yet though. I spend my days juggling three different things: graphic design, marketing and team management. A typical day is a lot of emailing, photoshopping, updating our news blog, cruising the internet and sending out product. My tasks also include designing ads or web graphics, digging for samples in the warehouse, discussing trends/product with our designers, and catching up and brainstorming on new projects with my riders. On the more fun but rare days, I get to go out with the riders when they are in town and shoot photos and video. I work closely with William Prokop who is my marketing counterpart as well as our Art Director, George Ricoy. There are about thirty of us in the Osiris office so it’s a tight knit family and everyone helps each other out a lot.

If you could pack a bag and get on a plane right now, where would you go?

I’d fly straight to Tokyo to party, shop, eat amazing sushi, and geek out on all the latest and greatest fashion and tech trends. If there was snow, I’d try get some riding in. I probably wouldn’t sleep for a good 72 hours so right after I’d fly to Oahu and recover at Sandy’s beach which is down the road from my Aunt’s house. All this would be pretty boring by myself so I would take the girls from my team with me because its never a dull moment with them around. And yes, I realize the question was just where I would go, but hey it’s a dream scenario so you can’t blame me for planning out the details.

Do you have a routine that you are superstitious about?

I’m not really one for superstition…I believe that everything happens for a reason so if something shitty is going to happen, there is no stopping it…just gotta roll with it!

What was the biggest life lesson you learned the hard way?

I can’t say that I really learned it the hard way, but I think an important life lesson is that sometimes having the worst experience with something is necessary to help you figure out how to make something great.

Finish this sentence, if I could do it all over again I would____.

If I could do it all over again, I would wish for the super power of not needing sleep so I could do more stuff in a day!

Name a guilty pleasure?

Mexican food after the bars…can’t help it when you live in SD.

What was one of the best things that ever happened to you?

I have to say that one of the best things that has ever happened to me is getting a job in this industry because I’ve met some truly inspiring people and made some friends that I already know are going to be homies for life. Also because I feel really lucky that I can honestly say I love my job.

Suggested Reading:

1. Sean O’Brien
   Marketing Content Manager - Surf Expo
2. Deric Gunshor
   Sr. Manager, Event Marketing at Aspen/Snowmass