Kokatat Looks to Local Arcata Landscape for Brand Inspiration

Kokatat has been manufacturing the world’s finest paddling gear in the northern California coastline town of Arcata, California for over 40 years. The locale’s rigorous and diverse landscape, which has long influenced the company’s culture, is the inspiration behind a new brand image that is being integrated across all marketing and product platforms. Kokatat began the process earlier this year with the launch of a new company website (www.kokatat.com) and will be introducing additional initiatives at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Salt Lake City, UT, August 4th through 7th.

“Arcata’s demanding environment has helped shape the function and performance of our products and we’re now using its landscape as inspiration for an updated more relevant look for our product and marketing vehicles,” said Jeff Turner, Kokatat sales and marketing manager.

The new Kokatat website blends easy navigation with imagery that reflects the paddling lifestyle that Kokatat helped create. Product is presented in a clean straightforward manner with images taken on location in Arcata in an authentic paddling environment featuring real paddlers. Along with product and company information, the site includes profiles of the numerous professional kayakers and expeditions the company supports, whose exploits, along with other Kokatat news, are detailed in the blog section of the site.

The imagery and tone of the website has been incorporated across all of Kokatat’s marketing materials and will continue to evolve while remaining true to the authentic paddling roots that are at the heart of the brand.

Perpetuating the brand’s evolution, for Spring 2012 Kokatat is adding earth tones inspired by the Arcata landscape to the color palette of its line of legendary Gore-Tex® Pro Shell dry line. The 2012 dry suit collection will also feature new color blocking with contrasting top and bottom split at the waist for a more modern look.

“While our suits’ performance will continue to keep us on top of the competition, the new color ways and styling will make them even more appealing,” added Turner.

To appeal to the younger whitewater market, Kokatat is introducing a Limited Edition GORE-TEX® Meridian dry suit whose design was influenced by the Rogue dry top, popular among whitewater boaters. This limited edition dry suit has all the details and function of the in-line Meridian, but in a special cedar and black color combination and features 330 cordura GORE-TEX® from the waist down for superior durability.

Additional updates that the company will be presenting at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market also include a new collection of baselayers and insulators, as well as a new PFD platform with the value priced Aries PFD with PVC-free GAIA® foam.

About Kokatat Watersports Wear (ORSM Booth #33051): 

Celebrating 40 years of innovation, Kokatat is an independently operated, US manufacturer of technical apparel and accessories for water sports. Handcrafted in Arcata, California, Kokatat employees are focused on building the finest functional product for people who work and play on water. Our gear is designed for paddlers, by paddlers, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience on the water all year long and in all weather conditions. Into the water with Kokatat! Please visit www.kokatat.com and follow Kokatat on Facebook and Twitter “@kokatat”.