Red Paddle Co Launches Accessories Brand Red Original

Red Paddle Co are launching Red Original a new range of premium watersports accessories for use before, during, and after getting on the water. The development of these products began 12 months ago in response to consumer demands, each product providing innovative new approaches to old problems. Red Original officially launched at the end of March and will be available through Red Paddle Co’s distributor network and in store through their extensive global retailer network.

Please tell us about Red Original.
Red Original is a range of premium watersports accessories which have been designed to create the ultimate paddle boarding experience, offering everything that you will need before, during and after getting on the water.

Products include a watertight cool bag, which provides a host of unique features not available with any other British brand. The range also boasts an insulated drinks bottle, uniquely made from marine grade stainless steel and a luxury changing robe which will keep you warm and your modesty intact whilst getting changed, as there aren’t always dressing rooms when on an adventure!

The Red Original range isn’t just about what you carry and use on your favourite activities, it’s also about what you wear. The collection includes performance clothing to keep you dry, protected, and bursting with stylish confidence when you’re out doing what you love the most! All are perfect for paddling, but also compliment any active lifestyle.

How long has this been in the pipeline?
We started developing the range over 12 months ago and have been led by consumer demands. We wanted to make sure that the products we created were desired by our existing customers but also had a wider reach outside of the SUP industry. We have spent months developing and testing each product and looked at every single detail to make sure that we were producing the best product possible. For items such as our waterproof deck bag and cool bags, we have innovated our new Luggage Tensioning System (International Patent Pending) which enables the user to attach the bags directly onto their cargo system. We have gone through many iterations of each product and the materials used to ensure we delivered the definitive version of each product from the beginning.

We also wanted to ensure that wherever possible we were taking a considered sustainable approach. Where compromises don’t have to be made in performance, we have taken an ethical approach to the Red Original range, reflecting our responsibility as a company to protect the world we are encouraging our consumers to explore. We have tried to avoid the use of single use throw away plastic and have used less packaging in general. The majority of packaging is made from recyclable reclaimed paper or cardboard, and where possible FSC approved recycled card. Our cardboard packaging does not use any adhesives, so no toxins are added through glue. We also try to use minimal ink for printing and are looking to move toward soya-based inks.

What was the thinking behind this move?
Over the past 10 years, Red Paddle Co has grown into a world-leading paddleboard brand, built on the ethos of designing quality, no compromise products. Beyond the boards however, we were frustrated that well thought out products designed for our sport and lifestyle were still missing.

Whenever we wanted to go on an epic paddling adventure, compete in an endurance race, or even spend a relaxed day at the beach with our friends and families, we were having to compromise with accessories and gear that didn’t do what we really wanted it to because they were designed with other things in mind – and often poorly made.

So, we decided to design our own premium range of things we really wanted – definitive versions of the kit you actually need, featuring all the elements we wanted and using quality materials that look awesome too and Red Original was born.

All the range is designed to enable the ultimate experience, whatever your style of paddling, and we’ve made sure they have a multitude of uses beyond just watersports – helping you get out there and explore your world.

How will your products differ from others on the market?
As you would expect from Red, performance, style and user-centric design is at the forefront of the range. You’ll find innovative new approaches to age old problems (‘What do I do with my valuables when I go paddling?’); and re-imagined must-haves (‘Why do change robes have to be cheap and nasty?’). We haven’t just stuck a logo on an existing product, but completely redesigned every single item to ensure it meets our high quality standards and performs brilliantly offering the best experience. We have designed them specifically with paddle boarding in mind first and foremost but a lot of the products also can be used in many other sports and markets moving us more into the active lifestyle market and not just 100% SUP.

The whole Red team have been using the range whether it be for post-work SUP, holiday adventures, workouts or early morning surfs; and we love all of it whether it is the hardworking and hardwearing coolbags, amazingly insulating drinks bottle, or the technical clothing that looks just as great off the water as on.

We have tried to tell the story of each product and highlight the features that it offers the user so it is easy for them to see how it will improve their experience, something that we feel is poorly done across most industries.

What are your general views on the SUP accessories market?
Through the research we carried out before going ahead with the project, we found that there was a lack of fit for purpose products that were designed with SUP and our active lifestyles in mind. We knew our consumers wanted more from us as a brand and were struggling to find the right solutions to meet their needs without having to compromise. We are interested in making high-quality products that our consumers will want to use time and time again, whether paddleboarding or for other outdoor sports, and we think Red Original is filling a gap that existed for a well-rounded range of SUP accessories – the initial reaction from our consumers has certainly been extremely positive.

What will you be doing to market the launch?
We officially launched the range at the end of March and celebrated this by offering one lucky winner the opportunity to win everything in the Red Original range along with a Red Paddle Co Sport board of their choice, so they can go out and create their own #OriginalAdventure. The competition was a great success and enabled us to raise awareness of the new products and drive interest from customers. Red Original is available through our best retailers around the world and we are excited to share the range with them and their customers this summer.

How will you be helping retailers tell the new chapter of Red Paddle?
The must have products in the Red Original range will be available through our distributor network and be available in store through our extensive global retailer network. It provides retailers a fantastic opportunity to increase customer order value and upsell products to customers when in store and help introduce the brand to non-SUP customers.