We Dig Into Paul Rodriguez’s Primitive Brand Operations In Europe

Paul Rodriguez’s Primitive skate brand has gone from strength to strength over the years and we’ve caught up with the brand to find out more about the people behind the brand and to talk about their European operations.

Please give an overview of how and why the company began?
Primitive began in 2008 as a Los Angeles based skateboard, streetwear and sneaker boutique. Our Primitive branded tees and hats quickly became the top selling items shortly after opening. This success inspired us to expand our product range and take the leap into wholesale. We now have a full fledged custom apparel and skateboarding business with support from retailers and distributors worldwide.

Please tell us who is managing the brand.
There are many people at the helm of Primitive but a lot of direction comes from CEO Jubal Jones and President of Skate, Heath Brinkley. We also have our CFO Mitch Bhatia and of course the man with the plan Paul Rodriguez. With that said, there’s a giant collective here. All opinions are respected and valued at Primitive which is a huge asset to our success and constant growth.

What is the company ethos and how do you differentiate yourself from your competition?
What sets Primitive apart from most of our “competition” is the fact that we don’t really look at others competitively. We pride ourselves on being as genuine and authentic as possible, without outsider influence. We stay true to the brand’s core values and continue to evolve our own story.

Please explain your distribution strategy in Europe.
Maintain healthy growth and partner with people who understand your operation. Since the beginning we’ve always taken time to visit the European market. Hearing the needs of distributors first-hand and connecting on a personal level is priceless.

Who’s on your athlete team and how are they helping to push the brand?
Style matters over everything else. This outlook has attracted a world skate class team that transcends medals, technical tricks, or here today gone tomorrow trends. Our two recent additions, JB Gillet and Tiago Lemos, are perfect examples of timeless style. Founder/Owner Paul Rodriguez embodies our considered approach. Every rider has a unique story grounded in their passion for skateboarding. We really couldn’t ask for a better group of people to fly the Primitive flag.

What other marketing are you running?
On the apparel front, we do our best to tell unique stories for each drop rather than just your average product postings. We challenge ourselves to create engaging content every time.

Why should retailers sell your brand?
We try to think of that question a little differently. Primitive isn’t just trying to sell to retailers. Along with our product, we are creating moments that can resonate with people on a deeper level. We want longevity more than simply being placed on an end table. When people pick up Primitive, we genuinely believe they’re seeing a brand that represents much more than consumerism.

Please tell us which distributors you are using in Europe.
There are many European Distributors that support the Primitive brand. To name a few, we’ve got Nineteen76 in the UK, V7 in France, Mosaic in Germany, and Hurray in Belgium. All of our international distributors (those we named and did not name) do an amazing job as an extension of Primitive when it comes to brand awareness, notoriety and the global progression of Primitive as a whole.

Aside from a business perspective of distribution, we also have a strong international rider representation within the EU. We see that as a means for grass roots brand awareness which then creates more demand for Primitive on a global scale.

 

How are you using social media to target your audience?
Our marketing team is another major part of our success. We have everything from the logistics of running social media campaigns to the feel and aesthetic of how we want our brand to be represented. Oliver Barton is not only one of skateboarding’s most legendary photographers but he also happens to be our Head of Marketing. From skate to apparel, we pride ourselves on maintaining 100% authenticity and it really shows in our social media aesthetic. Every post, story, activation is curated with an extreme amount of thought and feeling, as well as logistics and post optimization. We are deeply connected to our social media on many fronts and it’s making a name for us inside and outside of skating.

Running any interesting initiatives with bricks and mortar retailers?
Our Inside Sales Representative Matt Barre and our President of Skate Heath Brinkley travel pretty extensively to core brick and mortar shops all around the country. We also take similar approaches when it comes to international brick and mortars. We at Primitive believe this initiative helps solidify the relationships within the core community and gives us a chance to show our appreciation for their on-going support. We also work hand in hand with these shops to support their flow riders that could potentially develop into a Primitive amateur skater. All of these elements help give us a wide scope on the skate industry as a whole, as well as catching and forecasting trends for the future of Primitive.