#6, Part 1 - Achim Löffler (W. L. Gore & Associates): GORE-TEX - The iconic Ingredient Brand’s journey to responsible performance

Welcome to the season finale of the Season 1 of HeroInside Ingredient Branding Podcast! Join Tomas Vucurevic as he dives deep into the secrets of successful Ingredient Branding with Achim Löffler, Global Business Leader from W. L. Gore & Associates, famed for their iconic GORE-TEX Brand. Together, they delve into the rich history and influential strategies that have cemented GORE-TEX Brand as a powerhouse in Ingredient Branding. From its beginnings to its current status as a market leader, they explore key topics such as the evolution of brand partnerships, the role of the pivotal and legendary "Guaranteed To Keep You Dry" promise, broad applicability and product diversification, their D2C brands, and the continuous innovation that drives GORE-TEX Brand forward. Join us for a comprehensive look at how enduring partnerships and strategic evolution contribute to the lasting success of a brand. Mentioned in the episode: Ingredient Brand Generational Model: https://www.braind.co/blog/generational-model-of-ingredient-brands Evolution Of A Promise: Guaranteed To Keep You Dry - https://www.gore-tex.com/blog/evolution-of-a-promise-guaranteed-to-keep-you-dry --- Subscribe, like, and share HeroInside and help others get more value for their innovation. After listening, share your opinion, thoughts, and questions ⁠on LinkedIn⁠. --- THEMES AND TIMESTAMPS 0:03:22 - Introduction 0:04:37 - Early days of GORE-TEX: from ePTFE discovery to Marmot and NORRØNA partnerships 0:07:39 - “Guaranteed to keep you dry” brand promise, trust as a brand value 0:12:46 - Brand building in the 80s and 90s 0:16:11 - Partnerships with retailers 0:17:24 - New product forms and technologies 0:18:40 - Footwear business, GORE‑TEX INVISIBLE FIT 0:20:02 - Broad availability and diverse product applications 0:22:03 - Direct-to-consumer shift with GOREWEAR 0:25:43 - SITKA Gear brand acquisition and new market segment 0:27:41 - Preview of topics for the next sustainability and future-fit focused episode ----- KEEP FOLLOWING THE JOURNEY OF THE GUESTS GORE-TEX Brand website⁠⁠ W. L. Gore & Associates website Achim Löffler on LinkedIn GORE-TEX Brand on LinkedIn W. L. Gore & Associates on LinkedIn GOREWEAR SITKA Gear --- SUBSCRIBE ELSEWHERE ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Google Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Castbox⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- QUESTIONS, COLLABORATIONS, AND SPONSORSHIPS If you have any questions or ideas, please reach out through ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. We are also open to collaborations and sponsorships. If you wish to be featured at HeroInside, reach out through ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. --- ⁠⁠⁠BRAIND website⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠The BRAINDERY⁠⁠⁠⁠ The BRAINDERY is the education and community platform of BRAIND®. It is a space for collaborative learning providing tools to the Ingredient Branding community such as the first Ingredient Branding MasterClass and the HeroInside podcast. --- ABOUT THE HOST Tomas Vucurevic is the Founder and Managing Director of BRAIND® and one of the leading global experts in Ingredient Branding. Tomas has over 40,000 hours of experience as a global Ingredient Branding expert. Half of his career was as Global Brand Manager for Gore-Tex. The other half was as the Founder and Managing Director of BRAIND, a brand strategy consultancy focused exclusively on Ingredient Branding. He has guided more than 70 projects helping companies to get more value out of their innovations by transforming from the ZERO position as a supplier into the HERO position as an Ingredient Brand that consumers seek. ⁠⁠Follow Tomas on LinkedIn⁠