Caroline and Jake Danehy on The Marketing Playbook Podcast with Mark Friedman: Co-Founders of Fair Harbor

Ok! Welcome back to my podcast: The Marketing Playbook with Mark Friedman! Presented by Details Interactive. Here, you’ll take away 3 game-winning marketing plays every episode to take back to your team. I’m your host, Mark Friedman, and my career has been focused on direct-to-consumer marketing; direct mail, physical retail, and digital commerce.

This is Episode #31 and today’s guests are Caroline and Jake Danehy. They are the Co-Founders of Fair Harbor. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast spots – subscribe and leave a 5-star review if you have your playbook!

• Episode Summary & Player
• Show Notes
• The Marketing Playbook with Mark Friedman Summary

Podcast Episode #31: Caroline and Jake Danehy – Co-Founders of Fair Harbor

Caroline and Jake Danehy, the Co-Founders of Fair Harbor, add their page to the Marketing Playbook. Hear how to use customer feedback to make important changes to your products, turn a passion and frustration into a business, surround yourself with talented people, how the siblings started their business in high school and college, and their Shark Tank-style experience with Jessica Alba. This episode covers everything from trunk shows to pitch competitions. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What is Fair Harbor and their mission
• How did Jake get the business going in college
• How did they feel after people started buying their products
• Who designs the Fair Harbor garments
• What mistakes and challenges did they experience early on
• What is the Round Trip Initiative
• Why does it help to find more product benefits
• What is a superpower they wish they had

Connect with Caroline and Jake at FairHarborClothing.com.

Let’s open the playbook. Ready? Break! Check out the episode, show notes, and pictures below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Intro
  • [0:19] The Marketing Playbook with Mark Friedman
  • [0:20] Details Interactive
  • [0:26] Connect with Mark at Mark@DetailsInteractive.com, on Twitter at @DetailsInteract, and on LinkedIn
  • [0:34] Connect with Caroline and Jake at FairHarborClothing.com
  • [0:40] Thank you as always to Max Branstetter of MaxPodcasting and the Wild Business Growth Podcast for producing this podcast. You can reach him at Max@MaxPodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life
• Caroline and Jake’s Page of The Marketing Playbook with Mark Friedman
  • [1:16] Board Shorts
  • [1:35] How are Caroline and Jake and their family doing during the pandemic
  • [1:55] Hudson Yards, Westchester, NY
  • [2:11] Quarantine, Business
  • [2:44] Meditate
  • [3:38] What is a remarkable story about their life
  • [3:56] Market Research, Trunk Shows
  • [4:19] Customers
  • [4:52] Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator
  • [5:39] What is Fair Harbor and their mission
  • [5:55] Fair Harbor, Fire Island
  • [6:12] Plastic Waste
  • [6:24] Fashion, Geography, Colgate University
  • [6:41] Polyester from Plastic
  • [7:03] Did Caroline and Jake both go to Colgate
  • [7:13] Patriot League, Lafayette College
  • [7:28] How did Jake get the business going in college
  • [8:01] Surfing
  • [8:18] Economics, Investment Banking (I-Banking), Law
  • [8:33] Global Climatology, Liberal Arts
  • [8:47] Thought Into Action (TIA)
  • [9:01] Shark Tank Competition, Entrepreneurs, Jessica Alba, MC Hammer, Neil Blumenthal, Jennifer Hyman
  • [9:32] Production Run
  • [9:52] 2008 Honda Pilot
  • [10:00] Charleston, SC
  • [10:08] Jersey Shore
  • [10:18] How did they feel after people started buying their products
  • [11:07] Customer Feedback
  • [11:22] Sustainability
  • [11:56] Awareness
  • [12:02] How did they figure out they could turn recycled plastic into an apparel item
  • [12:33] Extended Study
  • [13:13] The Honest Company
  • [14:11] Chloe Songer and Stuart Ahlum of Thousand Fell on The Marketing Playbook with Mark Friedman
  • [14:38] Why is sustainability a purchase motive for customers
  • [15:12] What are Caroline and Jake’s roles at Fair Harbor
  • [15:18] Marketing, Graphic Designer, Email Campaigns, Digital Ads, Catalog
  • [15:40] CEO (Chief Executive Officer), eComm (eCommerce), Website, Performance Marketing
  • [16:32] Who designs the Fair Harbor garments
  • [17:05] Print Development, Erin Devine, Production Manager
  • [17:21] Where does Fair Harbor manufacture
  • [17:34] Did they experience challenges with tariffs and China
  • [18:17] What mistakes and challenges did they experience early on
  • [18:46] Industry
  • [19:29] FairHarborClothing.com, Nordstrom.com, JCrew.com, Wholesale, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC), Shop in Sag Harbor, Hamptons
  • [20:00] Is wholesale a strategic initiative for Fair Harbor
  • [20:05] Brand Equity, Brick-and-Mortar
  • [21:00] Factory Outlet Stores
  • [21:12] Retailers
  • [21:32] How do you replicate your brand story in a wholesale environment
  • [21:49] Brand
  • [22:00] Product, Return Rate, Rep Group
  • [22:21] Will Fair Harbor get more into women’s clothing
  • [22:51] Silhouettes
  • [23:06] Who does Caroline and Jake look to for advice
  • [23:36] Advisors, Mentors
  • [24:32] Have there been other investments in the business
  • [24:42] Friends and Family Round, Bootstrapping, Advertising, Angel Round
  • [25:12] Investor, Inventory
  • [25:30] Profitable, COVID-19
  • [25:45] Seed Round, Series A
  • [26:02] First Purchase
  • [26:42] Lifetime Value (LTV)
  • [26:44] Do you have a Direct-to-Consumer business? I enjoy connecting with guests on this podcast because it reminds me what I love to do: strategic and tactical consulting for businesses like yours. If you’d like to speak with me and see how you can add a fresh set of eyes to your team, contact me at Mark@DetailsInteractive.com
  • [27:17] What performance marketing tactics is Fair Harbor using
  • [27:30] Facebook, Snapchat, Google
  • [27:42] Customer Acquisition, Customer Touchpoints, Radio
  • [28:12] Video
  • [28:32] Digital, Instagram
  • [28:42] What is the Round Trip Initiative
  • [28:45] Aaron Sanandres, UNTUCKit
  • [30:02] Is there a lot of participation in the Round Trip Initiative
  • [30:43] What were March and April 2020 like for Fair Harbor
  • [31:01] Stackline article on Men’s Swimwear
  • [31:14] Swimwear, Content, Influencers
  • [31:31] Creative
  • [31:52] Overhead
  • [32:12] Attributes, Working From Home (WFH)
  • [32:23] Marketing Strategy
  • [33:09] Why does it help to find more product benefits
  • [33:52] Anchor Shorts
  • [34:25] Do the new customers in 2020 look different than previous customers
  • [34:54] Sales
  • [35:42] Early-Stage Businesses, End Consumer
• 2-Minute Drill
  • [36:20] Patagonia, Ty Haney, Outdoor Voices
  • [36:50] Shopify App
  • [37:09] What is the last website Caroline and Jake visited other than Amazon
  • [37:09] Tecovas, eBay
  • [37:28] What is something they wish they were better at
  • [37:30] Excel, Andrew Aicher
  • [37:52] Sunrise Day Camp, Oceana
  • [38:30] What is a superpower they wish they had
  • [38:40] Historians
  • [38:50] Cycling
• Outro
  • [39:57] Connect with Caroline and Jake at FairHarborClothing.com
  • [40:03] This week’s 3 Game-Winning Plays are as follows:
    1. Use customer feedback to make important changes to your products
    2. Turn a passion and frustration into a business
    3. Surround yourself with talented people
  • [41:05] If you want to check out more pages of The Marketing Playbook, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast spot and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts
  • [41:16] Connect with Mark at Mark@DetailsInteractive.com, on Twitter at @DetailsInteract, and on LinkedIn
  • Theme Song: Jazzy Man Funk Rock – Auditone Music Library – provided by Jamendo

What is The Marketing Playbook with Mark Friedman?

Mark Friedman (that’s me) knows direct-to-consumer marketing. The 30+ year industry veteran has served as the President of eCommerce at Steve Madden, Chief Marketing Officer of Brooks Brothers, mentor to dozens of startups, and even youth sports coach. You’ll take away 3 fundamental tips every episode to help your team knock it out of the park, and draw up strategies for digital marketing, eCommerce, customer monetization, and pivoting with the brightest all-stars in business. Do you have your playbook?

How can I work with Details Interactive?

That’s it! Today’s game balls go to Caroline and Jake Danehy. Thank you, Playbook Marketers, for listening. If you want to check out more pages of The Marketing Playbook, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast spot and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. You can also follow us on Twitter at @DetailsInteract and learn more at DetailsInteractive.com. Until next time, The devil is in the details.