All our hard research and strategic decisions paid off, and the plaudits rolled in, time and again. Yet what we didn’t expect was that the considerable experience working with brands within the mag would illuminate some pretty hairy problems with the marketing in this sector.
Brands often either had slick and clearly expensively produced content which was ‘all gear no idea’; and laughable to prospective customers, or it was enthusiastically but poorly produced; Joey from the warehouse team had a mate who took some vids on his phone.
We plied grieving brand managers with top-shelf whiskey while we promised to help find a solution. Eventually, it was clear that outdoor brands needed a dedicated agency to serve them. One that merged creative content production skills, smart strategic planning, and on-the-ground industry knowledge that would always pass the sniff test.
We kept looking for such an agency to recommend to our Hunters Journal brands. But there was no one who ticked all the boxes. Then we realised – it was us.
And so CASO was born to help you create powerful, authentic connections between your brand and the market we know so well.
As the founder of The Hunters Journal, Cam built a brand that resonated deeply with the hunting community. Now at CASO, he leads creative direction—bringing a sharp eye, a deep understanding of the outdoors, and a knack for telling stories that sell. He’s also big on relationships, with a network that spans the globe, and has photographed and filmed everywhere from the US and Australia to the mountains of Europe and Mongolia. The interesting things about Cam is he spends most of his spare time doing things he’s not actually good at like; spearfishing, snowboarding, biking, reading, building, shooting and the list goes on.
Sophie’s got a sharp eye for strategy and a real passion for seeing brands grow. With a background in digital marketing and years behind the lens, she’s all about creating campaigns that land—and celebrating every client win along the way. Despite being kicked in the face by a horse and bucked off her horse (given a concussion that left her in hospital), She’s still loves horses. Each evening you’ll see her taking care of the sheep, horses and the chickens. loves a good cocktail or 5. Not to mention she holds her own in every hunting yarn that comes her way.
Tim is a solid hunter through and through—obsessed with it, really. But he’s also the kind of guy who dives headfirst into anything he’s passionate about. He’s detail-oriented, with a deep understanding of the ins and outs of products. Tim’s also an ambassador for a couple of our brands, supporting us with incredible photography, video, and a great presence in front of the camera. He’s got more hobbies than there are hours in the day—one of them being collecting pine cones. The hardest part managing Tim is keeping up with in the mountains—you’d say it’s unfair until you see him each evening lubing up his lycra cycling suit.
Tuha’s story with us starts from a time where he and Cam started designing The Hunters Journal magazine a flat in Riccarton. Right from the start, Tuha has brought a unique visual style in the outdoor industry—which is credited to his interests—he LOVE’s film, gritty police drama about catching a child murderer? Count him in. Basketball? Count him in also. When the sunlight hits the lounge you can find him lying peacefully on the couch. Loves music—some slow sad rock always hits the spot. And MF Doom, what a lyricist! Loves the beach and the outdoors and the world in general is Beautiful, He’s trying to see it all before it everything eventually burns to a crisp apparently.
