1000% Web Traffic Growth – Taking a Travel Brand Beyond SFO’s Terminals
CONSUMER BRAND & WHOLESALE EXPANSION
A three-year engagement that helped a thriving airport retail chain craft the story, identity and digital infrastructure to grow from $3.5M to $6.3M in revenue.
MY ROLE
Creative Director • Team Lead
CLIENT
RDG Concessions, parent company of Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear (POTG), San Francisco, California
PROJECT OUTCOMES
1000% increase in web traffic. A new direct-to-consumer website and separate wholesale website catapulted POTG beyond the terminal and into the hands of travelers worldwide.
80% increase in sales. Revenue skyrocketed from $3.5M to $6.3M within 18 months.
B2B strategy launches wholesale channel. A business-to-business strategy, including domestic and international trade shows, introduced POTG’s products to wholesale buyers: airport retailers, travel stores and pharmacy chains nationwide.
Audience engagement beyond the terminal. In-store signage with promotions and social media contests converted one-time airport shoppers into an engaged online community.
INTRODUCTION
Imagine the moment you realize your neck pillow is still on the kitchen counter. You’re already through security and your 15-hour flight boards in 40 minutes.
You scan the shops near your gate and find Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear. You grab a neck pillow and a lightweight jacket at prices you can’t believe, in an airport where everything is overpriced.
Small business owner Ralph Glenn’s company, RDG Concessions, had operated Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear (POTG) for over 15 years across six SFO stores. Loyal customers returned often, drawn by quality products, affordable prices and a no-questions-asked satisfaction guarantee.
But the relationship ended at the gate. We created the narrative, the visual identity and the ecommerce infrastructure that changed that.
RESPONSIBILITIES AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Shaped the engagement from proposal to final delivery across consumer retail, wholesale and influencer outreach
Assembled the team, set the schedule and managed the budget
Served as the bridge between RDG’s leadership and the creative team
Ensured narrative consistency across every channel and audience
PROJECT SCOPE
Research & Insights • Messaging Architecture • Ecommerce Website Design & Development • Visual Identity System • Social Media Campaign • Targeted Influencer Campaign • Photography • Video Production
PROJECT TEAM
Creative Director • Design Director • Web Developer • Photographer & Film Producers (3) • Photo Producer • Photo Stylists (3) • Modeling Agencies (2) • Photo Retoucher • Hair & Make-up Artist • Social Media Content Manager
Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear’s Products
Luggage • Clothing • Travel Accessories
THE CHALLENGE
RDG Concessions ran six profitable stores at SFO, generating $3.5M annually. But the brand behind it all was invisible.
Travelers loved the products. They just didn’t remember the name.
Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear (POTG) had no meaningful online presence, minimal social media and untapped wholesale potential. When asked how they measured up against competitors online, a staff member summed it up: "We suck big time."
The products weren't the problem. The storytelling was.
SFO Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear Store
How might we solve this problem?
How might we help a profitable family of airport retail stores convert in-person trust into growth beyond SFO’s terminals?
Our Solution – POTG & RDG Concessions
A Consumer Brand, a Wholesale Platform and a Targeted Influencer Campaign, Built Around One Consistent Narrative
1. Consumer Brand & Ecommerce
Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear (Direct to Consumer)
We refreshed Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear's visual identity and launched a new ecommerce website that brought the in-store experience online.
Deliverables:
Research & Insights
Audience Segmentation & Personas
Messaging Architecture
Narrative Frame & Positioning
Core Narrative
Tagline & Narrative Pillars
Tone Guidelines
Visual Identity System
Logo Refinement
In-store Signage & Promotions
Vehicle Wrap
Ecommerce Website Design & Development
Social Media Campaign
Photography
Video Production
2. Wholesale Platform & Trade Show Presence
RDG Concessions
(Business-to-Business)
We designed RDG Concessions' wholesale website and trade show experience to reach buyers who had never set foot in one of their stores.
Deliverables:
Wholesale Website Design & Development
Visual Identity System
Logo Refinement
Vehicle Wrap
24-Page Product Lookbook
Trade Show Environmental Graphics
Print Collateral
3. Targeted Influencer Campaign
RDG Concessions
(Influencer Outreach)
We created a custom marketing kit targeting a single high-value influencer, a one-shot opportunity with a tight deadline.
Deliverables:
Visual Identity System
Custom Packaging Design
Personalized Letterhead
Video Production
Product Curation
The Process
1. DISCOVER: WHAT DO AUDIENCES NEED?
Research & Stakeholder Interviews
Through a Narrative Discovery Workshop with RDG Concessions’ store staff and leadership, a clear picture emerged.
POTG’s core customer was female, late 30s to 65, college educated and savvy. She compared prices on her phone while standing in the store. She traveled to Asia, Dubai and Europe for pleasure. She bought for herself first and purchased gifts second. She was loyal, reflected in the 20 to 30% of repeat visitors, some of whom returned monthly.
KEY FINDING
Every audience segment had a different goal and mindset.
The vacation traveler was seeking a deal. The business traveler was in a hurry. The Asia-bound repeat customer was deliberate, seeking specific items. The last-minute problem solver was stressed. The wholesale buyer was calculating profit margins.
Each needed a different story. Our job was to find the through-line.
2. DEFINE: SYNTHESIZING INSIGHTS
Personas & Narrative Frame
Five audience personas reflected RDG Concessions’ customers across the consumer (Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear) and wholesale sides of the business.
Each captured specific emotional and practical needs.
Audience Personas
-
Elena
SAVVY VACATION TRAVELER
The core POTG customer. Female, late 30s to 65, college educated and loyal. Travels to Asia, Dubai and Europe for pleasure. Compares prices on her phone. Her question: Is this good quality at an affordable price? -
Justine
PURPOSEFUL BUSINESS TRAVELER
Represents female professionals at Terminal 2. Time-pressed, she knows what she needs before she walks in. Expects quality products and excellent service. Her question: Does this meet my needs quickly so I can keep moving? -
Kenny
ASIA-BOUND REPEAT CUSTOMER
Represents loyal international customers who return regularly. Shops knowing the same products cost much more in Asia. Buys clothing and gifts in smaller sizes. His question: Is my size still in stock, and what gifts can I purchase? -
Amber
CRISIS SHOPPER
Represents impulse buyers solving an unexpected travel problem. Her luggage broke, the weather changed, or a last-minute purchase caught her eye. Her question: I didn't plan for this, but can you fix it before I board? -
Ruben
WHOLESALE BUYER
Represents B2B buyers in high-rent environments where profit margins drive every decision. Needs products with a proven track record in airport retail. His question: Can I trust this product to meet my sales goals?
Secondary Audience Personas
Three secondary audiences also emerged through our research.
SFO’s Airport Employees . Represents the airport’s 30,000+ employees with high purchase frequency especially for products like the 3-layer jacket that can withstand the terminal’s shifting temperatures.
Military Travelers. Represents 15% of store visitors. A distinct occupational segment with their own purchase needs and patterns.
New Online Shoppers. Represents those planning a trip from home, searching for proven travel gear and making purchases based on product reputation rather than in-store experience.
3. DEVELOP: MESSAGING ARCHITECTURE
Core Narrative, Tagline & Narrative Pillars
We crafted the core narrative around a single competitive advantage: POTG’s products were designed specifically for the airport traveler & tested in real airport environments.
POTG’s staff were experts at solving travelers’ problems in person at the gate. And few competitors could match their no-questions-asked satisfaction guarantee. It was a promise to shoppers and wholesale buyers.
Through brainstorming and prototyping, we presented the strongest concepts to RDG Concessions’ leadership and refined each deliverable based on their feedback and audience needs.
TAGLINE
Stylish Products Designed for the Savvy Global Traveler
and the abbreviated version “Designed for the Savvy Global Traveler.”
NARRATIVE PILLARS
Smartly Designed, Traveler Tested
Custom Designed for Your Trip
Custom Designed for the Traveler
We crafted these supporting narrative pillars to use across marketing channels and social media. To bring them to life we designed icons inspired by vintage freight stamps.
4. DELIVER: VISUAL IDENTITY & DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Strategy and Design Working Together
We updated the logos for RDG Concessions and Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear and designed a completely new visual identity system.
The new ecommerce websites integrated with inventory tracking. In-store signage, iconography and photography announced the refreshed brand.
The new POTG ecommerce site and social media campaigns invited customers to connect and shop online. The RDG Concessions wholesale website gave buyers a professional portal to order in bulk. Trade show booths and print collateral put RDG Concessions on an international stage alongside established global brands.
THE RESULT
1000%
Web Traffic Increase
80%
Increase in Sales
$3.5M
to $6.3M
Growth in 18 Months
“Her work helped us tell our story with clarity and confidence, attract new customers and expand into additional store locations.”
— Carlton Gill, Chief Financial Officer at RDG Concessions
I. Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear (POTG) — Direct to Consumer
Consumer Brand & Ecommerce
We built the consumer story around POTG’s custom-designed, multi-color travel products and paired them across every channel with imagery of iconic destinations from the Egyptian pyramids to Shanghai's gleaming Pudong skyline.
In-store promotions encouraged visitors to follow POTG on social media or join the email list before leaving the terminal. Discounts and prize giveaways across both channels kept customers engaged. The relationship no longer ended at the gate.
II. RDG Concessions — Targeted Influencer Campaign
Hello Steve Harvey!
When Ralph Glenn learned media personality Steve Harvey would be speaking at a national conference Ralph was attending, we had a few short weeks to make an impression.
The result was a striking package: POTG travel gear samples in a branded orange suitcase, custom letterhead and a personal note from founder Ralph Glenn and a USB luggage tag with a personalized video greeting.
Steve Harvey canceled at the last minute. The meeting never happened. But the kit demonstrated what targeted influencer outreach could look like and established a template for future campaigns.
RDG Concessions’ Iconography
We designed these vintage freight stamps that feature the narrative pillars and the spirit of global travel.
-
Icon
RDG Freight Stamp
-
Icon
RDG Freight Stamp
-
Icon
RDG Freight Stamp
-
Illustration
Blue Crowns
-
Illustration
White Crowns
-
Illustration
Muted Grey Crowns
III. RDG Concessions – Wholesale Business
Ecommerce Website & Trade Show Presence
For the wholesale platform we built the narrative around the parent company RDG Concessions. We focused on the time-tested products, expertise and partnership the parent company offered.
Owner Ralph Glenn’s 30 years in airport retail and 15 years operating Pacific Outfitters Travel Gear’s six stores meant that RDG Concessions understood the high-rent, high-volume demands of the industry in a way most wholesalers did not.
This messaging adorned the U.S. and Canadian trade show booths, as well as a 24-page product lookbook, and print collateral.
PROJECT TAKEAWAYS
RDG Concessions and POTG had 15 years of expertise designing and testing products for the airport traveler. We told that story across every channel and audience.
Every customer needed a different message. We wrote one narrative that spoke to all of them, from the vacation traveler hunting for a deal to the wholesale buyer calculating margins.
Then we gave them a reason to stay connected: in-store promotions & social media contests converted airport foot traffic into loyal online fans, beyond the terminal.
PROJECT TEAM
Creative Director & Photo Producer: Adele Berry
Design Director: Deb Harrison
Lead Photographer & Film Producer: Ted Thomas
Photo Assistant, 2nd Shooter & Film Producer: Josh Harding
Photo Assistant & 3rd Shooter: Dominic Egan
On-Figure Photo Retoucher: Jeff Fiterman
Fashion Stylist: Jenna Drobnick
Product Stylist: Tracy Blanks
Assistant Stylist: Elena Craig
Hair & Make-up: Inna Matthews
Modeling Agencies: J.E. Models & Look Model Agency
Models: Anthony Barnett, Hannah Fugazzi
Web Developer: Michael Paul
Social Media Content Manager: Emphatic