2022 ThinkNW Marketing All-Star: Vivienne Long, Chief Marketing Officer at REI

We are pleased to announce the 2022 class of ThinkNW Marketing All-Stars, a peer-nominated award recognizing excellence in marketing in the region. Our goal is to shine a light on the people driving growth in the industry and contributing to the regional brand and marketing ecosystem.

We reached out to our honorees to learn more about their work, lives, and what the Pacific Northwest means to them. Here’s what Vivienne Long, Chief Marketing Officer of REI, had to say:

How long have you been in your current role?

I have had the pleasure of leading the REI Marketing team for 3.5 years, and I have been Chief Marketing Officer for the past year.

What do you value most in your work in this role, and what do you consider your biggest accomplishment in your current role?

I value the opportunity to work in an organization that delivers on a quadruple bottom line. We are a different kind of company, and we hold ourselves to a higher standard while delivering positive impact across our employees, business, members, and society. I am most proud of REI’s commitment and actions taken to grow to a 50-million-member community, which in turn can advocate and steward the outdoors for the next generation.

What do you like to do outside of your work?

I love to hike and kayak. I also serve on the Board of Directors for NatureBridge, a nonprofit that helps connect young people to the wonder and science of nature, and I teach an innovation class at the University of Washington’s Foster Business School.

What impact does the Pacific Northwest have on your work?

In many ways, REI’s values are deeply rooted in its Pacific Northwest origins. The co-op is focused on preserving nature and the outdoors, encouraging people to spend time outside in many different ways, protecting green spaces, building sustainable practices, and giving back to its community.

How would you characterize the Pacific Northwest marketing/creative community? In your mind, what makes it unique?

The Pacific Northwest marketing and creative community is highly diverse, highly collaborative, non-traditional, and entrepreneurial. The diversity is a result of many different perspectives, traditions, and backgrounds working together with freedom and the ability to draw from the best of nature, digital formats, technology, and art.