Branding at the Confluence of Heritage and Innovation
How does a century-old canoe maker adapt to a hi-tech marketplace without losing its identity? That’s the topic of our next Collective Conscience on Monday, October 25 (6 p.m. Pacific, 9 p.m. Eastern).
More than 100 years ago, inspired by the birchbark canoes hand-made by the Penobscot Nation, an entrepreneur named A.E. Wicket built his first wood-and-canvas canoe behind Gray’s Hardware Store in Old Town, Maine. The year was 1898.
Wood and canvas proved a durable, low-maintenance alternative to birchbark, and Gray’s and Wickett’s canoes were instantly popular. The hot commodity turned into a company that incorporated in 1903 as Old Town Canoe.