Interview with Reef marketing director –P.J. Conell

By: Mario Dillanes
Translation: Heido Sundstrom

Planeta Surf: How was Reef born?
P.J. Connell: Reef was the brainchild of two Argentinean brothers, Fernando and Santiago Aguerre, who had the vision of marketing sandals that represented a healthy lifestyle while, at the same time, offering good-quality, resistant sandals. They also wanted to find a way to be able to live the surf lifestyle, as they’re both passionate about surfing.
In 1984, they moved to San Diego, CA to continue living the dream of surfing every day (since that wasn’t possible in their native Argentina), and also to market their brand in the surf “mecca” that is California. Back then, the brand was called Reef Brazil because they fabricated their sandals there at first. Soon, their efforts began to pay off and before long Reef became the brand for surfing in California and worldwide.

PS: What does Reef represent as a brand?
PJC: Reef is a surf brand that represents a healthy lifestyle based on surfing and inspired by the natural beauties of South America. Its products are now sold in more than 100 countries around the world and Reef also sponsors events like surf contests, motocross events, snowboarding, etc.
Since they got their start, the Aguerre brothers have always sought to project their passion for the waves (and for the ocean) as an inspirational surf brand that represents what many people in the city are searching for: beaches, sun, bikinis and a healthy lifestyle.

PS: What are Reef’s plans for Mexico?
PJC: For 2013, Reef is coming with everything. We’re here to offer our quality products to the Mexican market, which the surfing industry sees as a “sleeping giant” and on the verge of exploding. We believe that Mexico has everything to be a very interesting market that we know already exists here. Our plans are to help it grow and become one of the favorite brands of Mexicans, offering quality products at a good price. We came to stay and become a part of this great surf community that’s showing promising growth. Reef will also have their own offices in Mexico, as opposed to using distributors like we did in the past. Starting this year, Reef Mexico will have its own team that will work closely and receive support and guidance from our San Diego corporate offices.
We’re confident that we’ll see some great results for Reef in Mexico.

PS: Is there any special strategy for Mexico?
PJC: We came with the purpose of making Mexico a huge market for the brand and believe that it’s everyone’s job to make more Mexicans head to the beach. Mexico has everything to accommodate more surfers in the water: incredible waves, warm water and organization as a sport.
We also plan to support Mexican surfers and Reef will have its own Surf Team for Mexico. We already have Jimena Ochoa, Jose Manuel “Yuco” Trujillo and Angelo Lozano, and we’ll be constantly keeping our eyes out for new talent. We also plan to organize and develop top quality surf contests, like the Reef/ALAS Classic Mexico that will be held in Mazatlan, Sinaloa on June 5th – 9th, which will be giving away $155,000 USD in prizes that will include a “Miss Reef” competition. We’re going to support the community and are looking to get involved in projects that will benefit everyone in the Mexican surf community.
To help us get the word out about our new plans, we had a big media launch in Mexico City this past February 20, 2013.

PS: Tell us about Reef’s ecological side...
PJC: For Reef, it’s one of our highest priorities to promote a more ecological attitude and to promote the care and protection of the oceans. We use recycled paper for our calendars, as well as recycled material to make a large majority of our products. We hope to get involved in actions like beach cleanups and protection, and the care of Mexican beaches in general.

PS: What makes Reef different than other surf brands?
PJC: That we’re 100% authentic. We live this lifestyle and everyone, from the CEO on down to the people that help with maintenance, practices surfing and that’s what’s reflected in our products—our passion for the waves.

PS: Any shout-outs to the Mexican surf community?
PJC: Whenever I come to Mexico, I always have a great time and honestly, the community here is incredible. I’ve always felt super welcome when I come and I hope to get the chance to surf more frequently in Mexico. I know a few spots, but there’s still a lot to discover; I feel like I’ve just barely scratched the surface.