A look at the new GoPro HERO 4 with the team behind the launch

With HERO 4, GoPro quality even better

By Ken Lewis  

1:54 p.m. Oct. 13, 2014

Rick Loughery, director of global media relations, Todd Ballard, director of global sports marketing and Jeff Youel, director of software engineering (left to right) hold various versions of the new GoPro Hero 4. Rick Nocon

It has been an important couple of weeks for the San Diego offices of GoPro. I made a visit this past week while they were knee deep in the launch of the brand’s newest release: The GoPro HERO 4.
How does a company improve on a camera that has already taken the world by storm? Better quality, better price points and, most of all, killer new features were what I found when I got the tutorial from PR director Rick Loughery.
New features include the HiLight system, which allows you to tag key moments in your footage for easy retrieval while editing, plus a built-in LCD touchscreen (Silver edition only) for easy viewing and scrolling, and finally, the long-awaited 4K video at 30 FPS (Black edition only). GoPro also made an introductory model, simply called the “HERO,” which has 1080 video capabilities for $129.99 and is great news for the millions of kids (and parents) who will have a GoPro camera on their Christmas wish lists.


Cardiff
What quickly impressed me was how San Diego has played such an important role in the global release of the GoPro HERO 4. All the new software, sports marketing and PR is based out of the North County office in Cardiff, which is interesting because the company’s main campus is about an eight-hour drive north in San Mateo.

While GoPro has always had a few employees based in San Diego, the company increased that number significantly a couple of years ago when it bought Cineform Studios for its software components and online editing system, which is now simply called “GoPro Studios.” The Cardiff office is also the hub for the sports marketing rollout, which was orchestrated with deadly accuracy. It was no mistake that all schedules were planned, in some instances down to the minute. The print, Web, athlete, social media, in-store promotional campaigns and pretty much anything else you have seen come across your Instagram or Facebook feeds all started with a roundtable meeting in this office.


Living the Dream
I met with San Diego native Todd Ballard, director of global sports marketing, and Jeff Youel, director of software engineering, to discuss the culture and people behind the brand. I was quickly aware of how hard the employees work toward their goals and how happy they are to be doing it. There is a real sense of pride that comes out of these offices and it’s one that is genuine and appreciated. Ballard and Youel talked about how that comes from the top down from the ever-smiling and energetic CEO and founder, Nick Woodman.

While on the rooftop meeting area, Ballard and I discussed the company’s 130 athletes and how they are a large part of the marketing rollout and are truly living the dream. I couldn’t help but realize that that ideal is exactly what people are hoping for when they set out to use this product. They want to share their version of “the dream.” Ballard said the company’s most important marketing outlet is “our consumers, hands down. Their sharing of videos is more important than anything we can dream up.”

Isn’t that the truth? Thank goodness for GoPro giving us the chance to show the world how our cats chase lasers or gazelles ram us on our bikes in Africa. I know my life is way better because of this little camera. How about you?

The GoPro Dummy Mount

GoPro mouth mount making waves

By Ken Lewis  

6 a.m.Aug. 30, 2014

Byron Rohrer is the inventor of Dummy Mount, a simple Mouth Mount solution to carry your GoPro Camera between your teeth. — Rick Nocon

Do you own a GoPro Hero 3? You know the one. It’s the little hi-definition camera that is the world’s best-selling camera. San Diego surfer Byron Rohrer has one, and after using it and finding that the accessories available to him didn’t meet his needs, he created the world’s first mouth mount for the device. The creation, called the Dummy Mount, is a molded mouthpiece made of soft silicone and rubber that the user can easily breathe through and film their favorite activity hands-free.
Every idea starts somewhere, and for Rohrer that moment came in early 2014 when he suffered a knee injury. During the recovery, he started tinkering in his garage, fabricating prototypes for a mouth-mounted accessory that would fit his GoPro camera. He wanted something that he could use and keep his hands free to push up on his surfboard. Eventually, it all clicked, and the breathable mouthpiece mount was ready for research and development.

Byron Rohrer is the inventor of Dummy Mount, a simple Mouth Mount solution to carry your GoPro Camera between your teeth. — Rick Nocon 

 

The little item with the funny name is making its debut to the public after months of R&D and grass roots marketing. I asked Rohrer how the name came about and the bushy-haired surfer said, “When I was first using the prototype, my buddies would give me a hard time saying that it looked like I had a baby pacifier in my mouth. On my trips to New Zealand I remembered that the Kiwis called pacifiers dummies, so right then and there I knew I had my name.”

I also asked what the response was like when he first used it in public, and with a smile Rohrer said, “Everyday, 15 people would paddle up to me and ask what it was and where they could buy one. It turns out many other people have GoPro cameras and share the same frustrations.” With that bit of inspiration, Rohrer rolled the dice, got a loan and decided to quit his dead-end job and make a fresh start. Within the week, he filed for a patent and started on the fast track to producing the world’s first breathable mouth mount for the GoPro camera.

After Roher got his production samples, he knew he needed to get some backing from professionals. The tenacious Rohrer booked himself a flight to Fiji at the same time as an ASP world-tour surf event, chartered a boat and paddled into the Cloudbreak lineup with his invention. He knew he had to make his own luck.

Right away, the pros were asking him the same question as the kids back in Pacific Beach, “What is it?” and “Where do I get one?” Rohrer passed out his samples and explained the device to top pros Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson and many others. The positive feedback was immediate, and it didn’t stop in the surf. The demand for the Dummy Mount has grown outside of water sports, finding traction in tennis, golf, fishing and biking. These are a few other sports that are discovering the little accessory with the unforgettable name, what would you use it for?

If you would like to learn more about the Dummy Mount visit their website dummymount.com and their Facebook page facebook.com/dummymount

You can find all my articles over at www.discoversd.com