Key lessons and reflections:

The power of authentic brand storytelling:
In my advanced sports marketing class, analyzing Red Bull’s marketing strategy, I personally crowned them the kings of brand and storytelling. This project is almost entirely inspired by the Red Bull case study. It was one of the most fascinating deep dives I did all year, and highlighted how storytelling can elevate a brand beyond its product. Red Bull is a digital “Circus” without a tent, they have captivated spectators and made them feel like participants. They have created new arenas and elevated fringe sports to the mainstream.

Embracing non-linear growth:
My philosophy essay What Do You Know? reinforced that my personal growth has been non-linear, and that failure is a key component both in sport and in my business. Linking this to Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey (2008), I explored how setbacks and struggles often define our paths forward particularly in sport and leadership (Krieg, 2024d). I researched YouTube influencers who had failed miserably only to watch their channels and brand skyrocket post failure. If you can lose but still be authentic people in the digital world might admire you even more. Is this the death of the Hater?

The importance of virtue and purpose:
Stoicism is the ability to focus on controllable elements, adjust one's attitude positively, and accept what lies outside of one's control. Stoicism teaches us to differentiate between what we can and cannot control, emphasizing that the only thing we truly control is our response (Holiday 2014). Presenting in Dr. G’s class this year truly felt like a Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure moment, as I presented parallels between seemingly unrelated figures… icons like Serena Williams with historical leaders such as Abraham Lincoln and Amelia Earhart.  All three who

had surmounted almost inconceivable obstacles (Holiday 2014). Trying to link both the purpose and virtue into a product has been part of the goal.

Building a conscious ethical framework:
My course work in philosophy was at times mentally painful. I don’t think I have been that confused in many years. Just wrapping my head around some of Dr. Stoll’s Ethics and Morals concepts forced me into a critical examination of my past business decisions and highlighted how to build a conscious ethical framework. Stoll (2024) emphasized the need to maintain integrity, especially when it conflicts with the desire to win (Krieg, 2024a). Coming from the manufacturing world this fine line is often overlooked, by both the manufacturing company and the consumer of the product.

Awareness of exploitative systems:
Exploring topics like “sportswashing” (Ganji, 2022) and Undercover Kenya (Draper, 2024) helped me understand how global sports can be complicit in exploitative systems. These cases challenged me to think about ethics, power, and responsibility in the international sporting arena (Krieg, 2024e), this circles back to Stoll (2024) and the need to maintain integrity.

Authentic sustainability:
In my Eco-Façade paper, I critiqued greenwashing practices within the outdoor industry (Wasserman, 2019), calling for honest authenticity in sustainability claims. I am literally calling out Patagonia and every outdoor brand with that statement. When everything is made from oil, how can the outdoor industry truly claim a moral high ground? (Krieg, 2024b). The hypocrisy is real again with the companies and the consumers.

The significance of genuine community in branding:
Attending the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational as an assistant cross-country coach taught me the importance of community and brand. The event’s environment where the Notre Dame’s campus itself was the brand (Krieg, 2024c).

Protecting a brand’s unique expression:
The Grondin v. Fanatics, Inc. case (Justia Law, 2024) illustrated how copyright law protects the unique expression of a brand, not just the idea. This case was about copyrighting frozen water in a hockey puck. This has direct implications for NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) athletes and future branding conflicts (Krieg, 2025). I predict millions will be made by copyright lawyers as these mistakes pile up. Copyright law is so easy to get on the wrong side of in the digital world.

Focusing on stories and people:
Perhaps the most important shift during my master’s program that I didn’t expect has been moving beyond product-focused thinking to valuing the people and stories behind them. The Klava project is all about the stories. It’s really been a great year to think about leadership and branding. Two things I have never had the luxury to step back and try and wrap my head around. This theme started to emerge to me during my coursework and class presentations, fundamentally shifting my perspective after over two decades of focusing primarily on the product at Krieg Climbing…Now my approach feels different, centered on the people, purpose, and stories behind the brand, rather than just the product itself.

The Klava brand is an attempt to be a reflection of everything I’ve learned during my master’s program. Klava aims to be a storytelling platform threading together athletes, artists, nonprofits, and everyday users in a shared narrative. This brand isn’t just about fabric, it’s about helping others tell their story, while staying true to my emerging one.

References

Campbell, J. (2008). The hero with a thousand faces (3rd ed.). New World Library.

Draper, R. (2024, July 28). Revealed: How a Kenyan runner turned undercover agent to lift the lid on dopers. The Guardian.

Ganji, S. K. (2022, November). How Qatar became a world leader in sportswashing. Journal of Democracy.

Holiday, R. (2014). THE OBSTACLE IS THE WAY: The timeless art of overcoming obstacles. Penguin Books.

Justia Law. (2024, December 27). Grondin v. Fanatics, Inc. United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Krieg, S. D. (2024a). Ethical decision making (HPSS 6615 Paper #3). Idaho State University.

Krieg, S. D. (2024b). Eco-façade: Patagonia’s poly-hypocrisy blend on petroleum policy (HPSS 6615 Article Review #7). Idaho State University.

Krieg, S. D. (2024c). NDameMarketingexperienceFINAL (HPSS 6640 Customer Service Audit). Idaho State University.

Krieg, S. D. (2024d). SAMKRIEG WHAT I KNOW (HPSS 6615 Paper #2). Idaho State University.

Krieg, S. D. (2024e). SPORTSWASHING (HPSS 6615 Article Review #2). Idaho State University.

Krieg, S. D. (2024f). Voices of female athletes (HPSS 6615 Article Review #4). Idaho State University.

Krieg, S. D. (2025). Grondin v. Fanatics, Inc. (Case Brief #1). Idaho State University.

Lopiano, D. (2024, January 17). Listen to the voices of female athletes. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com

Quilt.AI. (2021, October 29). Insights into brands using extreme adventure as a marketing tool. https://www.quilt.ai

Stoll, S. (2024). HPSS 6615 Ethics and Morals [Lecture notes]. Idaho State University.

Wasserman, C. (2019, April 15). Patagonia’s poly-hypocrisy blend on petroleum policy. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com