About me
Hi, I'm Rob Penner.
As a 20-year sports, retail & sportswear industry veteran working across multiple countries, continents, and languages, I started Highline to specialize in one thing: helping European sports properties, brands and destinations break into the North American market.
Global understanding, local perspective.
Highline's story
Ski a highline, play a highline, sail a highline. I chose the name Highline because it means you are taking the most elevated, dramatic and usually steepest route down a mountainside face or ridge. The adventure becomes the story.
The Highline brand design features three signature peaks, the Three Sisters, visible from our home base in Bend near Central Oregon’s Cascade Mountains: North, South & Middle Sister.
My background
Head of Sports PR at PUMA. Broadcast relations for the Volvo Ocean Race. VP of PR & Partnerships at e-commerce leader SwimOutlet. Head of Global Communications for Navico Group. Long-time Writer for NBC Olympics.
I’ve spent the past two decades across sport, media and lifestyle.
And, now, I’m applying that experience to deliver results: helping brands gain visibility in the North American market.
What Makes Highline Different
Built on relationships. Driven by results. Easy to work with.
Connected
The relationships are there: in the media, on the slopes, off the pitch, across key North American titles and markets.
Fluent
Category specialties in soccer, sailing, skiing and the outdoors with the proven ability to move across media categories for larger placements: lifestyle, news, business, sports business and television.
In-person
As a consultant, I’ve represented teams, leagues and brands at tradeshows, sales meetings, media events, watch parties, gamedays & more. Sometimes you just need boots on the ground.
Driven
Not measured in activity reports. Measured in ideas, media placements, partnerships activated, and daily marketing support.
Hands-On
We don't hand the work off. We do the work. Roll-up-your-sleeves execution separates Highline from strategy-focused shops.
Personal
Boutique by design. One principal, singular focus on your needs, direct access. You always know who's working on your account.
Work Directly With Rob
Highline is a boutique consultancy with one principal. When you hire us, you know who's doing the work.
Fully-Flexible Scope
A la carte services based on a Scope of Work framework. Ability to bring in creative services, digital marketing expertise and European-based, year-round representation through affiliated consultants and select partners.
On-Site Days
For 6+ months project retainers, clients receive complimentary on-site days for kick-off meetings and events. No outsized day rate charges to worry about.
24-Hour Response time
Fast turnaround on all email and phone communication during office days. Like an in-house employee, not an agency with back-to-back meetings all day.
Easy to Work With.
Rob Penner leads every client engagement directly, out of Bend, Oregon and Alicante, Spain, for easy access to European clients and events.
Over 20 years building brands and telling sport stories on both sides of the Atlantic.
Companies always need extra hands for execution. Highline doesn't just offer strategy. We provide roll-up-your-sleeves communications and marketing work as your boots on the ground in North America.
Rob Penner Founder, Highline Sport