Startup Playbook: Porcupine Media

by Doria Maselli

As I rush into my meeting with Miguel Pineda, Director of Operations at Porcupine Media, I’m already running late and then smack into a construction detour. Miguel greets me warmly as I apologize, welcoming me into the space. Instead of four blank walls, these walls are decorated with colorful record album covers. There are no cubicles in sight, but a comfortable couch sits in the center of the main office and a drum set in the corner. I instantly relax and feel at ease, at home almost. And one thing is clear: This isn’t your typical 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. suit-wearing environment. Creativity lives here.

And in fact, the team at Porcupine has known each other for years, much of that in Olympia’s artist community – through acting, playing music and film production, the crew has been acquainted for some time through their creative endeavors. Porcupine Media creates commercial video and proprietary content. “Video production is the bread and butter of what we do,” says Pineda. I come from a background of working for non-profits, particularly leading workshops and trainings on volunteer engagement. I realized that video is a highly effective medium to communicate messages to your audience, and that’s how Porcupine was born.” Other services they provide include event coverage, content consultation, live-streaming and podcast production.

Porcupine creates content for a variety of organizations in Thurston County and beyond. Clients like the South Sound YMCA have utilized their streamlined and creative approach for making promotional videos. They’ve worked with Interfaith Works on Lean In Olympia, a live stream show on Interfaith Work’s Facebook page every other Tuesday. “Live streaming is something that a lot of our clients have started using that can be highly effective,” says Pineda. “Organizations can start conversations about their mission or issues and topics that need to be addressed, and then the content can be recorded, allowing them to lead the conversation and engage others.”

The Olympia Furniture & Sleep Co. has gained national attention at industry trade shows with the creative advertising that Porcupine imagined and produced. “We live stream a lot of their content, and in one segment titled “Where is Eddie?” we take their employee Eddie to different locations in Olympia in an Olympia Furniture recliner and have viewers guess the location, it’s a lot of fun and has generated a lot of attention,” says Pineda. “We take a unique approach to storytelling and a lot of our clients allow us to think outside the box and use a fun and comedic approach to engaging and connecting with the audience.”

This creative way of connecting transfers over to some of Porcupines other projects, including Night Quill Sessions. The Night Quill Sessions are a series of weekly live-streamed events every Thursday at 8:00 p.m. featuring musicians and comedians performing a set for a small studio audience. The program is available on Twitch. “Live streaming is here to stay, and we’re excited about projects like this that allow us to use our expertise while also giving exposure to artists and musicians,” says Pineda.