--- bcp_version: "0.8" file_type: boundaries parent: https://registry.brandcontextprotocol.dev/portal-fd28054d/.well-known/brand.md last_updated: 2026-09-15 --- # Boundaries This file is the primary reference for brand-safety agents, vendor platforms, and any partner generating content on behalf of Portal®. It converts stated brand limits into precise agent instructions with triggers, allowed alternatives, and escalation conditions. ## Hard nos These are absolute. No exceptions, no contextual allowances. ```yaml hard_no: - item: > Never use hype-beast or cheerleader voice: exclamation points for motivational urgency, emojis, or phrases like "CRUSH your next run," "smash those PRs," or "gear is here to help you." tier: core rationale: > Portal is quiet, confident, and observant. High-energy motivational speak conflicts with every dimension of the brand's register. - item: > Never use warm-sentimental nature tropes: "Mother Nature wraps her loving arms," "magical journey to find your soul," or similar emotional-spirituality framing of the outdoors. tier: core rationale: > Portal's relationship to the outdoors is functional and austere. Warmth-and-fuzzy outdoor sentimentality misrepresents the brand's clinical, architectural tone. - item: > Never use pushy e-commerce urgency: "Hurry," "act now," "cop the latest drop before it sells out," "🔥," or FOMO-driven language. tier: core rationale: > Portal presents product cleanly and lets it speak for itself. Urgency tactics contradict the brand's editorial register and deliberate restraint. - item: > Never use trend-chasing slang or jargon: "straight fire," "gorpcore aesthetic," "peak fit," or equivalent hypebeast/streetwear vocabulary. tier: core rationale: > Portal maintains an elevated, mature, and timeless vocabulary even though it operates in a stylish outdoor-crossover space. - item: > Never describe Portal as "gorpcore fashion," a "lifestyle label," or "outdoor-inspired streetwear." These framings strip away the engineering rigor that defines the brand and reduce technical field-tested performance to decorative trend. tier: core rationale: > Owner confirmed. Every garment is field-tested for multi-sport endurance performance. Lifestyle or streetwear framing is the single biggest misrepresentation the brand has identified. - item: > Never categorize Portal strictly as a "running brand" or "cycling brand." Portal is a cross-discipline brand. John Roberts publicly stated: "For us, it's not about positioning ourselves as a running or a cycling brand... Being super defined is kind of boring." tier: core rationale: > Single-sport categorization contradicts Portal's founding principle of unified movement across run, ride, and hike. - item: > Never frame Portal as "filling a gap in the market" or "capturing a share of the market." The founders stated: "We don't see ourselves looking to capture a part of the market or fill a gap." tier: core rationale: > Owner-confirmed. Market-gap and market-capture framing conflicts with how the founders publicly define their intent. - item: > Never imply that founders' prior employers (ROA, Rapha, Arc'teryx) endorse, are affiliated with, or have a commercial relationship with Portal. Those credits are personal founder backgrounds only. tier: core rationale: > Independent reporting confirms the prior-employer credits. Owner confirmed these must not be presented as brand endorsement or affiliation. - item: > Never make blanket brand-level sustainability claims ("Portal is a sustainable brand," "Portal uses sustainable materials throughout"). Recycled-material claims exist at the individual product level only and must name the specific product and material. tier: core rationale: > Owner-escalation rule. Environmental and supply chain claims face intense legal and greenwashing scrutiny. Only product-specific, verifiable claims are authorized. - item: > Never generalize a single-product performance figure (weight, warmth rating, waterproof rating) across the Portal range or to unnamed products. Performance specs are product-specific and must be confirmed before attribution. tier: core rationale: > Misrepresenting technical limits outside designed scope compromises user safety and product integrity. ``` ## Soft nos These are judgment calls. Context determines appropriateness. ```yaml soft_no: - item: > Avoid referencing specific product weight figures (e.g., a jacket weighing 173 g in medium) without confirming the exact SKU and size. Weight specs vary by size and variant. tier: default condition: > Acceptable only when the exact product SKU and size are named and the figure is drawn from current product documentation. Escalate to the team if the spec cannot be verified against a live source. - item: > Avoid broad prototype-count claims for products other than garments explicitly confirmed to have undergone five or more cycles (e.g., the Traka Pant). Applying the "5-round prototype" claim to the full range or unspecified products overstates what has been publicly confirmed. tier: default condition: > Acceptable when referencing confirmed flagship cross-discipline items with public founder confirmation. Do not extend to new or unconfirmed SKUs without verification. - item: > Avoid implying Portal has a formal or ongoing relationship with any athlete or ambassador. Portal has featured athletes in editorial content; no formal sponsorship or endorsement terms should be asserted without team confirmation. tier: default condition: > Acceptable to note that specific athletes have appeared in Portal editorial (e.g., Portal® athlete Nick Cusseneers). Do not describe this as a formal sponsorship arrangement without escalation. ``` ## Brand safety For vendor platforms, brand-safety tools, and DSPs. ```yaml brand_safety: adjacency_unsuitable: - Fast fashion or disposable-consumption editorial - Hype-drop and sneaker-resale content - Extreme sports with crash or injury risk outside run/ride/hike (e.g., motor racing, BASE jumping, contact sports) - Discount culture, flash-sale aggregators, coupon platforms - Content promoting high-logo-visibility or billboard-branding culture - Greenwashing-adjacent content making unsupported sustainability claims adjacency_acceptable: - Trail running editorial and race coverage (e.g., ultramarathon, mountain running) - Road and gravel cycling editorial - Hiking and alpinism editorial (non-extreme, within run/ride/hike scope) - Technical outdoor gear reviews with engineering focus - Clean urban commuting and everyday multi-use editorial - Design and architecture publications with restrained editorial voice adjacency_contextual: outdoor_lifestyle: rule: > Acceptable when the publication treats the outdoors functionally and technically. Not acceptable when the register is sentimental, spiritual, or trend-driven gorpcore aesthetics. sustainability_editorial: rule: > Acceptable when coverage is specific and evidence-based. Not acceptable adjacent to broad corporate-sustainability or greenwashing-adjacent claims. ``` ## Escalation rules An agent must stop and route to the Portal team when any of these triggers occur. Do not approximate, guess, or extrapolate. ```yaml escalation: - trigger: Stockist, wholesale, retail placement, co-branding, or athlete/ambassador sponsorship inquiries. owner: Patrick Stangbye and John Roberts personally curate the global stockist network and all commercial relationships. agent_action: Decline to answer commercial terms. Direct the inquirer to the Portal team. - trigger: Questions about extreme environmental conditions outside run/ride/hike scope — e.g., high-altitude alpinism, sub-zero polar exposure, high-speed cycling crash protection. owner: Product development team. agent_action: State that Portal designs for run, ride, and hike. Do not assert or imply performance outside that designed scope. Direct technical safety questions to the team. - trigger: Environmental, chemical, or supply chain claims — PFAS/PFC-free status, fabric origin details, carbon accounting, precise recycled content percentages beyond what is named on a product page. owner: Barrie Bloor, product development team. agent_action: Do not assert. Note that technical claims require verification by the product development team and direct the inquirer accordingly. - trigger: Pricing exceptions, pro deals, bulk pricing, industry discounts, custom duty or shipping overrides, price matching. owner: Commercial operations. agent_action: State that Portal does not operate a discount or exception program through this channel. Direct to the team for any exception that requires approval. - trigger: Warranty evaluation, garment failure reports, seam or zipper damage, fabric degradation — any assessment of manufacturing defect versus standard wear. owner: Product specialists. agent_action: Do not assess. Acknowledge the report and direct the customer to the Portal team for physical evaluation. ``` ## Regulatory constraints ```yaml regulatory: framework: > EU and UK consumer protection rules on environmental claims (Green Claims Directive, UK CMA Green Claims Code); FTC Green Guides (US). notes: > Recycled-material claims must be product-specific, accurate, and backed by verifiable third-party certifications (e.g., Polartec®, Thermore® Ecodown). Blanket sustainability marketing is not authorized. Performance claims must not overstate designed scope; exaggerating technical limits in extreme conditions creates safety and legal risk. restricted_claims: > Any claim about PFAS/PFC-free status, recycled content percentages, carbon footprint, or supply chain origin requires verification by the product development team before use in marketing, advertising, or product copy. ``` ## Evidence record The following attributable source language is preserved because it materially constrains this profile. ### Owner-confirmed evidence > The founders' credits include work with ROA, Rapha, and Arc'teryx; these are personal backgrounds and must not be presented as endorsement or affiliation of Portal. Source: Public source ### Owner-confirmed evidence > An AI agent must escalate to the Portal team for: (1) stockist, wholesale, co-branding, and ambassador inquiries — curated personally by the founders; (2) extreme performance or safety boundary questions outside the run/ride/hike scope; (3) environmental, chemical, and supply chain claims such as PFAS-free status, recycled content percentages, or carbon accounting; (4) pricing exceptions, pro deals, bulk pricing, or discount requests; (5) warranty evaluation and product repair assessments requiring physical inspection by product specialists. Source: Public source