Fall - InsideOutdoor Magazine

More documents

Recommendations

Info

How familiar are you with the following fabric brands? Gore-Tex Lycra CORDURA CoolMax Kevlar Teflon Re-Dura I have never heard of this brand 1.02% 2.04% 4.08% 1.02% 2.04% 1.02% 44.90% I have heard of the name but don’t know anything about it 0.00% 4.08% 4.08% 5.10% 3.06% 3.06% 30.61% I have heard the name and know a little about it 7.14% 18.37% 19.39% 24.49% 31.63% 36.73% 14.29% I have heard the name and am very familiar with it 91.84% 75.51% 72.45% 69.39% 63.27% 59.18% 10.20% Source: CORDURA; Inside Outdoor and integrity that provides the customer with some basis for making a judgment. This makes things more comfortable for both customer and retailer. Today’s customers, however, search and seek out. They have all sorts of social and testimonial information at their fingertips, and usage rates suggest they’re digesting it. In many cases, consumers walk into a store with more powerful information tools in the palms of their hands than many stores have on the entire showroom floor. In turn, marketers of end-use products and their retailers have an ever-growing number of ways to spread their buzz and build credibility. Few today can afford to wait until the customer is in the store. As Kurt Gray of Simply Gray Designs recently wrote in Textile Insights magazine, “Social media, customer reviews and the ubiquitous star review system mean more to today’s consumer than science does.” It’s a bet that Columbia Sportswear apparently is willing to make. When the company announced its purchase of waterproof/breathable brand OutDry in August of 2010 – part of its strategy to differentiate through in-house proprietary technology rather than relying on third-party innovation – Columbia How important is it that the packs you carry in your store are made from branded components? Very Important 10.20% Somewhat Important 37.76% Neither Important nor Unimportant 39.80% Somewhat Unimportant 7.14% Very Unimportant 5.10% How important is it that the packs you carry in your store are made from a recognized brand? Very Important 35.71% Somewhat Important 44.90% Neither Important nor Unimportant 11.22% Somewhat Unimportant 5.10% Very Unimportant 3.06% Source: CORDURA; Inside Outdoor cited extensive research that suggested outdoor consumers preferred simplicity over technical data when making apparel decisions. In the end, outdoor consumers simply want their gear to work, regardless of what’s in it, and if an apparel company can deliver on that promise, it didn’t matter so much what was in the details. So while users recreating in more extreme conditions likely will continue to require the assurance of extensive lab testing and the sciencebased backgrounds of fabrication specialists, more mainstream users might be satisfied with the reputation of a product manufacturer or retailer with whom they have established some relationship. “Everyone wants benefits and reputations, not number and graphs,” Gray continues. Likewise, marketers of all types of technology must come to grips with changes in the way technology itself is perceived. To those of us who were born prior to the recent age of rapid consumer technological advancement, technology is seen as nothing short of a game changer. It has simplified tasks and obsoleted business models. To younger folks, it’s just always been there; in any product or service that must “perform,” the existence of science and technology is assumed. Think of it this way: to Millennials and those younger, developments such as automation, touch-screens, IP and mobility are no more seen as “technology” as radio and TV is seen as technology by Generation X. Technology, in and of itself, is not so impressive any more, and it’s possible that friends, fans and experiential recommendations could become more influential than the science behind a familiar, branded component. Columbia Sportswear’s sourcing strategy, however, also has lots to do with its ongoing global conquest. To a company such as Columbia, for which sales growth in Europe and Asia is dwarfing domestic growth and product is manufactured, warehoused and sold on multiple continents, eliminating third-party components helps to streamline logistics and manage cost structures. Few vendors in the outdoor industry have the market share and capital to internally control textiles and treatments, but Columbia is not the only company that has re-considered component branding. A few years back, GE made a 180-degree turn with regard to the marketing of its eVent brand of breathable waterproof performance fabrics. Replacing the bright orange trade show booths and GE’s massive brand equity was a new focus away from the fabric as an ingredient brand. GE announced that it was going to allow partners to re-brand eVent as their own and utilize it in a variety of applications and price-points. Initially launched as a stand-alone, consumer-facing brand, eVent’s new focus was better aligned with the GE master brand strategy, said the company, and allowed it to direct more spending on research and innovation. Some industry observers, however, suggested the move was an admitted defeat to Gore’s dominance or possibly was a workaround for vendors that were 16 | <strong>InsideOutdoor</strong> | <strong>Fall</strong> 2011
When Extreme Performance Matters © 3M 2011. All Rights Reserved. Scott Markewitz Photography, Inc. Look for the Platinum Tag When your outerwear carries the 3M Thinsulate Platinum Insulation tag, consumers know: this outdoor gear is built for serious action. The Platinum tag is the new face of high-end 3M Thinsulate Platinum Insulation. It differentiates technically advanced Thinsulate Platinum insulation in performance outerwear from everyday applications, and sets your apparel apart. 3M Thinsulate Insulation is the brand people trust for warmth. No other insulation delivers more name recognition or a broader range of product options. Now, Platinum merchandising puts premium outerwear in a class of its own, for a distinct point-of-sale advantage. Visit thinsulate.com for more information. Become a fan at Facebook.com/thinsulate.
Page 1 and 2: Fall 2011 www.insideoutdoor.com WAT
Page 3 and 4: A layered approach to comfort and d
Page 5 and 6: • Anti-Snow Pack Plate • Durabl
Page 7 and 8: REACHING NEW CUSTOMERS shouldn’t
Page 9 and 10: Permanent, temperature-regulating f
Page 11 and 12: Confidence. Delivered. Scent? Meet
Page 13 and 14: efforts by his daughter Brooke Turn
Page 18 and 19: ing an Earnout r Consideration •
Page 20 and 21: On Spec and In Stock Outdoor compon
Page 22: the CORDURA brand portfolio has a f
Page 25 and 26: Photographers Guild. “Most membra
Page 28: future, including developing a harm
Page 31 and 32: 2011 Holiday Outlook & Gift Guide H
Page 33 and 34: Every YEAR SINCE IF IT RENEWS YOUR
Page 35 and 36: Eureka Warrior 230 Lantern Sure to
Page 37 and 38: National Ski Patrol Cookbook Satisf
Page 39 and 40: and in-ear canal models. The headph
Page 41 and 42: Back Office (or factor) at a discou
Page 43 and 44: Back Office whether the target or a
Page 46 and 47: Back Office merchant and charges a
Page 48: 222 days of drizzle 6 hail storms 2

Fall - InsideOutdoor Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?