Outdoor Retailer - Winter 2018 - 16

THE PULSE
AFFINITY IS ONE OF THOSE ESOTERIC, SOFT/FUZZYTERMS THAT
BRAND PEOPLE USE AS AWAYTO
MAKE THE INTANGIBLE TANGIBLE.

MARKETING

Wear It Well

When it comes to building a brand that creates real affinity,
ask this: Does my shop pass the t-shirt test? by Mike Geraci
FORALLTHEACCOLADESAND FAWNING OVER
Amazon.com, you'd think you would see more
people rocking Amazon.com logo-ed t-shirts
or hoodies. But you don't and you won't.
That's because Amazon.com's value to and
relationship with the customer is based on its
utility. Amazon.com is a utility for consumption-a very large, smart, and efficient one-
that makes buying things easier. Utility is boring-valuable, but cold and boring. Having
a big Amazon.com logo front and center on
a t-shirt is akin to screaming, "I efff-ing love
shopping at Amazon.com!" And, let's be honest, nobody eff-ing loves it that much. Granted,
every retail store is a consumption utility. But
the opportunity for differentiation is to build
passion into that utility, to build brand affinity.
Affinity is one of those esoteric, soft/fuzzy
terms that brand people use as a way to make
the intangible tangible. It arises at the intersection of a culture and a customer, when a customer believes that an organization's ethos endorses and champions the values the customer
prizes. For specialty retail, that's empowering
wild, independent, outdoor adventure.
Affinity gets your logo on a t-shirt. Your t-

16 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ Winter 2018

shirt pile is most likely populated with logos
of bands, sports teams, and politicians. These
things engender profound, emotional reactions, unlike banks, law firms, or appliance
manufacturers. Wearing these logos in public is
the yin and yang of affinity-both a declaration
of passion and independence as well as a signal
of allegiance to a specific tribe. It is the primal scream of a wild streak that has to remain
cloaked in a suit and tie for most of the week.
So, what builds affinity?
Acute Clarity on Position in the Market If
you're everything to everybody, you're nothing
to anybody. If you are wild, independent, outdoor adventure, be it. Don't also be athleisure,
or sporting goods, or patio furniture. Own it,
unapologetically. Be more by being less.
Have an Opinion Be clear and consistent
on what is good in the world and what is bad.
Be a champion for the good, fight back against
the bad. You will gain more fans and customers than you will alienate, and they will reward
you for your activism.
Quality Not Quantity In branding, everything matters. From logo design to materials.
If you're shop is supposed to represent qual-

ity and performance, your marketing collateral needs to also represent that, meaning no
50/50 cotton/poly t-shirts.
Serve First, Then Sell This is a Daniel
Pink-ism. It's not about you. The idea is to first
be a problem finder before you are a problem
solver. Ultimately, this is why people pay a premium price for even the most commodified
goods. The good vibes and positive reaction
generate increased sales.
Reward your Best Customers Fourteen
years ago, the owner of Teton Cycleworks in
Wyoming gave me a custom merino wool jersey with the shop's logo on it in recognition of
my loyalty to them over the years. I still wear
that jersey, and I still get comments from everyone who sees it.
Celebrate the Community As the area's
authority of wild, independent outdoor adventure, you should recognize the adventure
milestones of your customers. This can be as
simple as Instagram likes and reposts and as
complex as using customer's stories and content in your marketing (see page 12).
Provide Access To experts, inspiration,
and innovation. Provide a layer of access and
context to the customer experience that the
manufacturers, and Amazon, can't.
Finally and perhaps most important, remember this: Treat t-shirts and hoodies as a
marketing cost, not a profit center. Customers
who wear your logo on a t-shirt are your most
potent marketing program: grassroots word
of mouth. Don't try to profit off of customers
advertising your business for you.
Ultimately, all the best businesses operate from a position of integrity and consistency that builds affinity, not utility. It's what
gets your customers to say, "I eff-ing love that
store." And it puts them in your t-shirt. O.R.
-Mike Geraci is the Geraci part of Geraci
& Co., a brand strategy and communications
group based in Jackson, Wyoming.

Illustration by Kevin Howdeshell / The Brave Union

http://www.Amazon.com http://www.Amazon.com http://www.Amazon.com http://www.Amazon.com

Outdoor Retailer - Winter 2018

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