Outdoor Retailer - April 2021 - 8

THE PULSE

MARKETING

Listen to Win
Inclusive marketing requires connecting with customers at the
right point in their journey. Here's how to give fans and new
audiences the right information and support at just the right time.
By Dani Reyes-Acosta
AS THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY SEEKS TO SUPPORTWOMEN, BIPOC, LBTQIA+, AND OTHER UNDERrepresented identities, content marketing offers a well-paved path to communication with audiences both new and established. The way you explore this path, however, makes all the difference.
Inclusive marketing must move beyond visual representation and influencer partnerships. It
needs to tap into key funnel touchpoints to create programs, campaigns, and tactics that resonate
at the same time as they elevate.
" YOU SEE ME; I SEE YOU "
Brand salience, an indicator of how often your brand is thought of or recalled, should link directly
to your engagement strategy. More than ever, salience indicates not just awareness, but also
points to differentiation, consumer reactions, and, ultimately, lifetime loyalty.
To keep it simple: Brands and retailers can build resonance by thinking about the way they create unique experiences at all levels of the funnel. Emma Longcope of No Man's Land Film Festival
(NMLFF) speaks to the simple tactic her team takes when uplifting voices. " We just highlight
people-people who represent our values, people who are contributing to the community in ways
we admire, and people we learn from, " she says.
In highlighting submissions from its audience, NMLFF holds a mirror up to its social following.
(Importantly, NMLFF does not engage in product-for-promotion-based partnerships, which
are typically viewed as unethical and exploitative.) " I think one of the most successful parts of our
marketing has just been when we've been able to pass the mic to people who are making rad films
or offering new perspectives on one of our panels-our 'brand' only exists thanks to these folks
anyway, " Longcope says.

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/ April 2021

JUST-IN-TIME MARKETING
Timing is just as important as resonance and
salience. A recent Accenture survey tells us
that, " as few as 18% of customers who are typically reached-even with... digital tactics that
CMOs consider most effective-are interested
in the promoted product or able to buy it. "
So how can brands and retailers tap into the
ethos behind just-in-time marketing or get in
front of customers when they are looking to
buy? A digital platform that connects participants to local guided experiences around the
world, 57hours, took simple steps to activate
astronomical growth in 2020. First, it worked
with frontline guide-operation partners to
develop a digital journey that would complement the in-person experience. Second, it
focused content-marketing strategy on partnerships, using brand recognition (e.g. free
DPS ski rentals during a recent All-Women
Deep Powder Camp in the Tetons), as well as
collaborating with media outlets and a social
co-promotion partner.
STAYAGILE
The conversion point 57hours developed is
not a typical marketing strategy. Instead of the
sales-focused tone many webinars adopt, its
Epic Adventure series " inspires virtual adventure and encourage(s) long-term trip planning for one to two years in the future. "
Its engaging and educational webinar series
helped 57hours' organic traffic increase tenfold in 2020, with the organic content growing
on average 20% month-over-month through
all of 2020 and into 2021, according to Purple
Orange PR, 57hours' agency of record.
As Longcope says, " Content marketing isn't
a one-way street; even if your content is the best
out there, people will offer feedback and opportunities to improve, and...hearing and involving our audience is super-important to us. "
Both retailers and brands can leverage
tools like Awario, Talkwalker, and Google
Trends to tap into insights that can help revamp content strategy. " Great marketing can
be a conversation, " Longcope says. " And as
marketing managers, listening can be more
important than speaking. "
Listen, learn, and then you'll be heard. O.R.

Dani Reyes-Acosta

Left to right: The
The Mountain
Guides guides
Rebecca Yaguda,
Kailee McKenna,
and Betsy Manero.

https://57hours.com/ http://http:// http://nomanslandfilmfestival.org/

Outdoor Retailer - April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Outdoor Retailer - April 2021