The Daily - August 11,2021 - 55

LAUREN DANILEK
Scaling the
Power of
Word of Mouth
Through ExpertVoice's multifunctional
platform, brands and influential outdoor-gear
users connect-in service to consumers and
each other. By Amelia Arvesen
WORD SPREADS QUICKLY AT
Outdoor Retailer, and yet ExpertVoice
CEO Tom Stockham has a
way of making it spread even faster
and farther. " The best brands
realize that word of mouth doesn't
just happen, " Stockham says. " It, of
course, does. You just don't control
every element of it. But you can
harness it. You can scale it. "
Started in 2005, ExpertVoice
has evolved into a holistic online-marketing
platform that helps
brands connect with influential
outdoorists who are using and
recommending their gear. With
more choices (and confusion) than
ever before, consumers need help
navigating the market, and they
want someone they can trust and
respect to help them make decisions
on what to buy.
ExpertVoice has a solution. Although
the biggest misunderstanding
around ExpertVoice is that it's
solely focused on pro deals, that's
only a piece of the platform. Sure,
there is incentive for a person to
write reviews and contribute content
in getting a generous discount,
but there's more to it. " Of course,
people come to our system because
they want a pro deal, " Stockham
says. " But increasingly, what
that means to them is they want
a special relationship with the
brand. For every one person who
buys something on our platform,
10 people consume the content and
write a review. "
Earlier this summer, Grassroots
Outdoor Alliance, a community of
independent retailers and brands,
warned their retail members
about partnering with brands that
discount on ExpertVoice. With one
million people in the database,
Grassroots wondered, how is it
possible to keep track and control
credentialed versus noncredentialed
consumers? The fear is that
a million consumers are being
trained to get unfettered deals on
gear that they could be buying at
specialty shops.
Now Stockham is using the
pushback to be more transparent
about what goes on within ExpertVoice's
database. He says that not
everyone has the same credentials
and that the technology is sophisticated
enough to differentiate.
Someone with affiliations in the
outdoor industry, like a retail sales
associate or health professional, is
invited to build a profile that they
can then beef up with their accomplishments,
photos uploaded
to social media, and recommendations
and reviews. They also
have the opportunity to take lessons
to learn more about the 900
brands on the platform, which
will further boost their expertise.
But no brand is targeting all one
million pros; they're zeroing in on
Tom Stockham
is seeking more
transparency
for ExpertVoice.
WE'RE CHOOSING THE VENDORS WHO ARE
PAYING ATTENTION TO THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN,
TO THEIR PACKAGING, TO THE MATERIALS...
AND PUTTING PRESSURE ON THEM.
the people with whom they want
to build relationships.
Then those brands can choose
to engage with the experts and
their content. Essentially, they
have permission to use photos
on social media or reviews on
their websites to help prospective
customers make confident,
informed choices.
To learn more about users' behavior,
ExpertVoice commissioned
a study by University of Pennsylvania's
Wharton School, which revealed
that retail sales associates
who engage with ExpertVoice sell
82% more than their peers who
do not use the platform. And the
study shows that after the employee
engages with a brand on ExpertVoice,
they sell an additional
10% more. A more knowledgeable
employee is a better employee,
Stockham says.
Similarly, a more knowledgeable
customer is a happier customer-
and another person to spread the
brand's message through word of
mouth. " The best brands will figure
out more and more ways to get
trusted people speaking on their
behalf, " Stockham says.
OUTDOOR RETAILER SUMMER SHOW 2021 /
55
The Daily - August 11,2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Daily - August 11,2021
