UST is shaking up the outdoor industry. Since 1936, they have been creating survival, camping and outdoor equipment. Recently however the company has gone through some internal transition and the team is using this as an opportunity to change up everything. Seeing a need to reach more consumers in a friendly, open and inviting format. The brand is doing a 180 degree pivot to meet the crowds of people who are exploring the outdoors for the first time.
John Holdmeier is the brand manager at UST and in this episode he shares how and why the company is changing. From product selection, color schemes, brand values, content strategies, to customer personas. The only thing that isn't changing is their passion for getting people outdoors.
From the episode:
"We really try to be intentional about the things that are working well and things that are NOT working well. Then, we try to bring the things that are working well forward as we progress as a brand."
"(When talking about consumer persona exercise) Most brands will come up with one or two consumer personas. We ended up creating seven, trying to be as all encompassing as we could be."
"The consumer personas were the most important step to our complete brand refresh. As we do anything for the brand, we reference them and ensure our actions align with them."
"[The outdoor industry] Is a crowded market, But, it's growing so there is a lot of room for us to continue to grow into it."
"We wanted to approach our product line in a way that is extremely accessible to every outdoor consumer."
Follow UST and John:
@ustgear
@johnholdmeier
Episode Sponsored By:
Darby Communications
https://www.darbycommunications.com/
@darbycomm
Produced by:
Port Side Productions
@backcountrymarketing
@portsideproductions
@coleheilborn
We believe that great marketing is built on great storytelling, but those stories must be crafted with intention and purpose. This podcast was born from our mission to close the gap between marketing strategy and production execution, because it’s in the confluence of these two elements that brands are elevated, become culturally relevant, and establish a lasting legacy.
As a marketer in the outdoor industry, the odds are stacked against you. Does this sound familiar?
“You’re part of a small, talented, yet overworked team with a limited budget facing hundreds of ways to grow your brand and stand out in a sea of sameness. Some days you feel like quitting and getting a corporate job that pays more but then you realize, I get to work in an industry that some people only dream of working in. Sure the challenges are real, but this is better than a cubicle right?” If this sounds like you, you’re not alone.
Consider this podcast your guidebook to navigating the ever-changing world of marketing. This podcast is produced by Port Side Productions, a video production company that works with outdoor + athletic brands to help them stand out, launch products, build brand equity, and grow their business.
Storytellers by day, podcasters by night. While our day job keeps us busy creating films, we started this podcast because it's these types of deep, fundamental questions that keep us up at night.
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