I was poking around the interwebs yesterday looking at pictures of graffiti and shoes and came across several zine projects. Honestly I had no idea anybody still made zines, but as someone who spent a lot of time in the 90s zine world, it's pretty cool to see. Obviously I love blogs and other forms of digital DIY publishing, but there is definitely something to be said for the feeling of holding a printed piece in your hand. There's no substitute for it, so I can totally understand why some people are getting nostalgic and bringing them back.
What I want to point out here is not the brutal nature of fighting because that’s obvious, but rather what I see as a blatant contradiction on the part of RVCA and their marketing strategy between what they claim to be and what they actually are. I see no potential for balance in the juxtaposition between mellow California surf culture and life altering MMA knockouts. Furthermore, if RVCA is a brand “free from passing trends” like they claim to be on their website, why then have they recently jumped on the MMA bandwagon in an obvious attempt to capitalize on this increasingly popular sport?
So what’s next for RVCA? What new trends can we expect to see in their ad campaigns and sponsorship decisions now that they’ve tackled MMA? Maybe they’ll sponsor that Japanese dude who can eat 300 hot dogs in under an hour and use proceeds to fight hunger in developing countries. I guess some distinctions aren’t worth celebrating at all.
My take I've been stoked on RVCA's presence in MMA since they started working with BJ Penn a few years ago, and of course I wondered how MMA fans would react. I guess it's just naivete on my part, but it never occurred to me that surfers might be the ones who had a problem with it. In retrospect it's not surprising, though. Anyone who's worked in the industry will tell you that action sports fans can be pretty tough to please, especially when it comes to anything they perceive as inauthentic or non-endemic polluting their sport.
I guess the one thing I can take away from this is that if you're not part of the core, you really have no idea how the community is going to react. I like surfing and I know a bit about it, but I'm hardly core, so my perspective on all of this is definitely that of an outsider's. This is a good reminder that before making moves like this, you need to very carefully think about how the core is going to react, because their opinions and attitudes are your most valuable asset.
MMA Payout reports that freestyle motocross icons Metal Mulisha will be sponsoring Dan Henderson at UFC 93:
In yet another sign of a non-endemic brand branching out into MMA, Dan Henderson has signed on Metal Mulisha as one of his sponsors for his UFC 93 match with Rich Franklin. Henderson looks to be the highest profile endorser they have signed on to this point and his deal may portend of a deeper involvement by Metal Mulisha to MMA in the future. Metal Mulisha has made their brand in the motocross and action sports fields but obviously see the shared demographics of those sports and the exploding MMA scene as an ideal vehicle for selling their gear. In our coverage of the ASR Virtue trade show earlier this year, we mentioned that these two groups seem like natural areas for expansion and this may be one of the clearer signs yet that this is taking place.
My take MMA Payout's analysis is spot on. Of all action sports, FMX is the one that's probably the closest fit with MMA in terms of culture and demographics, so it makes a lot of sense to see this kind of crossover. I don't know a whole lot about FMX, but Metal Mulisha certainly seems like the perfect brand to do it, too. If you are familiar with them and their crew, you know that they are no strangers to scrapping, so this is an absolutely authentic brand extension.
Gatorade recently signed a multiyear deal with 14-year-old skater Chaz Ortiz, who will be the cornerstone of the sports drink company’s action sports campaign, according to a story published today on the Sports Business Journal’s Web site. The brand also signed snowboarder Ellery Hollingsworth and BMX star Nigel Sylvester.
My take From my perspective it's always cool to see giant brands like Gatorade begin to develop a presence in action sports. Of course there are always haters, who are going to hate regardless, but as long as they're sincerely trying to become an endemic player, it can only be a good thing for both the sport and the brand. Gatorade is an absolutely 100% authentic part of ball-and-stick sports, so there's no reason think the same can't be true of action sports with the right moves.
In particular I'll be interested to see what they do with the product itself. One option, of course, is simply to sell the same product to a new market. I don't think that would be wrong, but there's all kinds of opportunities to do interesting stuff with new products, packaging, and branding. I'm hoping that they have some cool new offerings down the road that show their commitment to action sports.
I paid a visit to the Zumiez stores at the Alderwood Mall and Bellevue Square the other day and caught this Zumiez/Enjoi window display that I thought was pretty awesome. It can be hard to market to action sports consumers because they are incredibly cynical and will reject anything that seems like "marketing" to them. Self-parody like this is a really smart, authentic way of reaching shoppers without either insulting their intelligence or compromising the message. I consider this piece a success in that it is nearly impossible for even the most cynical person on the planet (I am a leading candidate for that position) to criticize it.
The basic premise of the ad is to portray the typical modern anti-surfer with the “If You Don’t Surf, Don’t Start” headline sitting below. Out of all the characters used by Lost, and I do mean characters, the cliche ultimate fighter looking fella was by far the topper (the Abercrombie & Fitch dude isn’t far behind). It’s the perfect answer to the infiltration of certain tough-guy brands advertising in our favorite surf magazines.
My take There are two things that stick out for me on this campaign, one specific and one general.
This is a great reminder that lifestyle brands are not necessarily inclusive or welcoming. In fact, they can be downright hostile. The core will love it, but obviously you risk scaring away the more lucrative mainstream audience who might be interested in your brand. There's no right or wrong answer, just something to consider as you create your message.
More specifically, it's interesting to see that, while there is increasing crossover between MMA and action sports, there's plenty of tension. I don't read a ton of surf mags so I'm not sure what brand they're referring to, but I'm guessing it's either Tapout or Affliction. What's particularly interesting is that core MMA fans almost universally despise both of those brands, yet they're obviously both doing well at the moment. Without the approval of either core MMA fans or crossover audiences like surfers, though, they could be headed for trouble in the next year or two.
Excellent post from BBPR on Levi's efforts to engage BMX. No commentary from me as he pretty much says everything that needs to be said:
This sort of commitment to BMX by Levi’s is action sports marketing at its best. I don’t follow BMX all that closely, but I’ve noticed a lot of Levi’s shirts popping up (just like I’ve been noticing a lot of BallPark hot dog shirts at the X-Games), but wrote it off as a little pay to play effort on Levi’s part. Then, I saw the video on FuelTV, which caused me to google the film and find out via EXPN that it’s FREE for all to download right now and it comes pre-packaged with a major BMX mag.
Other marketers take note, Levi’s his hitting the trifecta:
1. Supporting pro and amature riders
2. Supporting the media that cater to BMX
3. Supporting regular Joe riders by stoking them out on professionally produced content featuring a variety of two-wheeled stunt guys
So, is Levi’s job done? Hardly, they could blow it? Heck yes. How?
By pulling out.
If Levi’s commits to BMX for the long term, they should be in good shape. More videos, continued suport in other ways, etc., and they’ll be good. If they pull out… well, it won’t be hard for another denim brand to swoop in and learn from their mistakes.
I have to wonder, why aren’t BMX riders as popular as skateboarders, snowboarders, etc.
It’s not for lack of talent, maybe it’s the industry’s fault? Mat Hoffman was right up there with Tony Hawk and a lot of guys now are doing amazing things, both at global events such as the X-Games or Dew Tour and on the streets like these riders.
I’ve never been to Interbike and have limited knowledge of the cycling industry, but I at a loss as to why the heroes on two wheels, with the exception of Lance, don’t get more non-endemic press. Maybe the downward spiral started when bikes went from specialty to discount retail, but skateboarding has followed suit and those guys are still out there in the mainstream. Besides, most kids have bikes before skateboards, shouldn’t the affinity for BMX riders be more natural?
My take Like him, I don't know a ton about BMX, but I have wondered the same thing. Why did skateboarding become so much more popular than BMX, inline, or other sports that continue to struggle for respect in the action sports world? Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of inline, but to be honest I can't give you a good reason why I'm not.
The big takeaway for me is that you can't treat lifestyle brands as monolithic entities. In other words, there is no such thing as "action sports," "graffiti," "punk rock," and so forth. Each of those subcultures is itself composed of a nearly infinite number of microsegments that may have very little in common with each other. For example, if you try to engage skateboarders with the same marketing as BMX riders, you are likely to fail very miserably with both audiences. Instead, you have to talk to each one on its own terms. A lot of work? Absolutely, but that's what it takes to succeed in lifestyle marketing.
OK, so first of all, I absolutely love Freestyle's Shark watch. This is a really fun reminder of days gone by, and it's pretty cool to see how much they can do on the design side just with colorways. Make sure you check out the selection! I also love their logo- hats off to whoever designed it.
The concept is pretty straightforward: amateur athletes in skate, snow, wake, and other action sports upload "sponsor me" videos. Freestyle chooses two winners every month to join their "flow team." For those of you who don't speak bro, "flow" means free stuff. The concept isn't necessarily revolutionary, but it seems like they get a lot of submissions, and it's certainly well executed from a creative standpoint. Also, "Rock out with your clock out" is one of the best slogans I've ever heard!
Takeways
Lifestyle brands are uniquely suited for user-generated content platforms like this because the consumers are passionate about the brand in a way that isn't true of traditional brands. In other words, if your brand differentiates on price, performance and features, don't try this at home.
Freestyle uses social media effectively because they understand they norms and customs of each channel. Twitter has one set of rules, Facebook has another, and if you don't understand them, you should stand back and observe before jumping in.
The Freestyle Challenge is a win for the kids because they get free stuff and will be super stoked for the recognition. It's a win for Freestyle because they cement their credibility and start forming relationships with up and coming athletes early in their careers, and all they spend is a few hours watching videos and a few bucks on product.
“It’s been a real challenge to go from the bottom up, but we are really happy where we’ve ended up because of it,” says Crane. “We are basically treating the new line as a second core category, and the idea that we approached it that way, with all our guns blazing, has really started to pay off.” ... Why headphones? DiNenna says that while partnering with other brands in the past, Nixon often got suggestions from peers on what should come next. “People always say, ‘You know what? You should make this or you should make shoes or you should make sunglasses,’ but nothing ever really felt like a match for what we wanted to do.” Taking a look around at friends and co-workers and their interests and passions, DiNenna realized that centering a new product on music was the most logical transition.
My take Obviously there's no guarantees, but from the quotes above, it sounds like they're doing everything exactly like they should, and I have no doubts that they'll be very successful. There are two specific things that make me so hopeful:
1. They're starting from the ground up With lifestyle brands, it is critical to understand that each product category plays by its own, unique set of rules. You don't necessarily have to follow every one to the tee, but you must know all of them, so if you break them it's a strategic point of differentiation, not a dumb mistake that blows your credibility with the core.
2. They're pursuing their passions They chose headphones because they wanted to do headphones. While that kind of arbitrary decision-making would be anathema in the world of traditional brands, it makes perfect sense for a lifestyle brand. If you don't live the brand, it will be very obvious to your consumer that it's a phony, contrived move. Authenticity is a given when pursuing a category they're passionate about, and very few things matter more than authenticity for a lifestyle brand.
In many ways, lifestyle brands are at a disadvantage relative to their traditional rivals: they have smaller budgets, a smaller consumer base, and usually can't take advantage of economies of scale like big, old school brands can. But they do have a few secret weapons of their own, and events are a big one.
Why lifestyle brands own events It's very simple: Traditional brands can't do events because the people running the companies don't live the brand, and it will show. Events are easy for lifestyle brands because it's a natural extension of their culture. For example, the video above is the Zumiez Best Foot Forward skateboarding contest. It's super authentic and an easy move for them because tons of the kids that work at Zumiez stores (and headquarters, for that matter) are skateboarders, or at least fans of the sport. What would a department store like, say, Kohl's do for an event? Nothing comes to mind, because they're just a store, not a lifestyle.
There's no substitute for face time The most successful lifestyle brands always the ones who hit the road and make face-to-face contact with consumers as often as possible. Events like contests and demos are unique opportunities for people to see that there are real people behind the brand. Unlike a traditional brand, which is just a logo on a box or billboard, lifestyle brands are run by people just like the kids who buy them, and you can be friends with them if you want.
Making a connection Accessibility is a fundamental element of a lifestyle brand. When we actually know the people behind a brand, we're not just consumers, we're part of it. For example, go to Warped Tour and hang out for the afternoon and you'll literally run into tons of the athletes and musicians that were on stage a minute ago. You don't just buy the record and listen to it by yourself, you can go hang out with the guy who sang on it. This is what makes MMA so special, too. If you read the message boards at MMA.TV, you can talk to pretty much anybody in the sport. Joe Rogan, Dana White, Tito Ortiz, and tons of other big names are regulars. Because I grew up on punk rock and skateboarding, that's normal to me, but it's definitely not the way every sport works. You can't go watch a baseball game, then chill with the catcher afterwards, which is probably why I don't like ball and stick sports.
Conclusion Companies like Red Bull, Vans, Zumiez, and Nike know how important events are to building lifestyle brands. But don't make the mistake of simply imitating what they do and hoping that you can "sprinkle magic branding dust" on yourself and become a lifestyle brand. Create an event that's an authentic, natural extension of your brand's culture.
The always-insightful Jeff Harbaugh posted his reaction to Transworld's August article entitled "How Hollister Stole Surf." If you're not close to the action sports world, you might not realize it, but surfers aren't big fans of Hollister's perceived "invasion" of their scene. Jeff's thinking is as follows:
I don’t hate Hollister. I admire the hell out of them. Back around 2000 (before that actually, as the first store opened in 2000) somebody at Abercrombie and Fitch actually recognized a market opportunity/niche nobody else had spotted and they’ve taken amazing advantage of it. My hat’s off to them. I like how they’ve done their stores for all the reasons the story discusses.
The actual title of the story is, “How Hollister Stole Surf.” I’m not quite so sure they stole it. In fact, I’m worried we gave it to them. Because we wanted to be “core” maybe? Because we’re a little too incestuous as an industry and talk to ourselves too much? Because if an industry company had opened a clearly “fake” Hollister style store, the rest of the industry would have been mad at and laughed at them?
My take 1. This is a great example of one of the biggest parts of lifestyle marketing, especially in sports. There is a constant conflict between core companies that emerged from the sport and non-endemic companies "invading" their sport and trying to profit from it without giving anything back (or so the narrative goes- sometimes it's justified, often it isn't). The bottom line is, if you're part of a non-endemic company who wants to approach a subculture or sport, be prepared for lots of negative reactions like the original Transworld article.
2. I completely agree with Harbaugh: The surf industry missed a huge opportunity. Hollister's success proves that there's an audience for surf-inspired lifestyle apparel, and Abercrombie beat the industry to the punch to the tune of $1.6 billion in 2007. Abercrombie are no slouches at lifestyle marketing themselves (in fact, they are masterful), so the way I see it, the surf industry is facing a very formidable opponent in A&F. And most importantly, as Jeff says, the industry set itself up for failure because it would have laughed at and rejected any attempt by an endemic company to create a Hollister-type concept. Can you imagine what the kids would have said if Rip Curl, Quiksilver, or Billabong opened Hollister?
Mixed martial arts and surfing both occupy special places in Hawaiian culture, so it makes a lot of sense that RVCA has been sponsoring UFC fighter BJ Penn for years. With BJ's profile higher than ever, they've launched a new collection at Hawaiian retailer Aloha Army:
In anticipation for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s BJ Penn versus George St. Pierre rematch, tentatively scheduled for December 2008, Aloha Army is proud to offer the limited-edition, BJ Penn Collection by RVCA clothing. With these accolades in mind, RVCA is releasing a line of clothing inspired by BJ Penn and aligning with its Balance of Opposites campaign. This limited-edition RVCA line features 13 pieces.
My take RVCA is one of the very few brands that are super credible and endemic in both action sports and MMA. For example, their "Scrap and Destroy" shirt combines references from both sports: the legendary Thrasher "Skate and Destroy" shirt with BJ's "Let's scrap" slogan in a way that feels totally natural. Look for other brands to fuse the sports like this in the future.
Foot Locker Inc. (FL) will buy direct-to-consumers business CCS from Delia's Corp. (DLIA) for $102 million as the specialty athletic retailer looks to expand its offerings in the skateboarding apparel category.
CCS sells skateboard footwear, apparel and accessories through catalogs and the Internet. CCS revenue is expected to surpass $80 million in 2009 and Foot Locker said expanding its offerings in the skateboarding area would help broaden its appeal to teenaged males, CCS' target customers.
My take I remember getting the CCS catalog (back then it was called California Cheap Skates) back in the early/mid 90s, but I never would have guessed it would be a $100 million business with $80 million in annual revenue. Foot Locker shouldn't have any problem managing CCS given their extensive knowledge of footwear, so this seems like a great move. By the standards of, say, P&G, $80 million in annual revenue isn't a huge opportunity, but considering that Zumiez' sales last quarter were $92 million, it is quite sizable given the size of the action sports retail industry as a whole.
One of my very favorites brands, 55DSL, announced a partnership to launch a new motocross clothing line:
55DSL is pleased to announce a brand new motocross clothing line created in collaboration with 30-year heritage in the off-road field’s AXO, for a winning combination and guaranteed success! The line will comprise helmets, goggles, sweaters, pants and gloves, and will be available in limited quantities in the best motorbike dealerships worldwide as of January 2009.
My take First of all, it's 55DSL so you know the clothes are going to be SUHWEET. Beyond that, it's a very interesting move for both 55DSL and the motocross world. Moto has always been, in my eyes, a separate beast from the rest of the action sports world, and plays by a slightly different set of rules. I'm definitely not an expert on the moto scene, but it seems to be growing in the same way that skateboarding and snowboarding were years ago. That said, my experience with moto is mostly limited to briefly living with Metal Mulisha rider Beau Manley's wife many years ago, so I could be reading too much into Fox's success in the past few years.
A still growing industry like MMA lifestyle apparel was key in providing the doorway of opportunity for Illicit. A direct leap into the surf and skate market would have been improbable but their MMA play allowed them to achieve their end goal of having a foot in surf and skate, with the added bonus of having a more diversified product offering in the end than their competitors by virtue of their MMA and motocross offerings. Theirs may not be a pure MMA play but such hybrid mixes of Surf/Skate/MMA look to be a growing trend of the future. The recent Virtue Expo is another signal that this will be a growth area of the future of MMA lifestyle apparel.
My take The MMA apparel market is full of tiny, me-too brands, with only Affliction and Tapout rising to the top. The industry is in its infancy, and there's plenty of opportunity for the right brand to carve out a place for itself. In a lot of ways it reminds me of the action sports industry in the early 90s when a ton of brands emerged and a few, like Element, survived to become juggernauts. That said, MMA is already a much more sophisticated industry that's learned from a lot of the successes and failures of previous lifestyle brands, so I don't think it will stay like this for long.
The other nut to crack is the crossover between MMA and action sports. While it is clear that there is some crossover, nobody has quite figured out exactly what the right play is, how it should look, or how one might go about structuring a roster of athletes that is credible and relevant in both industries. Osiris, with their sponsorships and shoes from Brandon Vera and Quinton Jackson, is probably the best example right now. UFC fighter Josh Koscheck's company, Mar Clothing, is also an interesting move.
Nike released their quarterly financial statements last week, but what's more interesting to me is this comment on the evolution of Nike's presence in the action sports world (the excellent Jeff Harbaugh for Transworld):
As I read the press release, I was struck by the fact that a few years ago, I wouldn’t have bothered. I mean, who cared about Nike in the surf, skate and snowboard businesses? They weren’t a factor and they played in a market that just didn’t seem relevant to us. Every time they tried to get into the industry, we went to their parties, drank their beer and that was it. What’s changed? They bought Hurley and did skate shoes right is the obvious answer, but I want to suggest it’s more than that.
My take One of the toughest parts of lifestyle marketing is earning your place in a new market, one that isn't in your brand's original DNA. Harbaugh goes into more detail on the dynamics of Nike's business, but what I loved was his description of the industry attitude toward non-endemic players. In Nike's case, their DNA is in traditional sports (what some call "ball and stick sports"), and they had all the credibility in the world there. But it meant absolutely nothing when they wanted to become an action sports brand- in fact, it may have been a liability.
The lesson here is that it takes a long time and a lot of money and energy to build a lifestyle brand. It doesn't happen overnight, even if you're doing everything right. Be prepared for lots of cynical dismissals and cold shoulders, but stick with it and you'll eventually earn their trust.
Today Nike launched their snowboard brand, appropriately entitled Nike Snowboarding. Via Transworld:
We have been waiting for it ever since rumors started coming around last year. This season Nike is finally introducing their own snowboarding brand - Nike Snowboarding. Applying the same principals to snowboarding that have made them successful in the skateboarding world in recent years, Nike introduces the Zoom Force 1 Boot in a variety of color and material options for both men and women. Along the boots they also introduce apparel, for the moment consisting of pants and jackets. Let’s see if we will eventually also be seeing hard goods from them.
My take It took Nike years to become a credible player in skateboarding, but they should be able to penetrate snowboarding much quicker by leveraging their skateboarding cred. I've never been close to the snowboarding world, but it seems like the launch is going over well so far in the industry. F0r some excellent analysis of Nike's ability to enter one sport after the next, leveraging their credibility and relationships each time, read Unstoppable, by Bain's Chris Zook.
Like it says in the Transworld blurb, though, they really have to make some hard goods (snowboards, bindings, helmets, etc) before they can be completely credible. This is the test of authenticity for action sports brands, and although it's not at the core of their business, Nike's best move would be to develop the best hard goods in the industry.
As is now extremely common in the streetwear universe, Nike enlisted graffiti artist Stash to create a signature print for one of the jackets. This is a good move, considering that his Air Force 1s are highly prized by collectors and fetch well over $1000. As a West Coast graffiti guy myself, his work doesn't do much for me, but he is a good choice.
Lifestyle brands are more than just a combination of price, performance and features, they're platforms for self expression. This blog aims to provide marketers with news, insights and tools for creating and building lifestyle brands. It focuses on the categories we know best: action sports, clothing, mixed martial arts, soccer, video games, and music, but will occasionally venture into other territory.
We are actively looking for more content and contributors. If you have news, ideas, or would like to be a contributor, email finnmckenty@gmail.com.
