Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Prodigy Golf
There's nothing like getting a product that is completely unique, a revolution starter, something no one has thought of before. And have to capture it all in a brand name.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRCVdcv7rzA
That's where we're at with Pivot Putter. We recognized instantly that it is a remarkable product. We also realized instantly that the name was worse than crap.
So we are beginning a rebranding effort, starting with the name.
But what do you call a club this original? And how does that name work when the client expands the line? And how do you make sure the logo stands out in a golf world that is only eclipsed by NASCAR when it comes to logo clutter?
Golf world, meet Prodigy Golf. Prodigy Golf, meet the golf world. You two are going to have a lot to talk about.
J. Hilburn
Bespoke finery.
What does it make you think of?
If you're like most men (assuming you're a guy) you probably thought of a stuffy English guy. Then you thought of the price.
Enter J. Hilburn.
Started by two ex-Wall Streeters from Dallas, TX (neither stuffy nor English), J. Hilburn's goal was to provide luxuriously tailored men's shirts at off-the-rack prices. And they did all this with a twist. Instead of coming to a retail location and get measured J. Hilburn sends their salespeople to you. But these salespeople are more than salespeople. They're like your friend. Someone who's there to help you look good. They help decide on collar, cuff and button styles. They present fabrics. They assist you in designing YOUR shirt.
When we started with J. Hilburn they were in desperate need of a recruiting tool for their customers. We called it a recruiting tool because we knew once the customer tried on a shirt, they'd be hooked. First we had to bring them in.
In strategizing with the guys, we quickly realized that if we continued to call the salesforce 'the salesforce' they would act like one. We needed to elevate them. Give them a title worthy of the trusted position they would hold in a man's wardrobe.
Enter the Personal Style Advisor. We gave them this name knowing that they would carry themselves differently. The recruiting tool also began developing the lexicon these style advisors could use when engaging men.
With it's 'Welcome to this side of the ropes' message, our brochure attempted to introduce men into the world of bespoke finery. It also attempted to destroy the myth that custom men's shirts had to be expensive.
After growing from 1 market to over 15 markets in only a year, we'd say it worked.
That and the fact that the shirts are amazing. I'm wearing one right now as you read this.
The Sopranos Wines
If you're Italian, you drink wine. If you're not Italian, you want to be. So you drink wine.
At our first sit down with the Vesuvio Importing Company, we told them with a name like The Sopranos Wines, they had their work cut out for them. You see, people recognize the name (great), but in a world where SpongeBob has his own cereal and Dora has her own lip balm, they ran the risk of sounding like just another gimmicky-novelty product (not so great).
We all knew people who love the show would buy the wine. We just needed to be careful not to offend their love and dedication to the show. Wine snobs, however, are not so easily won over. So we had to come up with work that would break through the ad clutter of wine books, grab the wine snob by the collar and rough up his sensibilities a bit without leaving too many bruises.
We came up with Inkblots.
It's a natural extension of the capo in therapy plot line of the show. And, with all humility, made for some great looking posters.
Escape to Boreal
Boreal Mountain Resort. What can you say about this place? One of the sickest SuperPipes in the world. A terrain park that can turn locals into pros. A beginner program that introduces hundreds and hundreds to skiing and boarding. All for a price that won't dent your beer budget.
When we started talking with Jody and Jon they understood their mountain's strengths/weaknesses well. They also understood that if they got people to start there, they would keep coming back as they progressed their skills.
Boreal happens to be in the interesting position of being the small mountain in an area known for big mountain resorts. But we all know, size does not always matter.
Boreal's two big draws for the target lie in the fact that it's both easy to get to and inexpensive once you arrive.
Being a half hour closer than other Tahoe area resorts, as well as being right off I-80, means people can make a trip to the snow without suffering the mind numbing drive they must endure to get to other resorts. Plus, with ticket and season pass prices that are much lower than their nearest competitors, people don't have to blow the weekly fun budget just to try out a new sport.
In developing strategy, we quickly realized our competition was not other mountains, but other options.
Imagine it's the middle of winter. You live close to the mountains. You (or you and the fam) need to get out and do something. What are your options? The gym. The mall. The park (ok, I know I said middle of winter, but go with it for a sec).
You need an escape. Now. An easy one. A cheap one.
Escape to Boreal.
What you get is an increase in season pass sales and year-to-year ridership increase of 3% in a down economic market.
Not too bad for a great little mountain.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
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