REI iphone app
Seems like everywhere you turn around, there is another brand attempting to capture more mind share with your wallet. But unlike the past, more and more mindshare is being gained in a way that your customer doesn't even notice. That's the point.
Take for example the new iPhone app released by REI (DMM News 6/15/09). A nifty little add-on for your uber cool phone that allows you track, view and share your biking stories. Natalie Crain stepped in on this and said “REI believes in providing friendly expertise, as well as the tools and gear for our customers and members to be active in the outdoors.”
What happened to just jumping on your bike, hitting the trails, and then hanging around the water cooler on Monday to tell exploits of your adventures and regal in your command of the woods, tree jumps and the ever so popular barking dog? Nothing......it's still there except everyone is so darn busy that they no longer have time to do this.
And this is the whole point. Time is vanishing and while outdoor enthusiasts will still make time to engage in the activites they love, any person or brand who comes up with a way to share this experience, to a wider audience, in more detail....will save time for the riders and at the same time capture... you guessed it. More mind share. It's all about reaching the enthusiast where you can, not where you think they are.
But who else out there can deploy a team of programmers onto a tool that provides low key branding. You must think it's super expensive and only reserved for companies like REI who are out there changing the way people shop. Not so fast. Let me come up with another outdoor company example of a smaller sized company, using the same tools, and possibly with the same success.
