How can you not love the thought about eating granola without any clothes on? Seriously? When I first heard of this company, I was floored with all of the double entendre marketing potential. A clear bag, sustainable packaging, passion for granola, a key halo alliance with the National Arbor Day Foundation....these kids were on fire.
What I love most about the marketing behind Bear Naked is that for decades, the granola market was super saturated. I mean big names, like Nature Valley. Here are two very smart young adults, living the dream in Darien CT telling their friends and family, "....hey, we just love granola and think we're on to something. Who cares if we're up against General Mills? Who are they?"
And that is the point. How often does passion and nimble strategy trump the big players? Case in point, I came across a new job opening for Bear Naked ( yes, after two years with NameMedia in their Outdoor Channel I'm on the hunt for something new) for a summer position as "In-Market Tour Manager" that was cooked up in the kitchen of Onboard Entertainment.
So the plan for summer? Why change what has already been working? Grab some free spirited college kids, toss them in a van, and make it their mission to hunt down every outdoor, running, water based, gym vibe so-you-think-you-are-core type of event in specific DMA's and run with it.
I love their job posting:
Brand Ambassador Responsibilities
• Position is temporary. Approximate dates range from (May 1 – September 30, 2010)
• Represent with integrity the Bear Naked brand, and accurately communicate key messages
• Act as the Bear Naked Ambassador by representing the Bear Naked brand with positive and enthusiastic support for the product at all times
• Research and negotiate key opportunities in market (i.e. marathons, mountain bike races, triathlons, retail partners, and everyday athlete hot spots) to enhance overall campaign, consumer experience, and increase positive exposure of the Bear Naked brand
• Manage production elements as needed, i.e. permitting, routing, vehicle maintenance
• Manage all aspects of on-site product sampling
• Oversee and maintain all operations of the customized vehicle
• Initiate and develop retail partnerships
• Submit weekly recaps, reports, photos and timesheets in a timely manner
• Implement social media initiatives (frequent posts on Face book, twitter, etc.)
• All regional travel arrangements must be approved in advance by On Board Entertainment
• May require travel outside of market
I also love the fact that they are not leveraging all the "new" things (read expensive with little chance of + ROI ) with social media when their hand-to-hand combat via van style with free samples has been working all along. For some reason, Granola works in the Brand Ambassador model. Say you're at an event, someone comes by with a quick sample, it smells good, you are hungry....its an easy sell.
For all the outdoor brands out there, I have to ask. What types of product are better suited to the college kid in a van model and which ones are better off under the creative control of in-house marketing or an agency? And why is it that Bear Naked can hit so much scale with this approach when there are more brands out there, with more ad budget, who can "barely" make a dent?
What I love most about the marketing behind Bear Naked is that for decades, the granola market was super saturated. I mean big names, like Nature Valley. Here are two very smart young adults, living the dream in Darien CT telling their friends and family, "....hey, we just love granola and think we're on to something. Who cares if we're up against General Mills? Who are they?"
And that is the point. How often does passion and nimble strategy trump the big players? Case in point, I came across a new job opening for Bear Naked ( yes, after two years with NameMedia in their Outdoor Channel I'm on the hunt for something new) for a summer position as "In-Market Tour Manager" that was cooked up in the kitchen of Onboard Entertainment.
So the plan for summer? Why change what has already been working? Grab some free spirited college kids, toss them in a van, and make it their mission to hunt down every outdoor, running, water based, gym vibe so-you-think-you-are-core type of event in specific DMA's and run with it.
I love their job posting:
Brand Ambassador Responsibilities
• Position is temporary. Approximate dates range from (May 1 – September 30, 2010)
• Represent with integrity the Bear Naked brand, and accurately communicate key messages
• Act as the Bear Naked Ambassador by representing the Bear Naked brand with positive and enthusiastic support for the product at all times
• Research and negotiate key opportunities in market (i.e. marathons, mountain bike races, triathlons, retail partners, and everyday athlete hot spots) to enhance overall campaign, consumer experience, and increase positive exposure of the Bear Naked brand
• Manage production elements as needed, i.e. permitting, routing, vehicle maintenance
• Manage all aspects of on-site product sampling
• Oversee and maintain all operations of the customized vehicle
• Initiate and develop retail partnerships
• Submit weekly recaps, reports, photos and timesheets in a timely manner
• Implement social media initiatives (frequent posts on Face book, twitter, etc.)
• All regional travel arrangements must be approved in advance by On Board Entertainment
• May require travel outside of market
I also love the fact that they are not leveraging all the "new" things (read expensive with little chance of + ROI ) with social media when their hand-to-hand combat via van style with free samples has been working all along. For some reason, Granola works in the Brand Ambassador model. Say you're at an event, someone comes by with a quick sample, it smells good, you are hungry....its an easy sell.
For all the outdoor brands out there, I have to ask. What types of product are better suited to the college kid in a van model and which ones are better off under the creative control of in-house marketing or an agency? And why is it that Bear Naked can hit so much scale with this approach when there are more brands out there, with more ad budget, who can "barely" make a dent?
