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MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Internal Environment In 1938, Columbia Sportswear was founded by Paul and Marie Lamfrom in Portland, Oregon. The company introduced its sportswear line in 1985 under Gert and Tim Boyle. From then on, the company has focused on continually improving their products and technology. External Environment Columbia Sportswear is in an industry that has seen recent consumer trends involving flashy, bright colors. These consumers spend nearly $1.25 billion each year on snow sports apparel. Competitive Analysis The ski apparel industry is competitive; The North Face is dominating the market and others like Spyder and Saloman have created stiff competition for Columbia. History of Advertising Print ads have been the core of Columbia’s advertising, focusing on Gert Boyle as the spokesperson. The style has grown stale and consumers have lost interest. Objectives 1. Increase online sales of jackets by 20% in the 18-25 year old customer segment by 2014. 2. Match or surpass The North Face’s sales in the next 5 years. (long-term: $325,000,000) 3. Increase brand awareness to Generation Y through social media, sponsorships, contests, and special promotions. Key Issues The key issues for Columbia are revamping the brand image and being able to acquire user participation in the process. Advertising Strategy The new advertising campaign will target 18-25 year old skiers and snowboarders with a trendier image and the opportunity to win a sponsorship from Columbia. Implementation Ads will be run in magazines and on television, selected to gain exposure among the target consumers. facebook will play a major role as the platform for the Elite Fleet contest. Financials The total cost of this campaign is expected to be $2.47 million. Breaking even will require additional sales, approximately 25,000 pieces of apparel. Conclusion Columbia is already an established brand, but it needs to improve its advertising reach. With the success of these objectives, the brand’s new positioning will appeal more to Generation Y. MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear INDEX Situation Analysis 2 Internal Analysis 2 External Environment 3 Competitive Analysis 3 History of Advertising 5 SWOT Analysis 7 Advertising Objectives 9 Key Issues 9 Advertising Strategy 10 Advertising Campaign 11 New Slogan 11 Contest 11 Support Advertising 12 Implementation of IMC Plan 12 Financials 13 Control and Contingency 15 Appendix 16 1 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear SITUATION ANALYSIS Internal Analysis Columbia Sportswear, originally known as the Columbia Hat Company, was established in 1938 by Paul and Marie Lamfrom after they fled from Nazi Germany and settled in Portland, Oregon. The company was named after the historic and beautiful Columbia River, which was not far from where the headquarters were located. In 1960, Gert Boyle (daughter of Paul and Marie Lamfrom) designed the company’s very first fishing vest. From then on, the company would be called Columbia Sportswear. Just ten years later in 1970, Gert’s husband Neal suffered a fatal heart attack, leaving Gert responsible for the company.1 Gert enlisted the help of her son, Tim Boyle, a University of Oregon senior at the time. The two worked tirelessly in order to save the company from bankruptcy. The next fifteen years were spent developing an entire sportswear line, which was launched in 1985. A core piece of the sportswear line was the “Bugaboo Parka,” which featured advanced technology. The Bugaboo Parka was the item that essentially reformed the way downhill skiers dressed for the mountain. 2 In 1996, the company’s flagship store in Portland, Oregon had its grand opening. Two years later in 1998 Columbia went public and also became a sponsor of the Olympic games in Sydney. In the year 2000 Columbia acquired Sorel, a company that was incredibly popular and successful in Canada for its high quality snow/winter boots. Columbia also acquired Mountain Hardware in 2004. Mountain Hardware was a California-based company known for its outdoor equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, etc. and was a pivotal addition to Columbia Sportswear. This in this same year, Columbia hit a giant benchmark: it finally reached $1 billion in annual sales. Two years later, in 2006, Columbia acquired two more companies: Pacific Trail and Montrail. Soon after these acquisitions, Columbia Sportswear began expanding rapidly and became available in over 70 different countries.2 Since then Columbia has continually been a leader in the ski apparel industry, winning several awards for their technological creations and consistently revolutionizing apparel in the ski world. 1 2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Sportswear http://www.columbia.com/About-Us/About_Us_Landing,default,pg.html 2 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear External Environment The ski apparel industry has grown substantially in recent years. Large contests and events, such as the X-Games and the Olympics, have brought TV exposure and advertisers to the industry. More people have been able to see what the skiing world is all about and companies have capitalized on it. There are many competitors in the ski clothing industry and they are all vying for the attention of consumers. Much of the technology behind the jackets and pants is similar, but competitors develop unique designs and sponsor big names to differentiate themselves. For example, Burton endorses one of the most famous names in snowboarding history, Shaun White. He has helped Burton’s brand rise to the top of the industry. Consumers in the apparel category are attracted to flashy, bright colors. The overall culture of skiing is about standing out and being unique. Even with the high demand to be distinct, consumers also want a functional product that will keep them warm and dry in the harshest of conditions. With regards to advertising, companies use a multitude of different strategies and media vehicles. They place pictures of sponsored athletes in magazines riding in the Alaskan backcountry or they sponsor big events like the X-Games. Another huge part of this industry is the production of films. Companies sponsor riders and help them pay to produce documentaries that serve as product placement opportunities for brands. The ski industry has recently taken a hard hit because of the Great Recession. People have less money to go out and spend on their hobbies. Skiing is an expensive sport, many people are choosing to cut back or quit entirely. With declining number of skiers there is less of a demand for outerwear. Competitive Analysis The Ski Apparel market segment presents a strong competitive field that Columbia must outperform. According to Snow Sports Industries America, consumers spend nearly $1.25 billion dollars per year on apparel.3 Columbia may have serious competition, but that billion-dollar market is worth the fight. 3 http://www.snowsports.org/Retailers/Research/SnowSportsFactSheet/ 3 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear The North Face The North Face is Columbia’s greatest competitor. They are the industry leader in sales volume, selling over $325 million in apparel.4 The brand’s image is also similar to that of Columbia’s, mature and functional. In terms of style, The North Face has a more fashionable image than Columbia that has allowed it to attract more customers and dominate the market.5 • • • • Strengths: The North Face’s ability to fuse product style and functionality has made it the market leader, with over $325 million in apparel sales. With its dominance, The North Face has built large base of brand loyal customers. Weaknesses: The North Face is strongest in the Pacific Northwest and the brand has become a western stereotype, which makes attracting customers from different regions challenging. Opportunities: With the strength of its winter apparel, The North Face could expand into just about any new apparel market. Threats: Market saturation given the durability of The North Face’s products is a threat. Climate changes that make warm apparel unnecessary also threaten sales. Spyder Spyder is a high-end brand primarily used in ski and snowboard competitions, it has an edgy image and mixes performance with style. Spyder markets primarily to racers, but appeals to avid non-competitive skiers as well.6 • • • • Strengths: Spyder is a high profile brand that dominates the competitive skiing market, predominantly with skin tight racing suits. The brand has leveraged its sponsorships of Olympic athletes to build strong perceived value. Weaknesses: As a racing brand, casual skiers are less likely to purchase products made by Spyder, because they do not identify with the racing culture. Opportunities: With a strong brand in a respected category (racing), the opportunity to branch off and expand into the casual market is strong. With the upcoming 2014 Olympics, Spyder has the opportunity to gain recognition internationally on skiing’s highest stage. Threats: The industry is trending towards fewer ski trips per year, which reduces avidity and the likelihood that consumers will be interested in high end racing apparel. Saloman In the Skiing industry, Saloman is a complete brand. It manufactures everything consumers need to participate in snow sports from skis to gloves, Saloman can satisfy the needs of consumers. 4 Snow Sports Industries America www.thenorthface.com 6 www.Spyder.com 5 4 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear Saloman caters predominantly to older skiers who are heavy users, but ski in a casual manner.7 • • • • Strengths: Saloman is a complete ski supplier, making skis, boots, and apparel. They are a high-end brand with top quality products. The full service nature of the brand lends to customer confidence across its entire product line. Weaknesses: With a diverse range of ski products, Saloman may be stretching itself thin and be incapable of producing any one product at a higher quality than its competitors. Opportunities: As a supplier of all types of ski products, Saloman has the potential to be skier’s exclusive brand. Threats: As an equipment supplier, Saloman faces the threat of consumers trending towards rentals and away from purchasing skis. Burton Burton is a snowboard apparel brand. It is a rebellious brand that aligns well with the counter culture among snowboarders. Their products are trendy and eye catching, as opposed to the functionality based Columbia products. With trends toward stylish apparel, Burton, although not a Ski, company may threaten Columbia in the ski market if Columbia is unable to satisfy the style needs of consumers.8 • • • • Strengths: Burton is a major player in the snowboarding category and has captivated consumers with stylish products. The brand’s image also appeals to the rebellious nature of snowboarders. Weaknesses: Burton is focused on style, making it weaker than other brands in terms of product functionality and durability. Opportunities: As a snowboarding brand, Burton has the opportunity to expand into skiing and could threaten Columbia. Threats: Like all companies in the industry, Burton is threatened by climate change and trends away from snow sports. History of Advertising Gert Boyle could not have turned Columbia Sportswear into the billion-dollar business it is now without effective advertising. In fact, one of her main theories in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s when Columbia was still a small company was “early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise”.9 It’s easy to see that the company readily endorsed that motto. In the past Columbia Sportswear marketed itself primarily through national television ad 7 www.saloman.com 8 www.burton.com 9 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4u_VPAMiRY 5 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear campaigns, print, and some sponsorship. The key to its success, however, was relying on its new and innovative products. One of Columbia’s most innovative products at the time was the “Bugaboo”. This was a key in keeping the company out of bankruptcy after Gert’s father passed away. Columbia advertised this product by placing print ads in the newspaper that clearly depicted the fact that there were three coats in one; a shell and a liner, or both together. As of today they have sold over 5 million Bugaboos.10 Columbia’s business really took off after they decided to reposition themselves. Instead of making commercials about how outdoorsmen are tough, they embraced the fact that a woman owned a “man’s” company and started using Gert as a spokesperson. In the first national television ad, Gert sent her son, Tim, through a car wash. Not only did it get the point across that they test their gear tough, but many people also found the commercial to be hilarious. Another hit commercial with consumers was based on Gert throwing her son off a cliff and almost hitting the ground but a rope of Columbia garments saved his life. These ads were successful because they were memorable, unlike the majority other commercials. Nowadays, Columbia does not focus on national television advertisement. Instead, it focuses primarily on Internet and print ads. One way that Columbia advertises online is through its YouTube channel. It has several humorous ads that market everything from shoes to jackets. One commercial revolves around a taste test where they put hot dog buns in two people’s jackets (one being a Columbia jacket and one being a competitor’s) and make them go mountain biking. When they come back one bun is soaked in sweat and the other is dry, which promotes the breathability of Columbia’s jacket on the mountain. One tactic Columbia has not used frequently is sponsorship of athletes and events. Other competitors such as The North Face spend much more of their budgets on sponsoring huge sporting events, movies, and athletes. 10 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4u_VPAMiRY MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths In the target segment of skiers, Columbia has established itself as a reliable brand. The primary point of differentiation for Columbia is product quality, few brands produce products that are as durable and capable as Columbia. The high quality products have built brand equity for Columbia. Skiers of all levels are concerned with remaining dry and warm on the mountain and Columbia has built a reputation for providing consumers with these user benefits that have created a lot of value for the brand. The innovation used to produce these functional products has allowed Columbia to remain a perennial contender in the Ski Apparel Industry. Another strength of Columbia is that it has strong retail distribution through major sporting stores such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI, Sports Authority, and Cabela’s. The company is also profitable off its own retail stores, which are located throughout the United States. Lastly, Columbia has a strong online presence on its company website, Columbia.com. The website provides consumers with a wide array of interactive options such as online shopping, a store locator, videos, and blog posts. The website also features information and tutorials with regards to Columbia’s mobile apps, appealing to the younger segment of outdoor enthusiasts. 7 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear Weaknesses With The North Face dominating the Ski Apparel Industry, Columbia clearly has weaknesses that it needs to overcome. The greatest weakness is the brand’s image. Columbia’s brand has a number of issues that are preventing it from gaining market share. The first is that it feels stale. Columbia has focused its product development on functionality and that has led to bland style. The North Face and others have managed to incorporate both style and functionality, placing them safely ahead of Columbia in the market. The advertising has not helped that image. Promoting the brand as being run by an elderly lady has turned many young consumers away. Another weakness is that Columbia only provides a line of clothing for skiers, yet the growth and popularity of snowboarding has been steadily increasing. That is a very large market that is not currently being served by Columbia. Also, skiers and snowboarders have drastically different personalities, so making the brand exclusive to skiers likely means that snowboarders will not identify with the brand Opportunities Columbia is highly regarded among Generation X consumers because of its image of being functional and tough. It has a great opportunity to market towards the younger age group, as they are new to the sport. This generation’s numbers are continually growing and they are the future of the industry. Secondly, the number of people switching from skiing to snowboarding is increasing. With a focus on snowboarders, Columbia could increase its reach in the apparel industry. Columbia’s advertisements are mainly directed toward males. With a large number of female riders out there, it could benefit from diversifying its messages. Finally, as the use of social media continues to grow, Columbia can create viral ad campaigns that will attract a multitude of different users. Whether it is YouTube or facebook, Columbia needs to integrate a social media campaign. Threats Companies that focus more on their aesthetic appeal than the functionality of their product are a threat to Columbia. Some consumers are more focused on how they look rather than how their gear performs. Another big threat to Columbia is companies like Saloman that not only make ski apparel but also make top of the line equipment. Consumers often get the idea that if a brand 8 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear makes good skis, it will make good apparel and that could hurt Columbia’s market share. A macro-economic threat that Columbia could face is the lack of demand for cold weather gear due to global warming. If winters become less intense, a lot of its cutting edge technology will be unnecessary. Another macro-economic threat could be a recession. Columbia produces top of the line gear so if people have less money to spend, they will be more likely to compromise and buy from mediocre producers. ADVERTISING OBJECTIVES This Integrated Marketing Communications Plan will increase Columbia’s market share in the ski apparel industry by repositioning the brand with a new advertising campaign. The objectives that will help to reach the ultimate goal are: 1. Increase online sales of jackets by 20% to the 18-25 year old customer segment by 2014. 2. Match or surpass The North Face’s sales in the next 5 years. (long-term) 3. Increase brand awareness to generation Y through sponsorships, contests, and special promotions. KEY ISSUES A few key issues that Columbia is facing revolve around the repositioning of Columbia’s ski line. Essentially, the plan attempts to turn a somewhat stale and dull line of ski gear into a more modern, hip, and trendy line that appeals to both skiers and snowboarders. This could pose a challenge for Columbia considering its ski line has remained “plain” in the eyes of consumers for a number of years. Another key issue that Columbia faces involves using consumer-generated content. In order for a consumer-generated contest to be successful, consumers must buy in and participate. The challenge lies in the fact that it can be difficult to gain the necessary buy in from the younger demographic that is being targeted. Consumers of this segment are often hard to convince, as they are becoming more and more skeptical toward the corporate world. 9 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear ADVERTISING STRATEGY Target Market Geographic The advertising campaign will target the United States nationally. The goal is to capture as many young snow sport enthusiasts as possible, so advertising will be focused throughout the skiing hotbeds in the country. Targeted areas include Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, Vermont, New York, Minnesota, Michigan, Alaska, etc. The campaign will not run in the Southern states, because skiing and snowboarding are not prevalent in these warmer climates. Demographic The goal is to influence the age group of 18-25 year old males and females. These consumers have a decent discretionary income, as many are in college, still receiving support from their parents. They also have the time necessary to participate because most do not have family commitments at this point in their lives. Most skiers are male (61%) and the majority of them are between 18 and 34 years old, clearly indicating opportunity among these consumers.11 Psychographic Avid skiers and casual skiers fit into similar psychographic descriptions. Avid skiers are in tune and up to date with the industry’s technology, whether it be apparel or filming equipment. They communicate through internet blogs and sponsored/unsponsored events. Casual skiers are actually fairly knowledgeable about the industry as well. They have a passion for the outdoors and the main thing separating them from avid skiers is free time, because skiing is an expensive, time consuming sport. Overall, the typical target consumer’s psychographics incorporate: an active lifestyle, passion for skiing/outdoors, and an easygoing, yet determined personality. Positioning Statement Columbia seeks to facilitate all outdoor adventurers in their pursuit of excitement across a range of activities by supplying the best and most appealing products on the market. In the past, Columbia’s image has been that of a family owned company focused on providing 11 Snow Sports Industries America 10 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear durable and functional products. Advertising focused on Gert Boyle as a rare female leader of a sports company. That positioning has gone stale and this new advertising campaign is aimed at reinvigorating the brand image. ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN New Slogan – See Appendix In support of repositioning, the slogan “Rule The Mountain” will be adopted for Columbia’s snow sport apparel. Columbia needs something with which younger consumers can relate. The desire to possess and control aspects of the world is part of human nature and Generation Y’s feeling of disenfranchisement amplifies that yearning and causes them to clutch at anything that provides a sense of control. As a whole, Generation Y also feels as if it is meant for more, longing to achieve something great. This slogan appeals to that nature by conveying the message that the product can help them achieve greatness in the form of performance in snow sports. Most importantly, this new slogan transitions Columbia from a quirky brand that supplies good products, to a brand with flair and the ability to improve the lives of consumers. Contest Overview The main piece of Columbia’s advertising campaign will be a contest that engages consumers by allowing them to produce original content for the chance to win a sponsorship. Skiers and snowboarders will film themselves on the slopes performing their best tricks and upload the highlight reel footage for others to judge throughout the snow season. The videos will be uploaded to facebook, where the number of Likes will determine the winners of the competition. After the season, one male and one female will be crowned by their peers and awarded a comprehensive apparel sponsorship from Columbia and have their videos featured on Columbia’s YouTube channel. The winners will also be featured in the next year’s contest. This competition will take place annually and the winners will be known as Columbia’s Elite Fleet. Operation As videos are uploaded to Columbia’s facebook page, it will be the responsibility of the contestants to drive traffic to their videos in order to win the competition. For people to like the videos, they will be required to like Columbia’s page, exponentially increasing the reach of 11 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear Columbia’s social media efforts. Videos will also be uploaded on various skiing and snowboarding websites that will drive traffic to the facebook page and assist in allowing the competition to spread virally. Launch – See Appendix In order to launch this competition, Columbia will run an ad called Elite Fleet as an introduction to the contest. The ad will say: “At Columbia, we play King of the Hill differently,” then there will be a series of skiing and snowboarding highlights to illustrate the message. The commercial will then ask the question say: “Do you have what it takes to Rule the Mountain and earn your spot in Columbia’s Elite Fleet?” To close, the ad will direct viewers to facebook for rules and entry. Support Advertising Sick Day – See Appendix To drive home the new positioning, Columbia will release a Sick Day commercial. The Sick Day commercial will combine a little bit of humor with Columbia’s new, exciting, brand image. The ad will start with the quote: “If you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do” from world-renowned skier Warren Miller to reinforce the new position of an exciting and competitive brand. Then the video will transition to a student emailing his/her teacher saying that she/he is sick and cannot attend class as she/he is arriving at a mountain. The student will then be shown performing some “sick” tricks on the slopes. Throughout the video, there will be text to emphasize that a sick day means a great day on the mountain for Columbia. Where Does Columbia Take You? Another part of the IMC plan is the use of social media. Columbia will launch a program where users of Columbia products can post pictures of themselves in awe-inspiring locations. Hopefully, riders will send pictures of themselves on top of the mountain sporting Columbia jackets, pants, etc. to build even more awareness. IMPLEMENTATION OF IMC CAMPAIGN To achieve the IMC goals with a multi-level advertising campaign, three mediums will be incorporated. The new IMC campaign will consist of: 12 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear PRINT ADS Print ads will feature the theme from the Sick Day commercial. Each ad will have a picture from the mountain with the Columbia logo and slogan, “Rule the Mountain.” The ads will be placed strategically in college student promotional handbooks, ESPN magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Transworld Snowboarding and Skiing magazines. The ads will also run as banners on the side of internet sites such as ESPN.com, dogfunk.com, and other ski sites. TV Commercials Both the Elite Fleet and Sick Day commercials will run on TV, playing on ESPN, Discovery Channel, and the Outdoor Channel. The ads will be run twice during two-hour prime time blocks for the best opportunity to reach the target audience. The ads will be run on 12 days over the course of the snow season. Social Media The Where Does Columbia Take You? campaign will run through Twitter and Instagram. It will be managed by the current social media team and will therefore require no additional spending. Milestones • • • • August 15th- Begin awareness for the Elite Week contest via Twitter November, December and January - Release print ads in ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and Skiing and Snowboarding magazine. December - Run TV commercials on ESPN, Discover, and the Outdoor Channel. o Have 200 user videos submitted for Elite Fleet competition May 1st - Announce Elite Fleet winners FINANCIALS In order to effectively implement this integrated marketing communications plan, Columbia will have to incur the following costs: The Sick Day print ads will be one of the most expensive parts of the campaign because of the total number of ads. There are going to make a total of 3 different ads and place them each at the same time in the different magazines for 3 consecutive issues. The estimated labor and materials 13 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear costs to make the 3 ads is $5,000, which will include paying the designer. Then, to place the ads in these three magazines will be: ESPN magazine12 - Full page color ad in three issues= Sports Illustrated13 - Full page, four color ad in three issues= Skiing/snowboarding magazines14 - full page color ad in three issues= $225,818*3 $238,000*3 $40, 000*3 $1,511,454 The Elite fleet video contest will be very cheap to implement. The cost for advertising this is already taken into account in our print ads. At the bottom of the ads there will be writing directing potential contestants to the facebook page for more information. There will also be banner ads placed on Columbia.com. The estimated costs are around $1,000- that includes a designers labor time. = $1,000 The Where does Columbia take you? campaign will also be inexpensive. Like the video contest, there will be writing on the full-page ads that informs consumers about campaign. Consumers should take over and transforms it into a viral campaign. This will cost no money to implement and the cost of the text is already taken into account in the print ads. The Sick Day TV commercial will be another expensive part of the budget. This commercial will be produced to make Columbia standout to younger audiences. Production will cost $5,000, which includes paying a skier/snowboarder and editing costs. The cost of airing this commercial on Monday- Wednesday for an entire month will be: ESPN15 - 30 second ad twice from 8-10pm E.T. = Discovery16 - 30 second ad twice from 6-8pm E.T.= Outdoor Network - 30 second ad twice from 7-9pm E.T= Total Cost: $20,000*2 per night *12 days $11,000* 2 per night*12 days $8,000*2 per night *12 days =$936,000 TOTAL=2,448,454 12 http://www.espncms.com/magazine/espn-the-magazine/2012-rates-specs.aspx http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/adinfo/si/ratecardframe.html 14 http://www.gaebler.com/Skiing+Magazine-magazine-advertising-costs++30845 15 http://domainshane.com/the-average-cost-of-a-30-second-spot-on-national-tv-104051-and-a-domain/ 16 http://www.adweek.com/news/television/their-prime-broadcast-spot-costs-soar-132805 13 14 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear CONTROLS & CONTINGENCY Objectives 1. Increase online sales of jackets by 20% to the 18-25 year old customer segment by 2014. 2. Match or surpass The North Face’s sales in the next 5 years. (long-term) 3. Increase brand awareness to Generation Y through sponsorships, contests, and special promotions. Objective Measurement The first objective will be measured by simply implementing a short survey before consumers check out of Columbia’s online store. The survey will include demographic information only, such as age, location, and gender. The customers will not be able to proceed to the purchase screen until they have completed the survey. This will allow the measurement of online jacket sales to 18-25 year old segment and if the 20% growth goal is being met. The easiest objective to measure will be Columbia’s sales compared to North Face’s sales. Both Columbia and North Face are publicly traded companies so it will be easy to compare their sales and compare the growth. In 2017, if Columbia’s sales are greater than North Face, the goal will be accomplished. Brand awareness will be measured by the number of Elite Fleet contest videos that are received. The goal for number of video entries is 1,000. If 1,000 video entries are submitted, that will be a good indication of an increase in brand awareness from this specific age demographic (entries must be made by consumers 18-25 years old). Also, sales growth will be measured after the two winners are selected and their videos are aired on Columbia’s YouTube channel. If contestants do not enter the Elite Fleet contest, the plan will shift to sponsorships. Columbia will pursue contracts with established athletes and reexamine the messaging to determine if it is consistent with the desires of consumers. 15 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear APPENDIX Slogan: Elite Fleet: Video -‐ http://doncheney.com/portfolio/columbia-‐sportswear/ 16 MKTG 420: Group 6 – Columbia Sportswear Sick Day: Video -‐ http://doncheney.com/portfolio/columbia-‐sportswear/ 17