Empire/Target Collabo?

  • Thread starter Thread starter BK
  • Start date Start date
BK

BK

Active member
http://community.freeskier.com/cache/photo_2384_-1x630_0.png[IMG]

So this is insane here. The company hasn't even started distributing, let alone have a website yet and it has sold out? Seemed kind of ridiculous to have targets on one of the first pair. Then I realized if they were going to plug target would you do it any other way? Edward scissor hands camera bangers, pretty dirty. Then remembered hearing about Josh Clancy (http://toothjuice.net/) one of the most hardworking, creative and respectable designers getting paid an extremley nice stack of cash for doing design work for Target... Is he a sell out, not at all, just trying to make a living. Perhaps likewise wit Empire. Thoughts on that collabo/gloves?
 
i'm pretty sure most people on this site if put in the position would do it just to make some scrilla. it's so hard to say no to something like that, even if you are considered a "sell out". if target is goin to be selling empire out of their stores for a great price than good, at this point ,as a consumer, thats all that matters to me.
 
I guess I fail to see the point of this thread.

Is it that you are upset he has a Target logo on his gloves? Because that's whathe is being paid to do by Target, rep their brand.

I just don't see the point of this thread.
 
I agree, Simon is sponsored by Target, as Skier X said he is paid to rep the company, his Oakley gloves had a huge Target Logo on them, so are you saying that Oakley was selling out to Target? Next your going to say that Giro is working and selling out because he has the red bull logo on his helmet.
 
hilarious! this company has been a joke iin my opinion from the start.

totally unoriginal name - been used by countless other companies including the one listed above.

business plan and platform changing by the day - first, they were going to change their product line from year-to-year and makes shoes, skis, clothes, and maybe some goggles depending upon what they wanted at that time. now they are just a glove company.

brand-devaluing and obnoxious sticker assults - everywhere i look i see that lame old english logo plastered to a garbage can in summit county. c'mon, have a little respect for your brand.

an owner who fails to show even the slightest bit of humilty - even when entering the business arena and doing something he has zero experience doing, he still projects an arrogant image.

i would be suprised if thisexperiment goes on for more than 24 months. but hey, i have been wrong in the past, and i am in a bad mood this morning if you cannot tell, haha.
 
im not saying Empire is selling out. If you read it more closely thats why I brought up that other kid doing work for target. I think this corporate partnership has been pulled correctly in those first gloves because they are dope as hell. I had just never seen any empire product yet and was trying to get an interesting discussion going as opposed to endless the threads of people whining about it not snowing in the east or questions about how to make your character ski with no poles in Jibberish. but whatever.
 
At this point the stickers have been handed out at numerous movie premiers as well as contests throughout the world. Chances are if you see a sticker put up somewhere it wasnt Simon who put it there.
 
But noone can give an honest appraisal of the situation as noone has seen their product aside from a quick photo here or there with Dumont wearing something, or a blurb here and there.

As for the product being in high-demand already? Same idea as why do music stars make perfume? Because people want to be like their favorite "celebrity", and Simon Dumont is a skiing Celebrity.
 
I'm willing to bet the gloves that are sold to the public wont have Target logos on them. The Gloves he's had for the last few years were only made for him.

And i'm sure that my Armada's wont have "Red Bull" logos on the bases just because Tanners do.
 
Sticker marketing, or what some people call guerilla marketing (not in the traditional sense of course) has proven itself a viable marketing method. Many bands as well as politicians have used sticker marketing as means of advertisement. This marketing campaign uses visual recognition to reinforce a particular massage or brand. The visual recognition creates conversation (good and bad), which in turn inspires curiosity among people, who then research the company, band, etc. The reason smaller companies or start up companies choose guerilla marketing is the fact that visual recognition is a great segway into brand recognition.

Traditional marketing is not even an option for a many start up companies in the freesking community. It has been my experience that the demographics of the freesking community is mostly male (even though it is catching on with the female sex thanks to riders like Parker, Burke and others), age 10-30, and middle to upper class. The dominate locations of this demographic are mountainous areas. Taking this all into consideration, it is only a small percentage of the total population that fits this demographic.

Back to my point about traditional marketing, in order to reach this relatively small portion of the population, a company would have to spend millions. Companies like Old Navy, Polo, and The North Face first have the money and second appeal to a larger demographic in the population. Instead new companies such as Empire are forced to be more cost effective and print stickers and bandanas to pass out to our community. These Bandanas and stickers will hopefully be sported at competitions, on the slopes, in bars and at parties. My own experience shows that this is a credible marketing technique, when I wear one of my 4frnt hoodies out, people are always asking me "What is 4frnt ?". The best thing about this type of marketing is the fact that it allows small companies to invest more monies back into the quality of their product.

Ever since the first ad for empire premiered in Freeskier, there has been a lot of talk. Maybe Empire is not being traditional in their marketing and business plan, but lets be real here, is there anything really traditional in freesking. From my perspective Empire is just being traditionally untraditional. One must keep in mind that this company is being run by an athlete for the benefit of all of us. From my understanding most of the ski industry is run by industry executives who get their info to make decisions from trend research. This research maybe representative of people in the community but the final decision still comes from the top. Simon and the others from Empire live and experience the community and will bend and mold to the desires of the community. I would rather support a company that the owner knows what the community wants, then a company making decisions based on what they think the community wants.
 
some people feel that way and other feel that their brand means something and they don't want it to be devalued or cheapened by slutting themselves all over the place in exchange for low level recognition. i personally get annoyed with it and it has an adverse effect on me. how many kids do you see with redbull stickers or even armada dye cut stickers, yet they are probably the most requested stickers on NS. these are also the products that people will pay a premium for. they built brands, totally different from one another, that have a high level of respect from their consumers. name me 1 dope brand you can think of that is gonna give you a sticker and allow you to represent them? there aren't any bro.

marketing is not an exact science and there are different ways to look at it. guerrilla marketing is one of those ways, it just happens to drive me away from a brand. others may respond differently to it.

 
I understand that you find the sticker marketing annoying, and that is fine, to each their own. I am little confused on your argument about Red Bull . Red Bull is one of the most exclusive sponsors. Also, Red Bull is a company that uses Traditional marketing and comparing them to Empire is like comparing apples and oranges. If you email Red Bull for stickers the only thing they are going to send you is a stencil to make your own stickers (searchbar). They do no sell their clothing on the open market, the only people that get Red Bull gear are athletes, workers, and their reps. If you lucky, you maybe at a comp or an event and get a shirt. On the other hand, Empire is selling their goods on the open market (via the internet site www.empireattire.com) and has been handing out free goods to many.

Marketing is a science, in may not be a science like Chemistry, but rather considered a social science. In marketing you need to study, what the demographic wants and needs. You need to target these demographics with advertising that will speak to them. I don't know if you’re in high school, College or out of college, but if your still in school you really should take an upper level marketing course, they get you thinking outside the box.
 
I am not comparing them to RedBull, my point (if you can read) was

about branding and how RedBull became this well respected brand. It

was because they controlled their representation. Everything you wrote

about RedBull backs my point. They marketed their products by putting

money into events and not by plastering stickers everywhere. They were

the ones who represented their brand, not a garbage can in Boulder or a

lightpole in Dillon. I was using it as a case study to show that

their are other methods to marketing. Although maybe you will learn that next semester in your "upper level marketing course". I don't want to get too far ahead because right now it sound like you are learing the basics. My point is/was that there are different methods and some work better on some folks than others. I may be the minority on this.

Additionally, I never said marketing was not a science (again, learn to read), I said it is not an "exact science". They are 2 totally different things. I am not sure what grade in high school you are in, but I would suggest taking a higher level science course in Chemistry or Physics so you can learn what an "exact science" is Copernicus.

 
If Target was paying me the kind of money their paying Dumont, I'd tatto their logo on my taint.

Of course I would then make a point of showing everyone I know, and most people I didn't. It would totally sweet conversation.

"Hey, nice to meet you, I'm Tyler, wanna see my taint?"
 
hey man, I wasn't trying to knock what you know or what your saying, I am just showing that sticker marketing is a proven method. Your right, Red Bull does it differently, but they are also a multi million company. Maybe we aren't seeing eye to eye and that is fine.The line about upper marketing courses I am serious about, they really helped me understand a company and the science (I use this term for the lackof a better Term) behind marketing. That was not just meant for you it was for anyone. If you think I am in high school that is fine, but for you information I am not in high school or college, I actually Graduated with a degree in Marketing, history and a minor in business. And currently work for a 401k company. And your right I may of read you post wrong, and that is what happens sometimes. Like you, I may of been in a bad mood this morning. I guessing people are getting bored with our rants about marketing, I see your point and it is well taken, and I know there are other forms of marketing. Well dude, in the end it is your choice to suport Empire or not.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top