Columbia Sportswear Company announced the expansion of its global digital marketing footprint with the recent launch of new Columbia and Sorel-branded e-commerce sites in Canada and eight European countries.

When combined with existing sites in the U.S., Korea and Japan, the latest additions in Canada, UK, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Austria, Belgium and The Netherlands, round out an expansive digital presence consisting of 24 localized e-commerce sites spanning 12 countries. In addition, the company provides centralized support for non-e-commerce Columbia-brand sites in 28 other countries and Sorel-brand sites in 20 other countries.

Tim Boyle, president and chief executive officer, notes: “Great brands take responsibility for creating brand-enhancing consumer experiences at every touch-point. Columbia's strategic investment in building a global, multi-brand online presence reflects our commitment to the digital space as a powerful marketing platform that allows us to consistently tell our brand and innovation stories in simple, engaging ways. These sites represent a significant ongoing investment in our brands that we believe will help drive consumer demand and loyalty for the benefit of our wholesale partners.”

The sites are designed to strengthen the emotional connection consumers have to each brand by providing easy access to information about products, technologies and innovations, as well as engaging marketing content. Consumers' ability to research, learn and connect will drive demand and influence purchasing decisions both online and with brick-and-mortar retail partners. Those same retail partners also benefit from access to an extensive library of digital assets for use on their own sites and in marketing media, creating value across the board.

Each e-commerce site features local merchandising, pricing, currency, fulfillment, payment methods and languages. And because the localized e-commerce sites are built on a single global technology platform, the process of creating sites that reflect consistent global branding has been streamlined. Paul Zaengle, vice president of e-commerce, notes, “We are able to leverage robust feature sets and user experiences, including global product ratings and reviews, a global dealer locator, rich product imagery, 360-degree footwear viewing, and informative product videos. Behind the scenes, a single technology platform means more efficient operations and system maintenance, and the ability to leverage technology upgrades across all sites.”