A major marketing campaign kicked off by Kelty last month is aimed as much at its wholesale partners as consumers.
The year-long “Kelty Built” campaign uses a redesigned web sites, social media, event sponsorships, promotions and POP signage to build excitement around the brand ahead of a major Spring 2016 product launch that Kelty will debut to the trade at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in August.
“Kelty is 60-plus-year-old brand and the danger of such brands is complacency,” said Eric Greene, VP Brand + Innovation and General Manager for Kelty. “Secondly, there is a danger of mentally aging along with physically aging. If you are not deliberate you can age yourself right out of existence.”
Thirdly, outdoor specialty retailers are much less inclined to carry more than three brands in core camping categories such as backpacks, tents and sleeping bags than they were before the last recession and big box retailers like REI, Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops have been upgrading their private label offerings.
Private label brands increased their share of technical pack sales in the Specialty Outdoor channel by nearly half from 2012 to 2014 when they trailed behind market leaders Osprey Packs and Gregory Mountain, according to data from SSI Outdoor VantagePoint, which collects point-of-sale data from over 10,000 stores that sell outdoor products. The same data show Kelty overtook a competitor in 2014 to become take fourth place in terms of market share in the category.
Six dogs and 1,900 miles of trail
To kick-off the project, Greene assembled a panel of 250 Kelty customers – including both core enthusiasts and more casual users – and began testing their responses to a variety of images and phrases to get a sense of how they related to the Kelty brand.
“We tested words like “simplicity” and “heritage” and “durability,” Greene said in an exclusive interview with The B.O.S.S. Report last week. “None of them crushed it, but then we got this amazing letter in the mail from this guy who is 72 years old. He wanted his pack repaired, but said 'whatever you do, don't throw it away! It's been through six dogs, 1,900 miles of trails and more memories than I can count. It's more a part of me than anything in my life.'”
The letter inspired the tagline “Kelty Built: Memories that last start with Gear that lasts.”
“This scored off the charts compared to other phrases and reflects the fact that people are in it for more social aspects,” Greene said. “It really hits the vibe. So even though that's really what Kelty has been about for 50 years, we've been able to keep if fresh.”
Kelty launched a rebranding campaign built around the tagline in April targeting 25-to-44-year-olds “who like to live it up and get outside” and “seek good value and lasting quality.” In addition to the obligatory backpacking shots, the campaign uses images of people car camping, mountain biking, slacklining, swimming and attending concerts and festivals.
Versatility is king
“They're used to be backpacking for the sake of backpacking and camping for the sake of camping,” said Greene, whose previous jobs have involved marketing everything from toys and dog products to medical devices and energy drinks. “Now it more about creating a base camp for fly fishing, biking, trail running or going to festivals. Most of our customers are not into any one activity. They are into many things. So our objective is to be versatile and relevant across the board.”
The campaign is designed to elevate the brand with consumers and build momentum ahead of the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, where Kelty will unveil several key products for Spring 2016. The major components of the Spring 2016 launch are Versant, a new collection of day packs, bags and furniture, and updated versions of some of its most iconic backpacks.
The Versant collection is designed to work as well in the office or on city rooftops as it is on weekend hikes or car camping trips.
“It allows you to represent the outdoor tribe at work,” said Greene.
Kelty will also unveil redesigned versions of its Red Wing, Red Cloud and Coyote backpacks that integrate the Perfect-Fit adjustable torso suspension system that it introduced this spring with the launch of its Catalyst backpacks.
“It sold in so well, that we are expanding it to the broader part of our line while we update some of our most iconic packs,” Greene said of Perfect-Fit.
Kelty's objective, said Greene, is to keep its place on the pack wall at outdoor specialty stores and in the minds of consumers as a “great value-for-the-money brand” that provides extremely durable and versatile gear.
“Because it has 60 year reputation, Kelty has always made the cut,” said Greene. “But you don't want to rest on those laurels.
