Outdoor Sports Marketing News

We hope this correspondence finds all our friends, family, business partners and retailers alike, having a wonderful summer.

All of us at Outdoor Sports Marketing have been working hard to meet and exceed our vendor and retailer expectations. In an effort to achieve your standards Outdoor Sports Marketing has recently added two new employees to our team.

Katherine Corbett, (K.C.) resident of Long Creek, South Carolina joined the Outdoor Sports Marketing team in March, quickly proving her road worthiness by tackling promotional events, product education and in-store merchandising along the 85-95 corridors. KC is an accomplished whitewater kayaker, having traveled throughout Central and South America honing her skills, not to mention her Spanish. KC carries a degree in business and marketing from the University of Georgia and has worked in retail, accounting, and on the river as an instructor, guide and photo boater.

KC will use her creative energy and spirit to focus on the sales, service and educational aspects of our company. If you see her on the road or the river, please don’t hesitate to stop her, she loves to share her stories of adventure.

Please reach KC at kc@outdoorsportsmarketing.com.


Hired in early June Meghan Giroux joins us from Burlington, Vermont where she was a Marketing Coordinator at ISIS, a successful women’s outerwear company. Coupled with 10 years of small business experience and entrepreneurial spirit Meghan is a perfect addition to our office.

Meghan’s personal pursuits are as varied as her skill set, enjoying the arts, riding her mountain bike, and helping underserved communities are all things that keep her busy outside of the office. I certainly hope we can keep her engaged.

Meghan is currently learning our business from the phone to the filing cabinet. In the short-term Meghan will be analyzing how we run our business. With that knowledge Meghan will implement new systems to better serve our industry partners. In future months Meghan will work her way back into marketing, helping to assist both retailers and vendors build specific marketing initiatives in our territory. Meghan is excited to learn more about our business and yours.

Please reach Meghan at: meghan@outdoorsportsmarketing.com
Outdoor Sports Marketing Headquarters 828.890.0088


Finally, we are all blessed to be welcoming back Tavia Davis into the office. Jack is strong and healthy and Tavia is excited to reengage with the industry and outdoor pursuits she enjoys. This fall, starting in September Tavia will be returning on a part time basis, (she still needs time to get Jack outside and keep Nolan sane) working closely with Meghan as she learns the ins and outs of the best customer service in the country. This spring she will be taking on a new role focusing on in house sales (we know you can’t say no to her).

As always Tavia can be reached at: tavia@outdoorsportsmarketing.com.
Outdoor Sports Marketing Headquarters 828.890.0088


Outdoor Sports Marketing sincerely appreciates the on-going relationships we have fostered with all of you. We are pleased to share with you the new additions to our family. It goes without saying that Martin, Scott, Nolan and I are thrilled to be working with a complimentary team of ladies that represent diverse backgrounds, skill sets and experience. We look forward to offering each of you better sales, service and education in the future. See you on the road and at the shows.

GoLite Footwear's premiere in Jacksonville Florida last weekend was a huge success with great consumer response. Reportedly, 36 customers tried on GoLite shoes over the weekend at Black Creek Outfitters, the premiere outdoor shop in the area. Take a peek at the prominent display of the product. Good merchandising goes a long way.

Our newest addition to the OSM family of products, GoLite Footwear, has just released product to stores.

Read the press release as of 03/05/07 CLICK HERE to download .doc

cascadedesigns.com

Cascade Designs(r) Announces 2006 Rep of the Year

Posted: 02/26/2007 In Category: Outdoor Manufacturer/Supplier
Posted By: Tami Fairweather
See where it was posted on snews.net

SEATTLE, Wash. - Cascade Designs Inc., a Seattle-based manufacturer of
premier backpacking and recreation products, announced today Outdoor Sports
Marketing as 2006 Rep of the Year. The group's efforts propelled strong
growth in the Southeast U.S. territory for the company's flagship brands:
MSR(r), Therm-a-Rest(r), SealLine(r), Platypus(r) and Tracks(r).

The Outdoor Sports Marketing team, including Nolan and Tavia Davis, Rion
Smith, Scott Eddins, and Martin Wilkinson, has raised the bar on how
business is done in their region, providing exceptional sales and service to
Cascade Designs' retailers in 15 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. This distinction recognizes their commitment and passion for
growing their dealers' business and public participation in outdoor
activities.

"We've been impressed how in two short years, the team has surpassed sales
projections and expanded distribution," said Fletcher Andrews, U.S. Sales
Manager for Cascade Designs. "This is a result of working to support one
another and their dealers. We're proud to have them on board and look
forward to their continued success."

About Cascade Designs, Inc.

For over thirty years, Seattle-based Cascade Designs(r) has led the outdoor
industry in the design and manufacture of innovative gear and equipment,
including the first self inflating camping mattress, the first multi-fuel
stove and a revolutionary pen-sized water purifier. Today, Cascade Designs'
products are in use around the globe providing outdoor adventurers and
explorers with gear they can rely on, even in the most challenging
environments.
For more information on Cascade Designs or links to our premium brands:
MSR(r); Therm-a-Rest(r); SealLine(r); Platypus(r); Tracks(r) and
VARILITE(r), please visit cascadedesigns.com or call us at
1-800-531-9531.

Quite recently two of our lines, Osprey Packs and MSR (Cascade Designs) have received prestigious awards in the Outdoor Industry.

MSR Reactor

The Rock & Ice B.I.G. (Best in Gear) Award will be published in the March Issue of Rock & Ice. This is the first year of the award, which highlights the best and most innovative gear in a category. All gear under consideration has been tested by Rock and Ice's editorial staff. The Reactor was the winner out of twenty that were tested by the magazine's staff.

MSR Reactor
Winner of the ispo Outdoor Award 2007/08
download this in .doc format
FACTS about the ispo award:

WHAT IS THIS AWARD?
The ispo Outdoor Award is a prestigious award given at the ispo (International Trade Fair for Sports Equipment and Fashion) trade show in Munich, Germany. The award recognizes the best outdoor product innovations for the upcoming winter season. In the case of the 2007 award, they are considering winter season 2007/2008.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD?
To offer consumers and retailers purchasing guidance and to provide a quality seal to single out products that have made an outstanding product innovation. Lighting Ascent Snowshoes were the winners of the ispo Outdoor Award in 2004.

WHAT WAS THE CRITERIA?
Judges looked for the best product innovations considering the following criteria:
Function / Quality / Technical Solutions
Innovation
User-friendliness / Serviceability
Design

WHAT DID THEY SAY ABOUT THE REACTOR?
"With trademark perfection in their product finish, MSR presents a perfect camp stove for the most demanding outdoor applications. Having paid meticulous attention to detail and pushing the boundaries on innovative development, MSR delivers the Reactor Stove, a stellar performer under challenging and adverse conditions such as storms or low air pressure. Particularly noteworthy is a significant reduction in fuel consumption, while the stove’s heating performance has been improved remarkably."

ARE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT STATISTICS FOR THIS WIN?
One product was chosen in each of 5 categories for the ispo Outdoor Award from submissions from over 70 countries around the world. The Reactor won the Adventure & Travel category. Other categories awarded included; technology & electronics, hardware, footwear, and apparel.

WHO WERE THE JUDGES?
A jury is compiled by ispo each year. In 2007, the jury consisted of: Presidents: Christof Schellhammer and Wolfgang Pohl; Thomas Lipke, Globetrotter, Germany; Peter Fresia, Sporthaus "Schuster", Germany; Helmut Hertinger, "Sporthaus Conrad", Germany; Volker Leuchsner, Chief Editor "Klettern", Germany; Frank Wacker, "Outdoor", Germany; Olaf Perwitzschky, "Alpin", Germany; Olaf Beck, Chief Editor "Outdoor", Germany; Peter Plattner, "Berg & Steigen", Austria; Ulrich Pramann, Chief Editor "Nordic Fitness Magazin", Germany; Andy Kirkpatrick, "Climb Magazine", UK, Thomas Bucher, "Bergsteiger/CLIMB!", Germany; and Petra Griesel, "outdoor_ispo".


Osprey Packs has also gianed some very positive exposure as of late. Backpacker Magazine's 2007 gear guide rates Osprey at the top.

Download full spread from Backpacker Magazine .pdf

Happy Holidays Everyone!

We're delighted to share a media hit for the MSR Reactor Stove in the January issue of Popular Mechanics. In the monthly "Upgrade" column - highlighting new gear, tools and toys - the Reactor is featured on page 41. Following the "Fire in the Bowl" headline, the editors describe the innovations in this stove as "head-turning." True to journalistic form, the article also touches on a couple of perceived drawbacks (price and only one pot), but it does explain the all-condition performance superiority of the stove.
Click the image to zoom in.

Circulation on this publication is 1.2 million with an audience reach of 3 million. We are pleased to have the exposure. Retail store employees are encouraged to mention MSR's media exposure to customers.

In other news our friends Mion Footwear and Effort Inc have formed a new partnership centered around online kayaking videos. The concept is to inform paddlers, starting from the core of the sport, about the Mion brand through exciting and compelling video content. An additional goal is to spread the word of Mion's steadfast mission to make the best shoes for amphibious athletes in the most environmentally way possible. You may view one to two new videos per month at the following link. Just keep checking back from time to time.
http://www.effort.tv/SpenceVideo.mov



We are excited to have the grass roots exposure which will surely translate to inquiries and sales on the retail floor.

Happy New Year,

OSM and Cascade Designs

Retail Staff, Guides, Instructors, Trainers, Athletes,

Mion Footwear has introduced a pro purchase program through OutdoorProlink.com that you can take advantage of. Please click HERE to download Mion's Outdoor Prolink guidelines document in .jpg format.

Pictured is Spencer Cooke testing a pair of Mions in the Linville Gorge wilderness on Nov 17th.


Thanks,

OSM Blogger