Organizations News : SIA Launches “Retailer to Consumer Marketing Guide”

FREE Step-by-Step Marketing/Advertising Guide Available This Week
Washington, DC (August 28, 2012) -- As shop owners prepare for a new season and look forward to the busy winter months, SnowSports Industries America (SIA) has developed a FREE and easy-to-use advertising and marketing guide to help retailers build effective marketing programs and drive traffic to their stores The Retailer to Consumer Marketing Guide (RMG) will launch this week with a printed kit and electronic version at: snowsports.org/rmg. SIA will be sending the guide to more than 3,000 snow sports specialty managements across the country and Canada while providing online digital access + PDF download to thousands more in the weeks ahead.
“We realize that everyone gets busy during the season, so we wanted to provide retailers with a complete kit that includes a variety of marketing tools to communicate to customers, build excitement around snow sports and ultimately increase sales,” commented David Ingemie, SIA’s President. “For the busy shop owner, this really is a plug-in marketing program,” added Ingemie.
Based on current trends and research, SIA’s marketing department worked with the design and marketing gurus at Sage Island to develop effective tools that retailers can use throughout the season. Sage Island has an extensive background developing marketing materials for the Board Retailers Association (BRA) ,as well as, retail and manufacturing clients within the skate, snowboard and surf categories.
“SIA has done a great job pulling together a kit that will help retailers reach their customers, I know we’ll be using several of the campaigns this year,” commented Bob Olson, owner of Viking Ski Shop in Chicago and SIA Retailer Advisory Committee member.
In total, the multi-faceted Marketing Guide features twenty-four campaigns, separated into four seasonal segments. Each campaign offers advertising headlines, radio ads, social media postings, html emails and in-store event ideas. Retailers can use the material straight from the kit or customize messages with store offers, branding elements, regional information or artwork.
“We hear from shop owners they don’t have time to create marketing campaigns so obviously we’re happy to see SIA working on an area that needs attention. The Guide’s creative is well thought out and relevant, giving shops some additional tools for reaching out to their customers,” commented Brad Nelson, NSSRA President and President of Hi-Tempo based in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

The Retailer to Consumer Marketing Guide was developed with the support and guidance from SIA’s Retailer Advisory Committee, NSSRA, BRA, Industry Buying Groups (NBS, SSL, SMC, Sports Inc.) and Regional Rep Associations (EWSRA, MRA, MWSRA, NEWSR, SWRA, WWSRA).
“A kit to aid the retailer can only help and everyone knows we need help in this tight economic climate. Without a plan one will flounder. Use this kit to plan and communicate with your customers and you will be stoked,” said Jay Moore, Owner/President of World Boards in Bozeman, MT and Snow Committee Chair of Board Retailers Association.
For more information on SIA’s Retailer to Consumer Marketing Guide, please contact Mary Cecile Neville, SIA’s Associate Director Marketing & Communications, at MCNeville@snowsports.org or 703.506.4201.

-SIA-

SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is the national not-for-profit, North American member-owned, trade association representing suppliers and service providers of snow sports products with constituents in the retailer, rep and resort communities. Established in 1954, SIA annually produces the SIA Snow Show, the largest snow sports industry trade show, on-snow demo and networking environment globally, while delivering invaluable data/research reports including the Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report, SnowSports RetailTRAK™ and Executive Market Summary. SIA also produces a Supplier Show at the SIA Snow Show called Sourcing Snow, learn more at siasnowshow.com/sourcing. SIA helps grow the industry with consumer initiatives and websites, snowlink.com and wintertrails.org, marketing products, services and programs helping our Members operate more efficiently, bring their products to market and increase participation in snow sports.

 For more information, check out snowsports.org. SnowSports Industries America, 8377-B Greensboro Drive, McLean, VA 22102-3587 (Washington, DC area). Phone: 703.556.9020, Fax: 703.821.8276, Email: SIAmail@snowsports.org.