RACE Marketing

Research, Action, Communication, Evaluation Introduction to RACE... I suppose it’s only fitting that since it’s a direct tie to the name of this blog I should at least make an attempt to explain this method of marketing that’s carried me through my career as a brand and direct marketer. It’s a true statement; I love to race, whether it’s at work or in my personal life. Every year, shortly after the holiday season, I lace up a new pair of trail sneakers and Jagger (my 80 pound

Research, Action, Communication, Evaluation Never start a brand project without research. It’s crucially important to know how your product or service stacks up with the competition and the current market conditions. While on an assignment a few years ago, a co-worker and I traveled across the country to Golden, Colorado, to study patterns in a particular outdoor industry market segment. Spending a few days in the midst of the culture and lifestyles surrounding this particula

Research, Action, Communication, Evaluation After your initial research, take action by putting together a plan. This next step is your road map that will give you guidance and structure to follow from beginning to end. When doing work for Gates Gloves & Gear, my team was assigned to bring life back to a diminished brand. In the 1990s, Gates was a powerhouse in the ski glove industry, but a combination of management mistakes and tough competition put the brand in a downward s

Research, Action, Communication, Evaluation As marketers, this should be the most comfortable and undoubtedly the most rewarding part of the RACE. The research has led you into an action plan and now it’s time to communicate that plan. Design, create, publish, send, buy. All of these are things that take place during the communication segment of RACE. This is where your team buys the media, creates the ads, publishes the posts and mails the collateral. Just because this part

Research, Action, Communication, Evaluation Skipping the Evaluation segment of the RACE is like climbing the mountain and turning back ten steps from the top. Why would you hike that far and turn around before taking in the view? Several years ago, I helped launch an ad campaign for a prominent outdoor footwear brand. Our first venture into big-time advertising was a television ad campaign that blanketed TNN and ESPN. Since the web wasn’t an option—yes, it was that long ago—w