In 2009, Yeti Holdings, Inc. (YETI) the premier maker of coolers and accessories was 3 years into its journey, with annual sales of $5M. Fast forward ten years later, Yeti is now a public company with annual sales approaching $1 Billion. Talk about hockey stick growth!
It started with a quality product
Maynard, VP-Marketing for Yeti, stated the company cast the cooler “as a thing that was meant to last, meant to be used, and was built as tough as it possibly could be. The price didn’t really matter.”
Built for the wild
Yeti built its brand by going after a niche market of hardcore hunters, fishers, and outdoor enthusiasts. What made these customers distinct was they needed a high-quality product to survive in the wild.
Endorsed by advocates and experts
Sure, Yeti products were capable of keeping ice and contents cold for days, but even more important was the fact that they were “grizzly proof” and certified as such by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.
Yeti has a definitive lifestyle brand — making products that appeal to hardcore, outdoor enthusiasts. And despite its growth, Yeti made it clear it would always remain true to its roots and the needs of its original customers and advocates.
Yeti delivers this message through its cross-channel content strategy. All of Yeti’s content — across web, social, traditional and nontraditional media — is aimed at helping you envision your desire for the outdoors. Their products just so happen to be badass sidekicks in the background.
Yeti Presents
For the past few years, Yeti has pushed the boundaries of traditional storytelling with nontraditional content strategies. Yeti has created beautiful, cinematic films of outdoorsmen and women narrated by the subjects themselves.
Under the banner “Yeti Presents”, the content embodies a short-form Netflix documentary vibe and serves to engage new and existing customers in an emotional way. It’s no surprise, other brands (both large and small) are mirroring Yeti by developing their own “Presents” series.
So how can you be the next Yeti?
Here are 4 perspectives from Yeti’s story on how to leverage content to accelerate your growth curve.
(1) Say Something Meaningful
Too many brands think content is about “posting” relevant pictures to social media to keep the ball moving. The best place to start is to ask yourself the question “what are we saying to our core customers that is meaningful.”
Yeti wants you to envision your desire for the outdoors.
Their vision is clear, their products are Built for the Wild.
It’s simple.
People get it.
Having a clear brand statement like that allows you to think big picture about how your content can amplify that message across channels. How am I saying that message through my content on social media, my website, and through paid media? Content synergies accelerate financial results by helping you capture more targeted customers, faster.
Figure out what you’re trying to say, and then make sure you’re saying it consistently and frequently across all of your channels.
(2) Leverage Customer Data
With today’s access to technology and tools, there is no excuse to not leverage data to inform your content strategy. Look at your highest LTV customers, demographics, DMAs as well as customer feedback and reviews to inform campaign decisions. Content strategies can also be tested on a small scale before a larger investment is made in a particular direction. Creativity is still important as data does not always outweigh modern day culture, good timing, and great ideas. The Budweiser Dilly Dilly campaign initially bombed in early consumer tests, but the team was committed to the concept and potential in its alignment to the Game Of Thrones new season launch.
Both quantitative and qualitative data are equally valuable — just be sure to have an objective method for evaluating data and making decisions.
(3) Think Cross-Channel
To ensure you maximize your investment in content, think holistically across all market-facing channels. An anthem video for a website and YouTube can be cut down into a few digital marketing assets that will be on brand and help amplify paid media efforts. While filming the anthem video, for example, you can also capture photography of your tribe behind-the-scenes and post that content in real-time as an Instagram story.
Be strategic and leverage content creation opportunities to amplify your message cross-channel in an authentic way.
(4) Be A Publisher
A successful content strategy isn’t about filming one video and having it reach millions of people. It’s about consistently delivering your message in new and engaging ways to emotionally connect with your audience.
Budweiser is a great example of a company that understands what it is trying to say and who it is speaking to — as well as the importance of consistency. Budweiser is about having fun with your friends. They leverage humor in their content to make this emotional connection. Whether it’s bullfrogs, Clydesdales, or cheering “dilly dilly”, the content drives a specific cognitive narrative.
Having a beer with your friends is fun.
Go Forth & Create!
A great content strategy can help any brand stand out and capture the hearts and minds of new and existing customers.
Our best advice is to start small. Focus on producing consistent cross-channel content that is meaningful and within your budget. Brands that double down on content investments are winning in the market and stealing share. While the ROI is not as immediately apparent as other marketing efforts — when correctly executed — content helps bring in more LTV customers over the long-term.
Now go create something great…
This article was written by Markacy.
Markacy is a different type of strategic growth partner for leading brands and startups. Our leadership team brings decades of deep expertise across strategy consulting, sales & marketing, advertising, and business management. We bring together a diverse set of capabilities to help our clients execute integrated growth strategies grounded in cross-channel data and analytics.
Get in touch today at info@markacy.com and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to learn how we are helping great brands make their mark.
