Maybe you've heard of my Summer destination, Huntington Beach California. Also known as Surf Capital USA --- about an hour South of LA. But if you haven't: every Summer, Van's hosts the US Open of Surfing and this year my trip fell on the perfect week. Most people would just enjoy the moment... then there's me who couldn't help but notice the marketing tactics being implemented all around me.
On the beach was a sea of fans under umbrellas, in the air was excitement, while the sounds of waves crashing and rad surf competition announcers made me feel like I was in that cartoon penguin movie "Surf's Up." I'll gladly admit that Van's really knows how to sponsor an event as they gave out hundreds of free Van's umbrellas to people on the beach which turned all aerial shots into a beautiful, beachy advertisement.
Watching the surfing competition was a luxury that I thoroughly enjoyed. I will always be amazed by surfing. Mostly because if I were to describe my skill level on a scale from 1 to 10, I'd be a solid 1...aka my experience with surfing goes like this: I couldn't stand on the board no matter how hard I tried and when I finally gave up and decided to go back to land, I got trampled by a wave and somersaulted under water approximately 6 times. When I finally popped up, all disheveled and gasping for air, the people nearby clapped almost to say: "woohoo you lived." In light of that, I was mesmerized by the competition, to say the least, and I bet many others can relate. Surfing doesn't fail to bring a crowd.
When we wanted a break from the sun, the beach was full of other great activities. Away from the water, Hydroflask and Cliff bar had booths showcasing their merchandise, and there was a myriad of crafts and activity booths as well. My dad and little brother made a 3D paper shoe, a button, they did spin art, and got a bunch of free swag (Van's string bag, bandanas, koozies, etc). And you can't forget about the skateboard/BMX competition that was running simultaneously just a little ways up the beach. There was definitely something fun for everyone.
One day, they even had free hot dogs and chips for lunch! As we waited in line, they gave us free Van's hats. I don't know about you but free is my love language. Spreading merchandise is beneficial for both parties; free stuff makes consumers like the brand, and what company doesn't like a bunch of cheaply acquired brand ambassadors? Win win.
You may be thinking "Sounds like you had a great vacation. But what's your point?" Well, marketing is my point.
This event was full of all types of marketing, but I'm going to focus on the digital media portion that I observed first hand. If I've learned anything about marketing it's that people want an experience. Annnd something impressive to post on their Instagrams, of course. This event was an experience that gave all of us surfing fanatics amazing shareable content. I didn't see any signs saying "Share pictures and hashtag #VansUSOpenOfSurfing" or "Use our Snapchat Filters," but we all did it happily! I personally posted a lot using the hashtags and filters and loved when my stories were posted on the geo-stories.
That's why I'd call it Grassroots marketing: free merchandise and fun experiences garners (technically) unpaid media through social media posts. Which is perceived as pure and honest marketing by today's skeptical consumers. As a skeptical consumer myself, I am way more likely to listen to my friend who's genuinely happy about receiving a free gift from a company, than a paid brand ambassador/celebrity.
Every Snapchat, every Instagram story, every surfing photo I posted in my Facebook album is getting Van's name out there. I wear the t-shirt I bought at the giant pop-up Van's store with pride because I loved the experience I had and I'll happily align myself with such a fun brand. Isn't that what every brand wants?
Like, look how cute this shirt is. The store worker told me it's cute to tie a knot on the side and wear with high wasted shorts, so I've been doing that with great results of high self-confidence. When I wear it, it brings me back to beach days in the humidity-less golden state. Brands have the ability to do that, and from a marketing standpoint, this is what we want consumers to feel whenever possible.
Another fun digital offering was a live stream of the competition on their website. Now that the competition is over you can look through professional photographs and highlight videos. A simple hashtag search on Twitter and Instagram will give you lovely pictures to enjoy too. I encourage you to look if you have the chance. Looking through my photos definitely transports me back, and maybe they'll transport you too.
Not all of us can have the easy job of marketing at such an amazing event, but I think marketers should be called to a higher standard of creativity as they strive to create unforgettable experiences for our fellow consumers. At the end of the day, even more than the free stuff, experiences are what we remember and cherish for years to come.
Tune in for my next post. Who know's what fun marketing I'll find.
I am also very new to the surfing game. My brother and I started out this past summer with one of his good friends that is a great surfer trying to teach us... way harder than it looks! I have heard of this competition because we follow skim boarding. There is a competition in the Outer Banks that we went to this past summer. I experienced the same sort of marketing that you had. I remember seeing hashtags galore on twitter and instagram promoting the competition. There were also a ton of food trucks giving out free food if you entered and won and a contest they were hosting. This was a smaller competition, but the marketing strategies seem to be somewhat similar, just to a more niche market. It looks like you had a lot of fun and might have to add seeing this competition to my bucket list.
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