SNEWS® Header
View Outdoor
View Fitness
View Winter

Community - Expert Network - Power Players Lounge


Article Thumbnail Power Players' Lounge: What is your green story?
Oct 5, 2009
What is green messaging? In a nutshell, it's how we tell an environmental story to our audience. But as the green movement grows, consumers are being bombarded by vague and confusing green messaging and we are losing their trust.
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Power Players Lounge
Article Thumbnail Just 48 hours left to nominate your picks for 2010's SNEWS Power Players
Sep 30, 2009
SNEWS® Power Player award nominations have been pouring in all month, but have we heard from you? Take this last chance to enter your nominations quickly and easily online.
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Power Players Lounge
Article Thumbnail Power Players' Lounge: Outdoor recreation's role in a shifting economy
Sep 21, 2009
Back in the day, people viewed conservation issues through a "jobs versus the environment" lens. Thankfully, in many areas -- particularly the rural West -- those days are gone. Throughout the West, communities that once depended on logging, mining, oil and gas development, and other traditional extractive industries are now meccas for outdoor recreation and home to retirees with nest eggs drawn to mountain skylines, whitewater rivers and open spaces.
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Power Players Lounge
Article Thumbnail Power Players' Lounge: Transitioning your company to the 'next generation'
Sep 9, 2009
All companies reach a point in their lifecycle where significant management transition becomes inevitable, if not necessary. As the founders and senior managers of companies look to move on to new challenges, scale back workload or retire, companies often find themselves in a forced "transition mode." Many companies also face transition as business models evolve, competition increases and economic realities change. Outdoor industry companies are no different, as we've witnessed in the last decade. Unfortunately, companies often reach this point with no real plan or open dialog about the impending changes.
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Power Players Lounge
Article Thumbnail Power Players' Lounge: Does your store have a social strategy?
Aug 26, 2009
Social media has launched a new means of connecting and communicating that in turn has created a market opportunity for companies of all sizes to engage directly with customers, consumers and each other. Whether it is through blogging, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other means, strategically using social media has the potential to positively impact specialty retail if a retailer's customer base feels engaged.
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Power Players Lounge
Article Thumbnail Power Players' Lounge: Patience and persistence pay off in networking
Aug 5, 2009
There is an old cliché...it's not what you know; it's who you know. As much as we perhaps wish that weren't true, most of us know that it is. Whether they are looking for advice, to buy product or to fill a position, people are more likely to reach out to someone they know rather than a complete stranger.
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Power Players Lounge
Article Thumbnail Power Players' Lounge: What keeps you up at night?
Jul 29, 2009
Most of us in the outdoor industry are here by choice. For most of us, this means that we were the kids who lay awake at night thinking of the places that we would hike, the rivers we would run, and the mountains we would climb. Looking around this industry, I see people who could have done anything – we could’ve been doctors, lawyers, teachers, scientists, artists, scholars – and we have chosen to make their living here in the Outdoor Industry. Why is that? The common denominator is that at some point in our lives our passion for outdoor activity kept us up at night...
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Power Players Lounge
Article Thumbnail Power Players' Lounge: Product innovation -- balancing delivery of innovation vs. risks
Jul 22, 2009
On a recent trip, I had time to think about product innovation in the outdoor industry and came to a few simple conclusions. First, you need to be able to accept a certain amount of risk. Second, you have to have the utmost faith in your supply chain and manufacturing capabilities to be able to meet delivery timelines and quality control expectations. Finally, and perhaps the most obvious, is that you have to be able to justify the costs, risks and efforts of bringing new product to market on time that will actually SELL.
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Power Players Lounge
Article Thumbnail Power Players' Lounge: Reaching young consumers
Jul 15, 2009
What is youth? We talk about younger people like they're from another planet. It's clear that they pay attention to very different things than we do. So why is teen participation in the outdoors declining? According to a 2009 Outdoor Foundation recreation report, a "lack of interest" is the main reason for declining participation. But, why are teens disinterested? We must inspire teens to be more engaged in the outdoors and become customers at our stores.
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Power Players Lounge
Article Thumbnail Power Players' Lounge: Creating a stellar customer experience
Jul 8, 2009
Becoming a retail destination people seek out, enjoy, and value is critical to a retailer’s success in the long term. In this economic environment it is easy to think “I’d better lower my prices” and neglect what proves, over time, to be of real importance to your success. Rock-bottom prices will appeal to some consumers, no doubt; however, this is typically not sustainable for most specialty retailers, and it is proving to not be what our primary consumers really value....
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Power Players Lounge

Pages: 1 2
Products and Trends
Industry Directory

Search for Members

Add Your Company

Industry News Releases
Bikes Belong Hires Tim Bock as Senior Manager of Marketing
May 11, 2012
Read story | Post a release | Go to all Industry Releases
Elie adds new 10-foot models to its popular line of sit-on-top kayaks
May 11, 2012
Read story | Post a release | Go to all Industry Releases
OIA Offers Diverse Slate of Outdoor University® Sessions in May
May 11, 2012
Read story | Post a release | Go to all Industry Releases
1,000 Mile MST Endurance Run Starts Today
May 10, 2012
Read story | Post a release | Go to all Industry Releases
AKU Hires KGPR, Ink as PR Agency of Record for North American Division
May 10, 2012
Read story | Post a release | Go to all Industry Releases
Deuter USA Partnership and Product Promote Aircontact Backpacks
May 10, 2012
Read story | Post a release | Go to all Industry Releases
SNEWS Headlines
Capturing sales: Lowepro, Joby place more focus on outdoor
May 11, 2012
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Outdoor Headlines
SNEWS best outdoor reads from around the web
May 11, 2012
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Outdoor Headlines
Who’s on the move: Tom Shores at Mountain Hardwear; Rick Randleman at Hi-Tec; Kirk Bailey at OIA; and more …
May 11, 2012
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Outdoor Headlines
Community Chat
"To the Winners " by Sharon Eisenhauer (05/09/2012 15:26 MDT)
Comments
"OR Location " by Aaron Imholt (05/01/2012 00:25 MDT)
Comments
Join the conversations -- Ideas, Community. Becoming a member of the community is free.
Dark Blue TriangleClick here to join now.
SNEWS Reader Poll
Log in to view or participate in SNEWS Reader Surveys.
Featured Content
Merchandising Tour: Setting the story scene
May 7, 2012
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Retail College
Merchandising Tour: Conveying an environmental message
Apr 25, 2012
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Retail College
Merchandising Tour: Get lit!
Apr 9, 2012
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Retail College
Trend Reports
Brands debut water–resistant down at Winter Market
Jan 25, 2012
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Product Trends