Smartwool: Engaging and motivating the outdoor community

Smartwool was the first outdoor company to make performance Merino wool ski socks, revolutionizing the  category and forever changing the way outdoor enthusiasts viewed their feet.

Since their inception in 1994, the company has expanded beyond socks to provide a large range of apparel – all sourced and manufactured sustainably. 30 years later, Smartwool continues to operating by the guiding principle that time spent outside is valuable, restorative, and essential for everyone.

Smartwool challenged Strava’s skiers & snowboarders to log 23 hours on the slopes over the course of a month for a $50 gift certificate towards their next full-price Smartwool base layer purchase, plus a chance to win a trip to Jackson Hole for the Rendezvous Festival.

Why Strava

Smartwool first partnered with Strava in 2019, when they sought to promote their new ultra running sock and try a new channel to grow brand awareness and community engagement. 

Smartwool sought to craft an activation that really spoke to ultrarunners, and they needed to identify the channels where their campaign and product could really resonate with the audience. So what better way than to activate on Strava and challenge athletes to complete 100 miles in a month to redeem a gift certificate? Since then, they have run five additional Strava challenges (for a total of six overall) targeted at runners, skiers, cyclists, and other athletes. The Smartwool team places a huge emphasis on brand awareness, so reaching their target audience authentically and consistently is a key part of their marketing strategy.

Impact

The challenge garnered 31,215 participants, and 12,235 of those athletes were first-time participants in a Smartwool challenge. Out of the total participants, 2,393 athletes (7.5%) completed the challenge. Smartwool saw solid community growth, with 1,298 athletes joining their Strava club. 

Although setting a lofty goal of 23 hours of skiing & snowboarding, Smartwool was pleased with the completion rate. As a brand, they are keen on campaigns that are authentic to their current & future audiences, who relish the idea of a rewarding challenge. 

Learnings and next steps

The team thought long and hard about the right balance for their challenge completion goal; too hard and relatively few athletes complete it. Too easy and it seems inauthentic. This will be front of mind for any future challenges.