The Context
Project Background
Bōte is a lifestyle brand focused on family, fun and making life on the water as functional and simple as possible through their products. Bōte was founded to solve a problem: the founders needed a better paddle board. So, instead of searching around for one – they built it themselves.
Bōte is ready to explode. They’re looking to expand their offerings outside of their established, trusted products, expand into a new market, and really position themselves as a lifestyle brand. Bōte was re-launching their new product line, The Hangout Suite, to reach a new customer base who could afford the product and share the brand’s same appreciation for an on-the-water lifestyle.
The Challenge:
Our challenge with this campaign was to reach a new audience/change outside of Bōte's current category. We needed to alter buyer behavior and perception of inflatables to prove the investment in a Bōte product is not only worth it, but should be treated as an extension of the family unit.
The Opportunity:
With the relaunch of the Hangout Suite, Bōte had the opportunity to expand its product offerings. Most importantly though, they had the opportunity to really position themselves as a true lifestyle brand.
The Audience:
Older Millennial / Gen X
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Ages 38 - 56
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Gen Z is a secondary consumer
Interests:
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Water sports, leisure lifestyle, boating, sailing, paddle boarding, hiking, outdoorsy, surfer vibe (less Daytona, more Ft. Lauderdale)
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Family time and leisure time with their friends
Places they may go:
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Tahoe, Great Lakes, coastal cities, sailing clubs, beach clubs (SOFLO especially)Cape Cod / the Vineyard
Income Level:
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$106,827 - $373,894+
The Insight
Families come in all forms, but in all family units, there’s an education going on. They teach each other everything from how to relax and recover to how to do a party up right. Often, kicking back and learning to let go and enjoy the moment is a labor of observation. Moments together are cherished for a variety of reasons, but they’re usually anchored by someone everyone looks up to.
Younger generations look to their elders to learn life skills – including how to hang out like the original party animals.
The Strategy
Leisure is ageless. Leisure is inclusive. Leisure is a lifestyle.
How it happened
For this project, I was part of an entirely new-to-me team. Combined with a timeline of nine days, we had a huge uphill battle. Bōte was a really cool, interesting client that my strategy partner and I had no problem drawing inspiration from. In learning about a new category, a new product, and working with a new team, we learned a lot about what it means to work together, communicate effectively and reevaluate where needed.
Key Learnings:
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Involving the creative team early is a must.
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Don't be afraid to change your mind based on new information (or better ideas).
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Anxiety can kill a project – learn your people and do what you can to keep everyone feeling empowered.
