Wazzup Pilipinas!
Primer Group of Companies, a company engaged in the retail and distribution of premium consumer brands in outdoor, urban lifestyle and travel, recently received two special awards during the Asia Sports Industry Awards and Conference held at the New World Makati Hotel, Philippines.
The SPIA Asia awards was created to recognize and celebrate the outstanding business leaders, organizations, facilities and campaigns that made a groundbreaking contribution to the growth and development of Southeast Asia’s sporting industry.
Among the 168 entries submitted by different organizations from 12 countries, Primer Group took home the Best Sports CSR Campaign gold award for its Bike Doctors initiative, and a Best Sports Digital Platform silver award for one of its brands, Columbia Sportswear.
According Roel Chan, head of Primer Group’s advocacy arm Center for Outdoor Recreation and Expedition (C.O.R.E.), both the awards signify the company’s commitment to utilize outdoor sports as a medium to advocate nation-building and solidarity while supporting environmental endeavors.
“Through the years, Primer Group has been embarking on extraordinary adventures that transform the way we explore the outdoors,” Chan said. “Now, with the awards in place, we are given more reasons to continue what we do best: that is, to advocate outdoor sports while protecting our people and the environment.”
A holistic view for the outdoors
Primer Group distributes Columbia Sportswear products in the Philippines, providing outdoor apparel and other products like jackets, pants, fleece, boots and shoes to both the Philippine and global markets. With their commitment to provide high-quality apparel to outdoor enthusiasts, Columbia’s team submitted its Trying Stuff Campaign under the Retail Sports Marketing Category.
During the Trying Stuff Campaign, Columbia Sportswear took into consideration three important aspects: Merchandise, Operations and Marketing. For the merchandise, the company adjusted its purchases or inventory based on the requirements of the travelers. Instead of competing with other international brands, the company focused technical mid-to high-tier products that communicated its brand strength, which is innovation.
For the operations, Columbia’s team amped up its training both in experiential and visual merchandising to ensure that sales associates can competently explain the technologies displayed in all Columbia stores. Lastly, the company engaged its customers in experiential activities, giving them firsthand experiences of Columbia’s technologies.
The two-year campaign was developed to boost awareness on having a positive attitude towards outdoor adventures and in life itself. Its team used business strategies that helped grow not only the brand and its products, but also the people who helped make the campaign successful.
According to Columbia brand manager Tiffany Batungbacal, the campaign became successful primarily because the whole team dedicated years of hard work to attract more customers.
“We are really thankful for our team; we thank all other Primer affiliates and other business units down to the brand ambassadors we support. It’s impossible not to be inspired and stay passionate when you’re surrounded by these people,” Batungbacal said. “It’s really about the timing. Now, we’re glad to have everything in the right place at the right time.”
Moving towards a competitive year
With the recognitions that Primer Group received this year, Chan said that the company will continue to support outdoor athletes, scientists, writers, artists, government agencies and other private organizations to help them find their own fruitful exploration.
Chan concluded, “With the right attitude from like-minded people, we will be able to develop self-reliance and sustainability that empower communities and protect the environment. Moving forward, we will dedicate our work and ourselves to tourism promotion, environmental conservation and expedition management to help Filipinos live the most out of life.”
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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