About the Company

Backcountry.com, a leader in the outdoor gear retail space, was looking to increase consumer awareness and retention, develop the company’s offering of undiscovered private label brands, and drive long-term growth. Their dilemma was the efficiencies of delivery and pricing that contributed to their growth was being encroached on by other key competitors including Evo, Wiggle, and especially Amazon. Backcountry needed to define its brand to assure a means of differentiation and long-term customer retention in a tightly growing eCommerce space.

Our Partnership

Compass and Nail took in-depth customer examinations that revealed a gap in service across the outdoor apparel and gear industry, which Backcountry is uniquely suited to fill. Consumers wanted the assurance of a “gear-head” before making an informed purchase. The gap was a seamless integration of content and commerce. Shoppers were looking for an expert opinion to curate both product and content on their behalf, saving them time, money, but more importantly, assuring their end experience was optimized while being able to have a daily fix of the outdoor experience.

Strategy Focus

Compass and Nail redefined the brand positioning by providing clear direction and a means to showcase what makes Backcountry relevant and meaningful in the outdoor enthusiasts’ life. Once the core insights were summarized, the foundations and framework of loyalty were constructed, and then function-by-function plans were developed for implementing the vision, including: customer journey mapping, editorial calendar, content hierarchy, loyalty metrics and customer data, and a clear brand call to action housed in a unique service. This execution ultimately re-orients operations around customer behavior instead of solely revenue and transactions.

Demonstrated Impact

Backcountry has updated their brand position and are in the midst of implementing a renewed business model that is shifting focus to a more specialized experience through the curation of content and product steeped in the metrics of loyalty. This strengthened commitment to their customers is a direct result of understanding how to engage them holistically. Since the engagement EBITDA and free cash flow has increased significantly, as a result of the critical improvements made in the brand and business model. The Gearhead program has grown to provide a concierge level customer service, driving increases in repeat sales for customers that they connect with at a profit margin that is higher than that of the average order.