Press Release:
SURF INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES BENEFIT FROM SIMA BOOT CAMP P.M.: WHAT ACTION SPORTS CAN (AND SHOULD) LEARN FROM MOTION PICTURE MARKETING
ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (April 26, 2013) – More than 100 employees from 30 surf industry companies attended yesterday’s SIMA Boot Camp P.M.: What Action Sports Can (And Should) Learn From Motion Picture Marketing. The event featured a conversation with Anna Yeager, Creative Director and Lead Theatrical Marketing Producer, Herzog & Company, and proved to be a valuable educational seminar for all. Yeager shared her invaluable insight into what makes successful film marketing so, and related her knowledge and key learnings for attendees to apply to our industry every day.
“Be innovative and cut through the norm, the safe, the easy,” said Yeager. “Be adventurous in figuring out how to sell a product. You have to get creative, and utilize your staff and give them the opportunity to try and shine.”
As an award-winning film marketer, Anna Yeager brings myriad experiences building and executing marketing plans for major motion pictures, from The Help and Pirates of the Caribbean to this summer’s highly anticipated The Lone Ranger and Monsters University. Launching such high visibility projects with virtually 48 hours to succeed or fail, Yeager has seen the good, bad and ugly of pressure-cooker marketing, from creative assets and media buying to social media tools and viral content. Having to build marketing strategies from the ground up, with so many proverbial chefs in the kitchen, Yeager has been able to thrive in making studios and stars happy, films that shouldn’t do well succeed, and is the first person Pixar, Disney, and DreamWorks call when they have a major film to market.
“Social media has changed everything with marketing,” Yeager told attendees. “It can make or break a campaign. Word of mouth really determines whether or not people buy into your product.”
Yeager also emphasized the importance of connecting with your audience. “Connecting with your audience is most important. It’s easy to know your audience, but you need to connect with them.” Her advice for action sports marketers: “Your industry is so exciting. It’s simple to make it appealing to your target audience, but challenge yourself to make it appealing on a larger scale.”
Held at Quiksilver headquarters, Boot Camp attendees enjoyed tacos and an open bar while networking and learning from the featured conversation with Anna.
In its sixth year, SIMA Boot Camps are educational and intimate seminars that aim to provide valuable business tips and tools to help SIMA member companies improve a variety of daily business operations. The Boot Camp seminar topics change from Boot Camp to Boot Camp with the goal of reaching a variety of employees and departments within SIMA member companies. While all levels of employees are welcome, the 2013 SIMA Boot Camp curriculum has been specifically designed with the continued professional development of mid-level managers in mind. Additional Boot Camps for 2013 will be announced in the coming weeks. Visit www.sima.com for more information and registration materials as they become available.
The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is the official working trade association of more than 300 surf industry suppliers. Founded in 1989, SIMA is a non-profit organization that serves to promote awareness of the surf industry and participation in the sport of surfing through public relations efforts and a variety of services, educational programs and research. In addition, SIMA actively supports oceanic environmental efforts through its 501(c)(3) charitable environmental foundation, the SIMA Environmental Fund. In the past 23 years, SIMA’s Environmental Fund has raised more than $6 million for environmental groups seeking to protect the world’s oceans, beaches and waves. The SIMA Humanitarian Fund, also a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, was established in 2006 to award grants to various surf or boardsport related social and humanitarian non-profit organizations whose efforts are focused on improving the quality of life, health and/or welfare of people. For more information on SIMA, please visit www.sima.com. Follow us at Twitter.com/SIMA_SURF.
